The SCT Wishes You and Your Family a Merry Christmas!

SCT Membership

If you have forgotten to renew your 2013 membership to the SCT, fear not, as you have about 3 weeks left to do so or to make a year end gift.  We can't do it without your help.

[Don’t forget we are a non-profit so your donation is TAX-DEDUCTIBLE.]

Our mailing address is:

Sandwich Conservation Trust
P.O. Box 531
E. Sandwich, MA 02537

TAKE A HIKE - UPPER SHAWME DAM

By John Nye Cullity

The Sandwich Conservation Trust will hold its monthly walk this coming Sunday at 2 p.m., with a visit to the Upper Shawme Dam, located on the town-owned Cook Farm Conservation Lands.  The trail entrance is on Route 130, across from the old part of the Henry T. Wing School, where we can park.  The walk will take about 45 minutes, and is free of charge.

              

The 40.6 acre Cook Farm Conservation Lands were purchased with Land Bank funds in 2003 from members of the Cook family, who have owned Quail Hollow Farm since the early 1940s.  This acquisition allowed the town and Commonwealth to rebuild the deteriorated 1812 dam which Samuel Wing and his brothers built for their cotton spinning mill – the first factory on Cape Cod.  When I lead this walk I confess that my narrative might have more industrial archaeology in it than nature.  It’s an interesting story.

We will pass through some very nice mature forest, and have a look at spring-fed Upper Shawme Pond.  The walk will not be held if it is raining.

The Sandwich Conservation Trust has been engaged in land preservation since 1985, and has 240 acres in preservation.  Please visit our website at www.sandwichconservationtrust.org.  If you have questions about the trust or the walk, call me at (508) 888-7629.

Upper Shawme Dam, Fall 2012.  Photo by Sam White.

This pre-1883 photograph shows the 17^th century Stephan R. Wing farm, lying between Upper and Lower Shawme Ponds.  Much of the land in the foreground is now part of Heritage Gardens – Sandwich Village makes a beautiful backdrop.  The house was taken down in 1971.  In the distance to the right can be seen the buildings of the Sandwich Tack Co., formerly the 1813 cotton mill built by Samuel Wing and his brothers.  The site of this factory, which burned in 1883, is now part of the Cook Farm Conservation Lands.  The original of this valuable photo is owned by Old Sturbridge Village.

Dec. 6 & Dec. 12 Workshops: Testing New Methods for Managing Climate Change on Cape Cod

FYI:

The Town of Barnstable Growth Management Department is participating in a study with partners at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Science Impact Collaborative, the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve and the Consensus Building Institute to test an innovative way to help coastal communities understand and prepare for the potential impacts of climate change.
During this interactive workshop, participants will engage in a mock negotiation about how to deal with flooding risk in a coastal community similar to Cape Cod towns. Participants are given realistic scientific information to help them decide how they might go about addressing potential climate change impacts.
Data collected from this workshop will help MIT researchers evaluate the effectiveness of role-play simulations as a tool for educating the public about climate change risks and possible ways of managing them. The results will help Barnstable and Cape Cod to better manage long-term vulnerability to climate change.

Follow the link for more information and to register:
 
http://www.waquoitbayreserve.org/event-registration/ 

New Trustee

Congratulations to Bob O'Connor, our newest trustee, elected at the SCT meeting on Monday evening.  Bob brings a lot of experience with him, participates in our Take a Hike programs and performs trail maintenance.  It's no doubt that John and Joe will keep you busy.  Welcome! 

Special Meeting of Members

Monday, Dec. 2 at 7 p.m.
Grange Hall
91 Old County Rd.
E. Sandwich

The purpose of the meeting is to hold an election for a new trustee. The nominee is Bob O'Connor of E. Sandwich. Members may also ask questions or make comments. For the SCT, a quorum of members is equal to the number of existing trustees: 9. We may call some members to make sure of a quorum, or, if you can attend, please call John Cullity at 508-888-7629.

Sandy Neck Take a Hike in Photos

Thank you for a nice turnout for the Sandy Neck Take a Hike!

Seaside shrooms

Fall's Color Change

              Sand Art of Sandy Neck:

The Castle

The new mascot of Sandy Neck?

Take a Hike - Murkwood Conservation Area

Sunday, November 10, 2013, at 2 PM

The Sandwich Conservation Trust will host a walk at the town-owned Murkwood Conservation Area this coming Sunday, November 10, 2013, at 2 PM.  This preserve in East Sandwich lies north of Route 6A, just west of Canning’s Service Station.  The Murkwood Conservation Area totals 129.39 acres – 22 parcels of upland and (mostly) salt marsh acquired by the town between 1974 and 1999.  The first 65 acres were purchased from Dorothy Nye Holway, and was part of one of the early East Sandwich farms. The original Holway house, taken down in 1939, was located across from Titcomb’s Bookshop.

