Environmental News

Upcoming and Recent Events:

Thursday, August 6, 2026, 5:30pm to 7:30pm, Citizens for the Protection of Waquoit Bay’s Annual Meeting, Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Boathouse, 131 Waquoit Hwy, E Falmouth – CPWB’s Annual Meeting will feature a panel discussion on the local aquaculture programs with Chris Avis, Mashpee Shellfish Constable, Chuck Martinsen, Falmouth Deputy Director of Marine and Environmental Services, and a representative of the Mashpee Wampanoag First Light Shellfish Farm. Details are available here. All are welcome.

Thursday, August 6, 2026, 6pm to 8pm, Cape Cod Ponds Network In-Person Meeting, Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, 869 Main Street (Rt 6A), Brewster – Co-sponsored by the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC) and Cape Cod Commission, speaker Blair Nikula will speak about Cape Cod dragonflies and damselflies, with time for networking at the end of the meeting. If you are not currently part of this Cape-Wide Ponds Network and would like to sign up for their email list, you may do so here.

Saturday, August 22, 2026, 9am to 1pm, Upper Cape Hazard Waste Collection, Textile Recycling, and Secure Shredding Event, Mashpee Middle-High School, 500 Old Barnstable Road, Mashpee – This combined event will provide a convenient way for residents to keep harmful household hazardous products out of our waters and, at the same time, keep textiles out of our landfills. In addition, a secure shredding company will be on-site. Information regarding the county’s Household Hazardous Waste program may be found here. The full list of textiles that can and cannot be recycled is available here.  All textiles, in any condition, must be clean, dry, and placed in a bag. Additional questions may be emailed to [email protected]. NOTE: This FREE Event is co-sponsored by Barnstable County, Mashpee DPW, and Mashpee Environmental Coalition (MEC). However, while textile recycling and secure shredding are FREE for everyone, non-Upper Cape residents will be charged a fee for hazardous items as outlined here.

September 13 – 19, 2026, Cape Cod Clean Water Week – Hosted by the Barnstable County Clean Water Center, this community-centered celebration will bring together residents, visitors, scientists, policymakers, non-profits, pond groups, land trusts, students and more to raise awareness about water quality issues, while inspiring meaningful action. Throughout the week, attendees can participate in a range of activities at the Clean Water Center and at partner sites, including educational workshops, guided nature walks, panel discussions (Zoom and in-person), art exhibits, and volunteer clean-up efforts. Event hosts are currently being sought. Additional information is available here.

Let’s Take a Hike:

Weekly Guided Nature Tours, Weekend Mornings Throughout the Month – Each month, the Mashpee Conservation Department sponsors guided walking tours, which are free of charge and weather dependent.  For directions and information about these walks, click on the “Guided Nature Tours” link along the left-hand margin at the department’s main website.  Walks have included Childs River, Lowell Holly Reservation, Mashpee River Woodlands, Pickerel Cove, Santuit Pond Preserve and many more.  This is a great way to explore Mashpee’s wonderful array of conservation lands.

Information Items:

Pond Cyanobacteria Monitoring and Alert Program – It’s Back! – The Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC) has been busy with its Summer 2026 Cyanobacteria Monitoring Program, which includes testing the waters of Mashpee’s Ashumet, Johns, Mashpee-Wakeby, and Santuit Ponds. To receive email alerts as soon as they are issued, and to view the interactive map with up-to-date findings, please go to APCC.org/cyano. Beach advisories may also be found on the Town’s website at www.mashpeema.gov under Board of Health.

Santuit Pond Town Landing Update – Details and photos of the Santuit Pond Town Landing improvements were presented to the Select Board at its July 13th meeting. Although an official grand opening will be coming soon, many new features are already available for public use. To get a sneak preview, the presentation is available here, starting at minute 22.

The Mashpee River now has a Real-Time Monitoring System, thanks to partners which include the Town of Mashpee, Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, APCC, and funding support from the NOAA Restoration Center. This exciting project is described in the May 27, 2026 APCC e-Newsletter which may be read here.

Upper Cape Regional Composting Facility in the Works – As reported in the Mashpee Enterprise on July 24, 2026, Barnstable County is continuing plans for the development of a regional composting facility at Joint Base Cape Cod. According to Kari Parcell, the county’s Regional Waste Program Manager, compostable materials such as food and yard waste “make up 30% to 36% of our waste stream.” The ultimate goal would be for compost to be processed on Cape, which could then be used to enrich public spaces.

Visitor’s Center a Possibility for the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge – At long last, the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge is one step closer to having a Visitor’s Center to help residents and visitors alike explore this incredible asset within our community. On June 16, 2026, the Community Preservation Committee approved an application funding request for this Center which would occupy three of four units within the town-owned building at 475 Nathan Ellis Highway, right along the Johns Pond shore. In October, Mashpee voters will make the final decision regarding this request.

Cape Cod’s Drought is Still at Level 2 – As of June 9, 2026, Cape Cod remains at a Level 2 “Significant Drought” status. Hopefully, the melting snows from the 2026 Blizzard will bring some relief. In the meantime, residents are urged to continue conserving water, both indoors and outside. Latest drought updates may be found at the MA Drought Status website.

