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A message from our president
Dear FRIENDS,
We've had quite a winter here on Cape Cod! Mother Nature has kept us on our toes. Those of you who departed for warmer climes missed the show-the wind, the surf, the power outages.
When you return, you will see Mother's handiwork: the tree trunks, split or uprooted, or balanced precariously against their neighbors; the shorelines gouged by tremendous wind-driven waves. Not only are the stairs to Marconi Beach gone, so is Liam's Shack at Nauset Beach. A bright spot: the new path to Nauset Light Beach, which park personnel completed before the most damaging storms hit.
Despite the distractions (and sometimes a lack of electricity), Friends has been hard at work. Our outdoors cut/pile/burn crew amazes all of us with its tenacity and dedication. Other volunteers welcomed people to our winter programs. We are putting the pieces together for our two June fundraising events, described elsewhere in this newsletter. While juggling the details of the events, we are creating the Magazine and also addressing issues raised in our strategic plan.
As Friends' volunteers, we bring different interest and skills to FCCNS. What unites us is a deep appreciation for the Seashore. Consider becoming an active Friend. Your Friends' board welcomes your ideas and your willingness to take on new challenges. We can use your help, and of course, hope to see you on June 13 at the Captain Linnell House and June 20 at Herring Cove.
Pat Canavan
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Join us this June for two great events to celebrate and raise funds for the Cape Cod National Seashore. Proceeds to benefit the restoration of the Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail in Wellfeet, and to create a viewing platform at the Old Harbor Life-Saving Station Boathouse in Provincetown.
Space is limited at both events so order your tickets online NOW through our website.
- Part I: "Fine Dining with Friends" Wednesday, June 13, 6 - 9:30
Three-course dinner and live auction at the Captain Linnell House, Skaket Beach Road, in Orleans. Live Auction includes a 7-night stay at a Villa in Tuscany for 4, a private sail around Wellfleet Harbor, overnight at a Lighthouse, and other fabulous art and dining options. $100/per person, cash bar.
- Part II: Sunset Cocktails & Concert, Wednesday, June 20, 5:30 - 8:30
Solstice sunset cocktails at Far Land at the Beach, Herring Cove Beach, Provinceown. Music by the New Beach Band, hors d'oeuvres & grilled delectables. Welcome summer with Friends and Far Land at the Beach! $50/per person, cash bar.
Taking a Stand
The mission of the Friends is to preserve, protect and enhance the fragile environment and unique cultural heritage of the National Seashore. As such, the board recently voted to send comments to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management expressing our concerns over the Draft Five Year Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program.
A copy of the letter was printed in the March 3, 2018 edition of The Cape Codder.
Friends Volunteers at Work
Carl Sylvester
The Friends' "Cut/Pile/Burn" crew is busy during the off-season. We are a group of volunteers who love the National Seashore and enjoy outdoor work helping preserve the park's beauty, safety, and ecology.
From October to January, under the direction of the NPS Fire Management officer Dave Crary and the Americorps lead person, we join forces with Americorps and Park Fire Management personnel every Tuesday morning to cut and pile brush at various locations from Eastham to Provincetown. Then from January to April, during local town burning seasons, we return to burn these piles of brush. Occasionally we participate in "prescribed burns" of large tracts of field under the strict direction of the NPS Fire Management team. We do all this to open up the park's scenic views, to prevent the spread of fire by eliminating underbrush which would otherwise enable fire to spread, to eliminate non-native plant species and promote the growth of native species, and to create habitat for native game birds such as quail.
The National Park Service provides all necessary personal protection equipment (PPE) such as gloves, fireproof shirts, eye and ear protection, hardhats, and chaps for the crew's safety. They also provide the tools and training. First aid equipment and an emergency medical technician (EMT) are on site every week.
