Sept. - Oct. 2017


 

NATIONAL

SEASHORE
MAGAZINE

 

Preview this cover photo for the 2017 upcoming issue! 

 


 

IN THIS ISSUE
UPCOMING EVENTS
 
All events are FREE and take place at Salt Pond Visitor Center (SPVC), Eastham, unless otherwise noted. For complete information go to www.fccns.org


Thursday Sept 14
1-4:45 PM
Science in the Seashore Symposium


Sunday October 1
1-3:00 PM
An Afternoon with Authors


Thurs.  October 5
6:30-8:30 PM
Nauset Light Full Moon Tour
Nauset Light Beach


Friday October 6
6-8:00 PM
Highland Light Full Moon Climb
27 Highland Light Rd Truro


Saturday October 7
11-4:00 PM
Weidlinger House Open House
54 Valley Rd Wellfleet


Sunday October 8
11:00 AM
Fired Up! Castle Hill Kiln
Highland Center Castle Kiln, Truro


Tues. October 10
NOON - 4 PM
Highland Light
27 Highland Light Rd Truro

 
Wed. October 25
10:00 AM
 Echoes of Fresh Brook Village
Park historian will lead an exploration
Marconi Beach parking lot

 
GIFT MEMBERSHIP

Consider giving a gift membership to a friend or  
family member - a great way to support our magnificent Seashore!
 
IN MEMORY OF/
IN HONOR OF GIFT

Give a gift in memory of or in honor of a special person in your life by going to "Donate" on Friends website.
 
WILL BEQUESTS

If interested in learning more about arranging a bequest to Friends, please go to the Friends website, click on "Donate" and scroll to bottom to "Name the Friends of CCNS in Your Will."
 
BECOME A MEMBER

If you are receiving eNews but are not yet a Friends member, we encourage you to become a Friend. Go to "Join" at  www.fccns.org.
 
VOLUNTEERS WANTED!

Contact info@fccns.org
for a list of Friends' volunteer opportunities, or link directly to the Park's volunteer site.

FIND US ON FACEBOOK

 

 

 

 

 




Friends' President Pat Canavan, second from right,  greeting visitors this summer. .


A message from our president

Dear FRIENDS,
                               
Labor Day 2017 is now a page in our memory book. As I write this, quiet permeates throughout the Seashore--- in the woods, on the trails, and at the ocean's edge.  September is special, as the frenetic energy of the summer yields to quiet days and earlier sunsets.

For FCCNS, summer brought concerts, programs, and a very special celebration of National Parks, brought to us by the Cape Cod Symphony. We joined with Lower Cape Outreach Council, Eastern National, Cape Associates and Cape Cod Potato Chips to sponsor this wonderful evening in the newly renovated Salt Pond Amphitheater.

Now, FCCNS looks forward.  

We welcome four new board members-Linda Delfino, Warren Mumford Patty Shannon, and Mark Wisneski.  Our term limits for board members (two three-year terms) challenges us to identify and recruit new energy to leadership positions. We are grateful that these four FCCNS members have stepped up.  

Linda, Warren, Patty and Mark have all indicated interest in expanding FCCNS membership so that we can do more to benefit the Park, an issue we have begun to address but one that needs more work.

Our new board members join as we prepare for our 2018 fundraiser. We're seeking new ideas, new themes, and perhaps new approaches as we tackle the repair of Wellfleet's Atlantic White Cedar Swamp Trail so share your thoughts through our website.

There's much, much more to come from FCCNS. Stay tuned.

                                                               Pat Canavan
News from the Seashore


Annual Science Symposium
 September 14
 
Cape Cod National Seashore will hold its seventh Science Symposium at Salt Pond Visitor Center. A diverse group of scientists and scholars will share brief and engaging presentations on a wide range of topics, including seals, roseate  terns, cranberry  bog microbes, dragonflies, blue carbon and horseshoe crabs.

If you are interested in the latest scientific research being conducted at the Seashore, you won't want to miss this Friends sponsored event, Thursday, September 14th from 1:00 - 4:45PM.
 

Province Lands Visitor Center 
Gets a Makeover
 
Province Lands Visitor Center exhibits will be refurbished after closing October 15. New exhibits will be aligned with the interests of current visitors, including topics such as how dunes form, what lives in the Province Lands both on land and in the ocean, and the history of shipwrecks and lifesaving services.

Displays will include audio descriptions, more tactile, hands on elements, and all will be accessible. The Park hopes to have the project completed by the opening on April 15, 2018.

 
 
Great White Sharks
 in Cape Cod's Waters
 
The presence of white sharks in Cape Cod waters creates a unique opportunity for research.   The Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries is completing year four of a five-year population study, funded by the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy.  

Between 2014 and 2016, 258 white sharks have been identified off the coast of Cape Cod and over 100 have been tagged. The population growth of white sharks off our shores is attributed to the abundance of their primary food source, the gray seal.  White sharks are now protected by federal and state law.   
 
Cape Cod National Seashore, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, MA Marine Fisheries and Cape Cod towns work together to educate the public on how to be shark smart.  

During the summer months, a purple flag with a silhouette of a white shark is flown at six life-guarded national seashore beaches to alert visitors to the presence of sharks. 

Caution signs, shark safety rack cards and a shark safety video have been developed and provide important safety tips such as stay away from seals, stay close to shore, swim, kayak, stand up paddle board and surf in groups, and avoid isolation. 

A shark sighting app called Sharktivity has been created to engage the public to track observed sharks from officials and beach goers.  
 
As top predators, white sharks are critical for maintaining a healthy and balanced marine ecosystem.   The ongoing research is helping to build our understanding of sharks and the need to protect them. 
Summer 2017 Highlights

Bravo, Cape Symphony! 



The Cape Cod Symphony came to the National Seashore this summer for a standing-room only outdoor concert at the newly refurbished Salt Pond Amphitheater. Here, Acting Superintendent Kathy Tevyaw welcomes the symphony and its artistic director and conductor Jung Ho Park. 


Welcome our New Board Members 

Friends would like to welcome four new board members. 
Linda Delfino is a North Eastham resident, a former Park employee, and currently works for the Nauset Regional school system. 

Warren Mumford has a background in meteorology, physics and math, works as a volunteer naturalist at Wellfleet Bay Audubon Sanctuary, and serves on the Friends trail crew.

Patty Shannon is a lifelong outdoor enthusiast, an avid sailor and a volunteer naturalist at Wellfleet Bay Audubon Sanctuary. 

Mark Wisneski divides his time between Provincetown and New York City and enjoys volunteering at Old Harbor Life Saving Station. 

All are lovers of the Seashore and we look forward to working with them. 


Thank you, Volunteers!

On the trails, at the beaches, during concerts and events, this summer was a whirlwind of activity and special moments. We thank all of our volunteers for the many ways that they support the Park and help make the summer season a huge success! 
Our Mission Statement

Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore (FCCNS) is the not-for-profit fundraising partner of the Cape Cod National Seashore; a partnership established in 1987 to help preserve, protect and enhance the fragile environment and unique cultural heritage of the Park. By leveraging existing federal support with additional private philanthropy, FCCNS engages members, donors and visitors alike in the shared values of cultural appreciation, environmental stewardship and historical preservation.