Photo credit: Spencer Kennard, capecodphotos.com | |
Welcome to The Pleasant Bay Current!
Dear Friend —
I am thrilled to introduce you to Friends of Pleasant Bay’s (FoPB’s) inaugural e-newsletter The Pleasant Bay Current. We are launching this effort to help inform you of events, initiatives, and opportunities to study, protect, conserve, and enjoy an exceptional coastal resource — Pleasant Bay.
The Current will cover not only FoPB news but that of our many partners, friends, and communities working to improve water quality, protect habitat, enhance access, investigate history, offer volunteer opportunities, and increase enjoyment of the Bay.
Please look for the Current in your inbox on a monthly basis and share it widely. We hope you enjoy it…and please let us know what you think!
— Allison Coleman, President, Board of Directors
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“There's no question that climate change poses significant challenges to the Bay’s role as an estuary and our ability to access and enjoy its waters,” said Carole Ridley, Alliance Coordinator. “The good news is that the four Pleasant Bay towns — Brewster, Chatham, Harwich and Orleans — have a strong history of regional collaboration and now, with the Climate Adaptation Action Plan, a science-based game plan for taking effective and proactive measures to mitigate climate change impacts.”
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Among report findings, the Pleasant Bay estuary may experience:
- Sea level rise of 4-8 feet by 2100
- More frequent and intense storms
- A 20-degree F increase in water surface temperatures by 2050
- Loss of nearly 72% of intertidal resource areas to increased water levels
- Threats of inundation to public infrastructure due to sea level rise and storm surges
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The Pleasant Bay Alliance is a municipal organization formed by the Towns of Orleans, Chatham, Harwich and Brewster to coordinate the resource management plan for the Pleasant Bay ACEC (Area of Critical Environmental Concern) and watershed.
Alliance programs encompass technical research, policy analysis, and public outreach in the areas of coastal resilience, watershed planning, navigation, fisheries, wetlands protection, and water quality monitoring.
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Orleans Conservation Trust receives extraordinary 26-acre land donation on Pleasant Bay
An anonymous donor gave the Orleans Conservation Trust (OCT) a 25.79-acre waterfront property on Little Pleasant Bay in South Orleans, near Namequoit Point at the mouth of the River. This donation is the largest and most valuable upland property OCT has acquired since 1973, and was the largest unprotected private property anywhere on Pleasant Bay.
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Events
New! Take a walk on the wild side and explore Cape Cod’s new conservation calendar
FoPB — as a member of The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts and in partnership with its nonprofit members — is excited to launch a new regional calendar of environmental events, the first of its kind in the region.
The Conservation Calendar features programs and events from villages and towns across Cape Cod, enabling visitors and residents alike to view, at a glance, the wide variety of nature and environmental events occurring every week.
Click the button below, search and filter by town, type of event, or date range to find walks, talks, and workdays near you.
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Pleasant Bay is the largest estuary on Cape Cod and the penultimate in size in the Commonwealth, second only to the Neponset River Estuary located in Quincy, Milton and Boston. Pleasant Bay encompasses two main basins, numerous embayments, coves, and three tidal rivers, and offers one of the most biologically diverse and productive marine habitats on the East Coast.
Estuaries are bodies of water and their surrounding coastal habitats are typically found where rivers meet the sea. Estuaries harbor unique plant and animal communities because their waters are brackish — a mixture of fresh water draining from the land and salty seawater.
Estuaries are some of the most productive ecosystems in the world. Many animal species rely on estuaries for food and as places to nest and breed. Human communities also rely on estuaries for food, recreation, and jobs. Of the 32 largest cities in the world, 22 are located on estuaries!
Protecting and enjoying the Pleasant Bay estuary is FoPB's raison d'etre!
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FoPB's 2024 Year in Review newsletter
Did you receive our print newsletter this past December? It's chock full of updates on our activities and the many ways in which your financial and volunteer support have been put to great use in the past year.
If you'd like to join our mailing list for print news and become a member, please sign up here. We need, and deeply appreciate, your support.
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Friends of Pleasant Bay
P.O. Box 1243
Harwich, MA 02645
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