            

Our upcoming walk will take place on the main upland, which is a peninsula of low land reaching out into Scorton Marsh.  Now heavily wooded, this area was once farmed by the Holways, and even contains the remains of a small cranberry bog.  This walk will be awash in all the bright and subtle fall colors of the saltmarsh edge, yet enough leaves are down to allow vision through the woods.  We will talk about this land’s history as we take in a wide view of the quiet marsh.

            

The walk will be about an hour long, and is easy walking except for some roots to step over.  If it rains the walk will be cancelled.  For questions about the walk or the Sandwich Conservation Trust call me at (508) 888-7629.   

Photos from the SCT 2013 Annual Meeting

SCT president, John Cullity, discussing accomplishments and goals of the trust.

Sarah presenting the treasury report.

John presenting Eric Johnson (Eastern Mountain Sports) with the 2013 Volunteer of the Year award.

Eric and John

Speaker, Tom Stone, presenting a talk, "Storms, Sea Level Rise, and Erosion."

Tom and John

Take a Hike – Sandy Neck in Autumn

 

       

Last April the Sandwich Conservation Trust led its first walk at Sandy Neck – “our” Sandy Neck, the 27 acres purchased by Sandwich in 1972.  This coming Sunday, October 13, 2013, at 2 PM I will lead a walk there again, taking advantage of the easier parking situation as well as the autumnal ambiance.  Due to the fragility of the vegetation and other factors, this walk can accommodate only 20 hikers.  It is first come first served – call me or leave a message at (508) 888-7629.  I will acknowledge your messages as soon as possible.

In some areas there is a well-defined path, in some there isn’t.  I admit I got a bit lost last April.  “Just doing some scouting!” I explained to the group. The beach sand is a great place to find animal tracks, and we should see some wildflowers, and a natural cranberry bog or two. 

            

We will gather at the main parking lot near the beach and follow a paved path to the gatehouse, then, enter the preserve.  We will return along the beach. The walk will take an hour or so (depending on how much I talk), and will be cancelled if it is raining. No dogs on this walk, please.

Today at 2 p.m.

TODAY at 2 p.m.
Sandwich Conservation Trust Annual Meeting
E. Sandwich Grange Hall, 91 Old County Rd., E. Sandwich

2:30 p.m.
Tom Stone will provide an educational and informative presentation on Storms, Sea Level Rise, and Erosion.

Tom Stone recently retired from the Woods Hole Research Center. He is an environmental geologist who has specialized in using remote-sensing technology to map vegetation and to determine rates of land use change. The results of this work assist in the determination of biotic contributions to the global climate change problem and provide information for land use planning. Before joining the Center, Mr. Stone held a research position in remote sensing at the Ecosystems Center of the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole.

This topic should be of particular interest to Cape Codders given the dramatic erosion problems of 2012. The program is open to the public for free, but the SCT will gratefully accept donations to help pay expenses.

Saturday, October 5, 2013

If you didn't get to Eastern Mountain Sports yesterday, make sure to make it a priority today. Members of an outdoor organization (like the SCT) will receive 25% off EMS products and 20% off others. If you do not belong to an outdoor organization already, why don't you join ours and take advantage of the discount?

Club Day at Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS)

Don't you need some new gear? These days are the time to buy!

Mark your calendars for the upcoming EMS Club Day Sale

 Friday, October 4th and Saturday, October 5th. 

As a member of the SCT, you will receive club day discounts - 25% off EMS brand items and 20% off most everything else.   If you are not a member, why not join?

EMS will donate 1% of the proceeds of this sale to The Conservation Alliance.

Visit the store on Route 132, Hyannis.  508-362-8690.

SCT Summer 2013 Newsletter

 
For those of you who have not yet seen the SCT Summer 2013 Newsletter, please click on the image below:

Please consider renewing your 2013 membership to the SCT.  If you are a member, you should have received an envelope with your  copy of the newsletter.  If not, please see our mailing address below:

Sandwich Conservation Trust
P.O. Box 531
E. Sandwich, MA 02537

September Take a Hike Photos

There was a nice turnout for the September Take a Hike at Maple Swamp which explored the hilltops and hollows.