This activity provides us with needed physical activity, camaraderie, a sense of contributing to the maintenance of this beautiful area with which we have been blessed and is just plain fun! If you are interested in joining the "Cut/Pile/Burn" crew, contact fccns.org/volunteer.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY
On the heels of our successful fund-raising efforts to
Protect our Ponds, here is a unique opportunity to provide some hands-on assistance:
For five years, an interdivisional park team has performed pond improvements with AmeriCorps Cape Cod. We are now broadening our pond maintenance capabilities to encompass the Friends of CCNS interest and its successful Protect Our Ponds fundraiser.
A pond condition assessment was completed for 2016-2017 that identified several ponds needing critical and direct erosion and overuse corrections to maintain their health and to guide visitors to better use patterns.
The ponds with the most dire need of attention at this time include Great Pond and Snow Pond in Truro, Dyer Pond and Duck Pond in Wellfleet, and Beech Forest pond area in Provincetown.
Activities include removing hazard trees, replacing a stairway, controlling access points, installing fence, and planting native shrubs along with installing biodegradable jute netting to restore shoreline vegetation.
Friends members are invited to join Seashore and AmeriCorps staff on Monday, May 14th for a ponds workday. Groups will be designated in order to cover all of the ponds. Please email Jenna Sabers of AmeriCorps Cape Cod at [email protected]
if you are interested in volunteering for a half day (in the morning or afternoon) or a whole day.
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News from the Seashore
Upcoming events:
Welcome our New Superintendent
Cape Cod National Seashore Deputy Superintendent Kathy Tevyaw has announced the dates of two public receptions to welcome new superintendent Brian Carlstrom to the national seashore. Both receptions are free and sponsored by Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore.
The first reception will be held on Thursday, April 19 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Salt Pond Visitor Center, 50 Nauset Road, Eastham. On Tuesday, May 8 there will be a reception from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at Province Lands Visitor Center, 171 Race Point Road, Provincetown. The Provincetown reception will showcase the recently completed interior renovation of the visitor center, including new exhibits and audio visual system. Celebratory remarks will be made at 5:30. Seashore staff will also provide a short presentation on coastal change occurring at Herring Cove Beach.
Most recently, Superintendent Carlstrom served in the National Park Service Washington Office as Deputy Associate Director, Natural Resource Stewardship and Science. During his 30-year National Park Service career he has served as a park ranger, recreation planner, natural resource specialist, legislative affairs specialist, and superintendent. Carlstrom replaces George Price, who retired in 2017 following twelve years as superintendent at Cape Cod during his 44-year career with the National Park Service.
Park Activities
The 2018 theme for Earth Day is "End Plastic Pollution," and the seashore has two special walks planned: On April 21, Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore is partnering with the Center for Coastal Studies for a clean-up at Herring Cove Beach. On April 22, attend a ranger-guided walk at Hatches Harbor to learn about salt marsh restoration, climate change, and to do some clean-up in the marsh behind Race Point Light.
The "Titanic Memorial Event-106 Years" takes place at Nauset Coast Guard Station in Eastham on April 14 from 10:00 am to 3:00 pm. Join the Titanic/Marconi Memorial Association of Cape Cod, WIMGY, for a global wireless radio event that honors souls lost on Titanic and for stories of ship-to-shore wireless communication.
A guided walk at the Marconi Site in Wellfleet is scheduled for April 17 at 11:00 am, and tours of the historic Captain Penniman House in Eastham will be held on April 16 and 19. Highland Light in Truro, operated by Eastern National, will open for the season on April 14. April tour hours are noon to 4:00 pm. Those climbing the light must be over 48 inches tall. Visit www.highlandlighthouse.org for details.
"International Marconi Day," on April 21 from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, at Nauset Coast Guard Station, is an annual public event that honors Guglielmo Marconi for his contributions to wireless technology. The Marconi Cape Cod Radio Club and the park welcome the public to observe Morse Code, voice, and digital radio operators in action. Typically, the event gets 400 visitors, and the radio operators make well over 1,000 HF radio contacts to about 65 countries around the world.
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