Reminders:

MEC’s Chemical-Free Cape Cod Yard Sign Campaign: In April 2025, MEC launched its new “Chemical-Free Cape Cod Yard” sign campaign – aimed at promoting Chemical-Free Yards that are safe for our Children, Pets, Waters – and Nature as a whole.  Already, our signs are proudly being displayed in yards across Cape Cod, including Dennis, Falmouth, Mashpee, Pocasset, and Sandwich.  For a donation of just $10, Cape Cod residents who care about the environment can show their support by displaying one of our signs in their yard, setting an example for family, friends, and neighbors. Additional information is available here.  Thanks to all who are helping to save our environment – one yard at a time!

Cape-Wide “Perpetual” Conservation Calendar:  The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts and its nonprofit members currently maintain a Regional Calendar of Events, that is updated on a continual basis.  This Conservation Calendar includes programs from villages and towns across Cape Cod, encouraging both visitors and residents to take part in nature and environmental events. The wide list of current programs may be accessed at: www.blt.org/capeconservationcalendar.

Textile Recycling is Now the Law!  As of November 2022, in Massachusetts it is now illegal to discard any clothing or other textile items in the trash, even if stained, ripped, threadbare, or filled with holes.  The full list of items that must now be recycled may be accessed at the link provided, courtesy of Bay State Textiles.  MEC is currently holding textile drives twice each year — in April as an Earth Day event, and in August alongside the Hazardous Waste Dropoff.  Exact dates and times each year will be posted above under “Upcoming Events”.  More information may be found at: List of Clothing and Textiles that must now be Recycled.

Like Ospreys?  Thanks to the Friends of the Mashpee National Wildlife Refuge and Comcast, you can now watch – and listen to – the osprey nest of Rachel and Carson and their two new babies located at the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.  To access this live feed, click on the link below, then “Osprey Cam” at: https://www.friendsofmashpeenationalwildliferefuge.org/

Important Fertilizer Reminder:  Mashpee regulates the application of fertilizer as follows:

1.  No application of nitrogen is permitted between October 30 and April 14 — or at any time within 100′ of specified waterways

2.  No application of phosphorus is permitted between December 1 and March 1 — or at any time within 20′ of specified waterways

Even during acceptable dates, no application is permitted before or during a heavy rainfall or when the ground is saturated.  These regulations are detailed in the Nitrogen Control Bylaw, amended 2017, available at www.mashpeema.gov, under Town Clerk.  However, please note that Mashpee Town Manager, Rodney C. Collins, has also issued a Special Water Quality Alert to all property owners asking them to discontinue the use of fertilizers on lawns and landscaped areas. Thank you for helping to keep Mashpee’s waterways clean!

In Case You Missed It:

State of the Ponds Presentation – Recording now available: Learn about the current state of Mashpee’s four major ponds, as presented on July 21, 2026, sponsored by the Mashpee Freshwater Ponds Committee. Speakers include Town Officials Ashley Fisher and Dan Kent, along with Julie Hambrook from APCC, Ed Eichner from SMAST and TMDL Solutions, and Danica Belknap, the Mashpee Wampanoag Liaison from SNEP (Southeast New England Program). The recording is available here.

APCC’s State of the Waters: Cape Cod 2025 Report:  In December 2025, the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC) released its latest data regarding Cape Cod’s State of the Waters in our estuaries, ponds, and municipal water supplies. Details may be found at: https://capecodwaters.org/.

Cape Cod Freshwater Strategy Report – Ponds and Lakes:  The Cape Cod Commission released its final Cape Cod Freshwater Strategy Report last summer. This guide outlines a data-driven approach to evaluating, protecting, and restoring Cape Cod’s ponds and lakes, and a framework for improving their overall health. Additional information and the report itself may be found here.

Mashpee’s Stormwater Management Program Update – The Town’s ongoing Stormwater Management Program was highlighted at the June 1, 2026 Select Board Meeting by DPW Director Catherine Laurent and a consultant from Tighe & Bond. Current stormwater projects at Mashpee-Wakeby Pond and Santuit Pond were reviewed, and next steps were discussed. The recording of this 35-minute presentation is available here, starting just past minute 45.

Cape Cod Groundwater Presentation – As part of Groundwater Awareness Week this past March, MASSTC (The Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Technology Center) hosted a talk on Groundwater’s Role in Cape Cod’s Freshwater Resources. The video of this informative program may be viewed here.

Source to Sea Restoration Projects – The Town of Mashpee is currently working with the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC), Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (WBNERR), and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe on the restoration of the Mashpee River, Quashnet River, and Red Brook.  This project is funded in part by a grant from NOAA.  Community Partners for all three projects are still being sought.  For additional information about these projects and/or to become a community partner, go to:  https://waquoitbayreserve.org/coastal-training-programs/source-to-sea.

Pond Oxygenation Workshop – A Special “Shout Out” to the Waquoit Bay Reserve for their informative, full-day workshop in November 2023 on how to manage healthy ponds by using oxygenation – and no chemicals.  This technique has proven successful in lakes and ponds across the US, as well as right here on Cape Cod with Sarah’s Pond in Orleans – thanks to an initiative undertaken by the Orleans Pond Coalition.  The full-day program, including agenda, presenter information, and PowerPoints may be found at the link below.  For anyone interested in learning more about a fully natural way to help manage our freshwater ponds, this approach is well worth exploring:  https://waquoitbayreserve.org/pond-oxygenation-workshop-learning-through-case-studies/