The Orleans Conservation Trust protects and restores natural lands—for people and wildlife, the health of our waters, and the character of our community. | |
"Little Bee, Big World" Lecture | |
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Thursday, February 6, 6:30pm
3 River Road, Orleans
Our little bees live in a big world rife with challenges and constant pressure to survive.
Massachusetts is home to at least 365 species of native bees. Each of these has unique requirements, behaviors, and seasonality. If we truly want to help bees, we need to start thinking more deeply about our uniquely American bees. These bees have evolved alongside our native plants for millennia.
Blake Dinius, entomologist, will share research on:
- The myriad lifestyles of our native bees
- The intimate relationship forged between native bees and native plants over millions of years
- Challenges native bees face in quickly changing human landscape
- Gardening tips to helps support our native bees
The lecture will take place at the CHO Meetinghouse, 3 River Road, Orleans. Doors open at 6pm; lecture starts at 6:30.
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Tuesday, February 11, 10-11:30am
Paw Wah Point Conservation Area, Orleans
Enjoy views over Little Pleasant Bay while learning how Orleans voters prevented development and preserved this sensitive area.
Limited participation; advanced registration required.
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Friday, February 28, 9-10:30am
Orleans
Preschool Explorers with Naturalist Andrea Higgins: Our youngest nature adventurers, ages 2-5, are invited to bring their caregivers to these free programs that include a short walk, a story, and an activity in nature. The walk will take place in Orleans.
Please email oct@orleansconservationtrust.org if you're interested in registering for this event.
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Volunteer Workdays are now scheduled for the first and third Thursday of each month. Can't make Thursday workdays, but still want to participate? Contact Sam O'Neill directly at sam@orleansconservationtrust.org
In March, volunteer registration will shift from email sign-ups to SignUp.com. Instructions will be provided to help navigate this simple change and streamline the registration process.
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Thursday, February 6, 9:30-11:30am
Meet at 203 South Orleans Road, Orleans
Join OCT staff at our newest property acquisition, Namequoit Wood, as we help jumpstart rewilding efforts with a cleanup and seeding project. Volunteers will collect leftover debris from demolition and help rake seed into the building footprints.
Dress accordingly for outdoor work in cold weather and bring any personal items you need such as water and snacks. Please note that weather conditions may affect this project, and a backup project will be communicated as a result of any adverse conditions.
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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Invasive Removal at Mauch Property | |
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Thursday, February 20, 9:30-11:30am
65 Old Duck Hill Rd, Orleans
Join OCT land stewards and staff as we remove invasive shrubs and plants from a designated management zone within the property. As part of this workday, you'll test your winter plant ID skills and learn more about our Volunteer Land Steward Program.
Please dress accordingly for outdoor work in cold weather and bring any personal items you need such as water and snacks.
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Upcoming Walks:
- Paw Wah Point (2/11)
- Preschool Explorers (2/28)
- Twinings Pond (3/19)
- Preschool Explorers (3/28)
- Baker's Pond (4/17)
- Preschool Explorers (4/28)
- Beach Walk to Namskaket (5/21)
- Preschool Explorers (5/30)
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Upcoming Talks:
- "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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Native Plant of the Month: Inkberry, Ilex glabra | |
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For a positive resolution for the new year, consider adding inkberry to your garden.
Inkberry’s evergreen leaves and relatively compact form make it an excellent substitute for boxwood and Japanese holly. Compared with these non-native shrubs, the leaves of this native holly are slightly longer and shinier, and the overall plant has a fresher and more winsome appearance.
As William Cullina writes in Native Trees, Shrubs and Vines, inkberry “has a certain billowy, mounded character that is wild yet formal at the same time.”
The straight species, Ilex glabra, can grow up to eight feet tall, but cultivars such as “Compacta” and “Shamrock” will top out at five feet.
Moreover, inkberries are not difficult. They prefer full or part sun but can handle shade. They like moist soil and therefore supplemental watering during droughts. Even so, the Native Plant Trust says they are drought tolerant. In the wild, the Missouri Botanical Garden database notes, inkberry “is most commonly found in sandy woods and peripheries of swamps and bogs” along the coastal plain from Nova Scotia to Florida and the Gulf Coast west to Louisiana. Here on the Cape, we've got the "coastal" and "sandy woods" requirements covered.
Like other hollies, inkberry shrubs are either male or female. Both sexes produce inconspicuous white flowers in May beloved by honeybees, but only the females produce the small black berries in the fall that give the species its name, and only if a male is nearby. Birds, especially robins, eat the berries in the winter.
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Every month, Meg Voorhies profiles a different native plant for the Mayflower Point Association in Orleans, where she lives. Thank you, Meg, and Orleans Pond Coalition, for sharing this month's native plant.
Learn more about living At Home with Nature on our webpage.
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The Town of Orleans is updating its Open Space and Recreation Plan. This key plan has resulted in the Town receiving $4.8M in land acquisition grants in the past. The Town seeks public opinion on the existing properties, facilities and services that exist today, and what you’d like to see in the future. Please take 10 minutes to complete the survey. Your opinion matters!
Link to the survey:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Orleans_osrp2025
Survey results will be used to develop the new plan. When a draft is complete, it will be presented to the public before it is finalized. If you have any questions about the planning process, please contact Planning Director George Meservey at gmeservey@town.orleans.ma.us.
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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. | | | | |
