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A message from our president
Hello Summer!
I'm so glad you're here!
The Friends of the Cape Cod
National Seashore are looking forward to an event-filled season.
Check out all the park programs, the evening programs at Salt Pond Visitor Center, programs at Province Lands Visitor Center, and Herring Cove Beach. A special thank you to our members who volunteered to greet attendees on behalf of the Friends at our sponsored events.
Join us for our Annual Meeting on Wednesday, July 17, at 6:30 pm at Salt Pond Visitor Center. Richard Delaney, President of the Center for Coastal Studies, will be our speaker. His talk, beginning at 7 pm, will be
Climate
Change Impacts and Actions: Globally and Locally.
Mark your calendars for Friday, August 23, for the Cape Cod Symphony Concert. Always a spectacular event!
In July, Darin Krum takes the reins as President of the FCCNS. Stop in at
ACE Hardware in Eastham and say "thank you" to Darin for accepting this
position.
Thank you also to all the Directors who served this past year. We now welcome new Directors Betsy Bray, Frank Dobek and Melissa Lowe.
Enjoy the summer! Be Shark Smart! Wear sunscreen!
Pat Ryder
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Official Reopening of the
Red Maple Swamp Trail
Over the winter, the final restoration work was completed. Today the trail is in
excellent condition, a far cry from its condition in 2015.
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Pat Ryder, left, and Kathy Tevya
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Deputy Superintendent, Kathy Tevyaw and Pat Ryder officially reopened the Red Maple
Swamp Trail on Friday, May 24.
This trail was built in 1964 and partially closed in 2012 due to deterioration in the
platform foundation. This trail is a favorite of nature enthusiasts, walkers, families with
children and joggers, but the closure blocked one end of the trail entirely.
The trail was
on the Park's list of necessary capital improvements for years, but all National Parks
have a backlog of deferred maintenance beyond what can be remedied by federal
funding.
The Friends approached the Park in 2015 to see if, working together, this project could
be prioritized. The Friends focused on this project in their fundraising and the park
explored non-traditional methods for reconstruction that could be accomplished by its
trail crew instead of contractors.
Karst Hoogeboom, Chief of Facilities and Maintenance, and John Defoe, Roads and Trails
Supervisor, will described how their team tackled the project and they displayed a
specialized tool developed by their staff to heat and bend the lumber to retain the trail's
signature curved nature.
Seashore Plant Ecologist Stephen Smith provided a short walk around the swamp
describing the swamp ecosystem.
Pat Ryder outlined the Friends next priority project, the restoration of the Atlantic
White Cedar Swamp Trail.
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Climate Change - Impacts and Actions
Globally and Locally
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Richard Delaney
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Our rapidly warming climate is already causing significant environmental, social, economic and health impacts in every country in the world. Cape Cod communities and Cape Cod National Seashore have a "front row" seat for some of the most serious changes. After decades of delays, concrete actions to mitigate and adapt to these changes are underway.
Richard Delaney will discuss his work internationally, including the Paris Climate Summit, and locally - including the work of the Cape Cod Climate Change Collaborative at Friends' annual meeting on July 17 at 7 pm.
The public is invited to Salt Pond Visitor Center. The Friends' business meeting precedes Delaney's presentation at 6:30 pm.
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Cape Cod National Seashore Chief Ranger
Cape Cod's waters are part of a natural and wild marine ecosystem with a rich diversity of sea life, including sharks. Sharks have been swimming the ocean waters for more than 400 million years.
As top predators, sharks are critical for maintaining a healthy and balanced marine ecosystem. Seals are the major prey species for the great white sharks (Carcharodon carcharis), and as the seal population increases on the Outer Cape, the great white shark has become more numerous.
There have been many confirmed reports of great white sharks feeding on seals close to shore near or at swimming beaches within the National Seashore. People have been seriously injured and killed by white sharks along the seashore coastline.
 To minimize your risk and to protect wildlife:
- Follow instructions of lifeguards.
- Adhere to all signage and flag warnings at beaches.
- Stay close to shore where rescuers can reach you.
- Avoid areas where seals are present.
- Avoid areas where schools of fish are visible.
- Avoid murky or low visibility water.
- Swim, paddle, kayak, and surf in groups - don't isolate yourself.
- Limit splashing
Since 2012, Cape Cod National Seashore has been part of the regional shark working group, whose member include staff and public safety officials from Cape Cod, the Islands, and the South Shore of Massachusetts, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, and the MA Division of Marine Fisheries.
The working group collaborates on shark research, knowledge, and safety efforts. Products developed by the group to increase public awareness and safety include beach signage, brochures, purple shark flags, the Sharktivity app, a shark smart video, and coordination of Stop the Bleed training.
 The following actionable items will be implemented in 2019:
- Improved communications at beaches by installing emergency call boxes,
- Continued public education and outreach,
- Stop the Bleed training for seashore staff,
- Staging of Stop the Bleed in selected areas such as the over-sand corridor and on the beach once the lifeguards are off duty.
On Wednesday, February 13, 2019 a meeting brought together Town Managers and public safety officials from the Towns of Chatham, Orleans, Eastham, Truro, and Provincetown, along with representatives from the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, the Cape Cod National Seashore, the Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce, and Representative Sarah Peake's Chief of Staff.
The focus of the group discussion was on a proposed shark and human mitigation alternatives analysis project. The Woods Hole Group will be undertaking an independent review of emerging technologies and strategies by analyzing all proposed alternatives.
 The analysis is funded by The Friends of Cape Cod National Seashore, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, Towns of the outer cape, and a state grant of $15,000 for a combined total of $49,950. The results of the analysis are expected in September, 2019.
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National Seashore
Summer Highlights
The Cape Cod National Seashore has many events daily during the summer. Here are just a few
Wampanoag Lifeways Walk - June 21
The Greatest Beach - June 22
Sunset Music Nights - June 26 and 30
Sunset Music Nights July - Wednesdays and Sundays
Friends Annual Meeting - July 17
Sunset Music Nights August - Wednesdays and Sundays
Wrecks and Rescues - August 8
Symphony at the Seashore - August 23
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Americorps' Kettle Pond Project
A Photographic Essay
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