The Orleans Conservation Trust protects and restores natural lands—for people and wildlife, the health of our waters, and the character of our community. | |
Save the Date:
OCT's Annual Plant Sale
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Saturday, June 14, 9-11am
203 South Orleans Road, Orleans
Join OCT for our seventh annual plant sale, which will have a native pollinator plant theme (and some veggies!). Beautify your garden while supporting native wildlife and pollinators. Proceeds will benefit OCT’s land saving work!
Plants are being generously provided by OCT members and Lake Farm Gardens. Please do not arrive prior to 9:00 am.
| | Orleans Town Meeting is on Monday, May 12th, at 6 PM, in the Nauset Middle School Gym. There are a few articles regarding measures to protect Orleans water quality. Read more from the Orleans Pond Coalition here, and be sure to attend the meeting on May 12! | | |
Wednesday, May 21, 9:30-11am
Skaket Beach, Orleans
Walk about 1.5 miles (round trip) through soft sand on Skaket Beach to a saltmarsh habitat of 200+ acres, including the single largest land donation to OCT.
Meet at the south end (left side when entering) of Skaket Beach parking lot, Orleans.
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Friday, May 30, 1:30-3pm
Orleans
With spring arriving, we enjoy the return of red-winged blackbirds, osprey, alewives, singing spring peepers, and Preschool Explorers. Perfect for families with kids ages 2-5, we hope you’ll join Naturalist Ms. Andrea Higgins to get outside, get creative, and get moving during this adventure sponsored by Orleans Conservation Trust and Harwich Conservation Trust. Breathe in the fresh air, see signs of wildlife, and learn about the land we live on.
Location and driving directions will be included in your registration confirmation email.
Photos by Gerry Beetham.
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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 at sam@orleansconservationtrust.org
We're now using SignUp to organize our upcoming Volunteer Workdays!
Here's how it works in 3 easy steps:
1) Click here to see OCT's SignUp page.
2) Review the events listed and choose the spot(s) you'd like to sign up for.
3) Sign up! It's easy - and you will not need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.
| | 2025 Inaugural Biodiversity Seekers Bioblitz | | |
Thursday, May 15, 9:30-11:30am
20 Cheney Road, Orleans
Join us at OCT's Moerschener Conservation Area as we kick off our 2025 Biodiversity Seekers season! Using the Seek and iNaturalist apps, we will photograph and identify flora and fauna inhabiting our lands. This biodiversity information will allow us to make stewardship decisions driven by good data. We will also discuss changes made to the Biodiversity Seekers Program including a shift toward priority species identification, and vernal pool identification, certification, and monitoring.
We will provide a refresher on data collection using Seek and iNaturalist, as well as training on priority species identification and vernal pool monitoring.
Be sure to bring your charged smartphone, water, and any personal items you may need. And long sleeves and pants are recommended, tick and poison ivy season is upon us!
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Upcoming Walks:
- Beach Walk to Namskaket (5/21)
- Preschool Explorers (5/30)
Upcoming Events:
- Orleans Pond Coalition's Celebrate Our Waters (6/7)
- OCT's Annual Plant Sale (6/14)
- OCT's Annual Meeting (8/25)
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At Home with Nature
Nature-friendly practices you can adopt for your yard
| | Native Plant of the Month: Beach Plum (Prunus maritima) | | |
Often found in the dunes and coastal plains of Cape Cod, this deciduous shrub has a native range along the east coast of the US from Maine to Maryland. Its specific Latin name, "maritima," aptly describes its habitat, meaning "relating to the sea." A hardy species, it is extremely tolerant of cold, drought, and salt spray, though it does not prefer to be crowded by other species and requires full sunlight to thrive.
During early spring, its dense branches produce displays of bright white flowers with large yellow anthers in their centers. After they are pollinated by varieties of butterflies, birds, and bees, the flowers turn a light pink color. In August and September, the beach plum fruit ripens and feeds numerous coastal wildlife species, including many birds and small mammals. These small, blue-purple plums are edible to humans and have a tarter flavor than those found in grocery stores, which are cultivated from Asiatic plum varieties. They are commonly made into jams and jellies and even fermented to make wines in some vineyards.
| | Learn more about living At Home with Nature on our webpage. | | 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. | | | | |
