The Orleans Conservation Trust protects and restores natural lands — for people and wildlife, the health of our waters, and the character of our community. | |
Fall/Winter 2024/25 Newsletter is Here! | |
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Have you received your copy of our latest newsletter? In this edition we share our gratitude for an incredible gift of 26 acres, our friends and neighbors who help us manage our lands, our partners at Orleans schools, and you—our generous supporters.
Read our newest edition here, and find our newsletter archive here.
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Preschool Explorers with Andrea Higgins | |
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Friday, December 6, 9-10:30am
Orleans; location given at registration
Fall is a wonderful time to explore the great outdoors! If you have a youngster aged 2-5 ready for adventure, we hope you’ll join Naturalist Ms. Andrea Higgins for this free Preschool Exploration sponsored by Orleans Conservation Trust and Harwich Conservation Trust.
We will gather at a unique conservation destination in Orleans to watch colorful leaves twirling to the ground, breathe in the fresh air, and see signs of wildlife. Get outside, get creative, and get moving while learning about the land we live on.
Location and driving directions will be included in your registration confirmation email.
Photos courtesy of Gerry Beetham.
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Ice House/Reuben's Pond Walk | |
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Saturday, December 7, 10-11:30am
245 Tonset Road, Orleans
Join OCT for a 1.5-mile walk around two freshwater ponds, seeking migrating birds for the annual Cape Cod Waterfowl Census. Buffleheads, mergansers, and common loons have been spotted—what might we find this year?
Bring binoculars if you have them.
Limited participation; advanced registration required.
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Wednesday, January 1, 1-2pm
66 Portanimicut Road, Orleans
Greet the new year with a special OCT walk: explore the meadow, woods, and Atlantic white cedar swamp at the Portanimicut Greenbelt Conservation Area.
Limited participation; advanced registration required.
First Day Hikes Cape Cod is a unique one-day regional celebration featuring free special walks, talks, and hikes across Cape Cod providing a range of opportunities for families, children, residents, and visitors to get outside and explore on the first day of the new year. Spearheaded by Barnstable Land Trust, this unique regional collaboration representing 16 conservation groups is the first-of-its-kind in the nation which launched in 2022. More information on First Day Hikes Cape Cod can be found here.
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Twinings Eco-Restoration Maintenance | |
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Thursday, December 5, 9:30-11:30am
135 Quanset Road, Orleans
Join us as we continue to remove those pesky invasive plants that have regrown within the eco-restoration area at our Twinings Pond Conservation Area.
Please be prepared for off-trail travel, and bring work gloves, water, and any personal items you may need.
We will meet at the trailhead of Twinings at 135 Quanset Road.
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Eli Rogers Boundary Marking | |
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Thursday, December 19, 9:30-11:30am
Meet at 203 S Orleans Road, Orleans
Help us as we mark our boundaries at our Eli Rogers Road Woodland and Watershed Conservation Area. We will be using post-hole diggers to place wooden 4×4 and PVC posts.
Please be prepared for off-trail travel, and bring work gloves, water, and any personal items you may need.
As parking is limited, we will meet at the OCT office at 203 S. Orleans Rd (MA-28) in Orleans, and carpool to the property.
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Waste No Water Library Tour | |
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Tuesday, December 3, 5-6pm
Snow Library
67 Main Street, Orleans
In April, the Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Technology Center (MASSTC) launched the Waste No Water Library Tour, a year-long series to engage the public in 12 Cape towns, focusing on the wastewater successes and challenges each town faces.
Each event kicks off with a showing of the recent Scientific American documentary Yellow Tide that features MASSTC’s efforts, followed by a short presentation and a Q&A. Expect lots of people interested in the topic of wastewater to gather and better understand how sewering, innovative/alternative septic systems, eco-sanitation, and homeowner mindfulness are just a few important pieces of the ongoing wastewater puzzle. Click the image for more information.
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Our office will be closed Monday, Dec. 23 through Friday, Dec. 27. We will reopen Monday, Dec. 30. Please email stephen.ogrady@orleansconservationtrust.org with any questions about year-end giving during the closure. | |
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Upcoming Walks:
- Preschool Explorers (12/6)
- Ice House/Reuben's Pond (12/7)
- First Day Hike (1/1)
- John Kenrick Woods (1/16)
- Paw Wah Point (2/11)
- Twinings Pond (3/19)
- Baker's Pond (4/17)
- Beach Walk to Namskaket (5/21)
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Upcoming Talks:
- "Edible & Native Landscaping" by Dave Scandurra (1/22)
- "Little Bee, Big World" by Blake Dinius (2/6)
- "Nurturing Nature" by Jill Mays (3/11)
- "A History and a Future for Land Conservation on Cape Cod" by Mark Robinson (4/9)
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At Home with Nature
Nature-friendly practices you can adopt for your yard
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Preparing Your Garden for Winter
Though summer gardens feel a world away, now is the time to protect your native landscaping for the benefit of the plants, insects, and animals who make their home in your yard. Learn more about winterizing your home landscape here.
Check back monthly for more At Home with Nature tips, and visit our new webpage!
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Orleans Conservation Trust is a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 1970. Over its 50-year history, the Trust has preserved more than 660 acres in Orleans. Among the most active land trusts on Cape Cod, OCT stewards a range of ecosystems, from freshwater ponds and wetlands to saltmarshes, wooded upland, and coastal grasslands, managing its lands to protect and enhance wildlife habitat, restore native ecosystems, and provide public recreation and education through a network of trails and informational signage. OCT also educates residents and visitors about important natural values and environmental issues in Orleans and around Cape Cod via guided walks, free lectures, its website, newsletter, and other communications. | | | | |