Save the date ...SCT Annual Meeting

This year's annual meeting will be held on Sunday, October 6th at 2 p.m. at the East Sandwich Grange Hall, 91 Old County Road.  We are pleased to have as a speaker, Tom Stone, recently retired from the Woods Hole Research Center.  He is an environmental geologist who has specialized in using remote-sensing technology to map vegetation and to determine rates of land use change.  He used satellite imagery and GIS data to determine the rates of deforestation in Siberia, Amazonia, Panama, and in the northeastern US.  The results of this work assist in the determination of biotic contributions to the global climate change problem and provide information for land use planning.

Mr. Stone will speak to us on Sandwich and Climate Change: Storms, Sea Level Rise, and Erosion.  This topic should be of particular interest to Cape Codders given the dramatic erosion problems of 2012.  The program is open to the public for free, but the SCT will gratefully accept donations to help pay expenses.  The annual meeting will begin at 2 p.m., Mr. Stone will speak at 2:30.  We will be presenting our second annual "Volunteer of the Year" award.  Last year's award went to Richard Connor of Gully Lane.  Refreshments will be provided.

We hope to see you there.

A Gracious Thank You

Cahoon Museum of American Art

Thank you to the the Cahoon Museum of American Art for choosing the SCT as the beneficiary of their "Magnificent Splendor of Trees" exhibit.  The percentage of arts sales from the exhibit resulted in ~ $2,400 to the SCT!

Take a Hike - Taking a Summer Break

by John N. Cullity, President of the Sandwich Conservation Trust


Hello friends and SCT hikers,

You may be wondering about what happened to the SCT monthly walks.  I apologize for not getting a message to you sooner, but for personal reasons I decided to take a break from the column and walk series for June, July and August.  We will resume in September!  We have quite a number of “regulars”, and I very much appreciate your enthusiasm.

Just so you don’t go away empty-handed, I’m attaching a couple of photos from walks we’ve taken – at upper Shawme Dam, on Sagamore Hill at the old gun turret base, and at (the Sandwich part of) Sandy Neck.  Thanks to Sam White for the panoramas and Joe Queenan for the Sandy Neck shot.

Upper Shawme Dam (photo by Sam White)

Sagamore Hill by gun turret base (photo by Sam White)

Sandy Neck in Sandwich (photo by Joe Queenan)

Take a Hike - May

Take a Hike – Joe’s Woods

 

The Americorps crew, Adam, Ben, Kayla, Sara, Hannah, and Kristy, 

paused to pose by a ruined pump house during trail work in early April

by John Nye Cullity

The Sandwich Conservation Trust would like you to join us for a spring walk on Sunday, May 12^th, Mother’s Day, at 2 PM.   Joe’s Woods is a quiet, wooded, seven acre SCT preserve located on Roos Road in East Sandwich, but there’s more to it than that.  

Adjacent to Joe’s is thirty acres of town conservation land which was once mostly cranberry bogs, with a network of ditches and two pump houses.  The bogs are grown back to woods and the pump houses are mere ruins, but it’s all interesting, and we will enjoy the emerging foliage.  A new feature is a recently completed loop trail.  With the permission of the town’s Natural Resource Department, the SCT engaged the excellent services of Americorps – youthful volunteers well trained and organized - to do the work.

We will meet at the Quaker Meetinghouse, itself in a peaceful natural setting, at 2 PM.  From the Route 6A and Quaker Meetinghouse Road intersection, head north on Spring Hill Road, over the railroad crossing, and take the next left on Quaker Road – the meetinghouse will be on a rise to the right.

The walk will last an hour or so, and is easy and level.  Take whatever measures you can to avoid ticks.  If it rains the walk will be cancelled.  If you have questions about the walk or the Sandwich Conservation Trust, call me at (508) 888-7629.

 

Club Day at EMS

Club Day at EMS

It's that time of the year again... 

Stop by Eastern Mountain Sports on May 3rd or 4th and save 20 to 25 % off everything in the store.  All you need to do is tell them you are a member of SCT and that we do not give out membership cards.   The Hyannis store is very much aware that we do not have membership cards. 

For the past two years EMS - Hyannis has worked with The Sandwich Conservation Trust, and provided a volunteer source of labor that enhanced the existing trails at Joe’s Woods and Elinor’s Woods.  They have committed themselves to help us again this year.

 

We urge you to support the organizations that help support the SCT.

Earth Day 2013

Welcome to EARTH DAY 2013!

Earth, we call it home and we need to make a difference in saving it. This year you will notice some signs around our town of Sandwich, reminding us of Earth Day and to support your local Land Trust.

A few things of the many that YOU can do to make a difference:

• Support your local land trust, the Sandwich Conservation Trust, by donating time or funds to help us preserve natural or undeveloped land for habitat protection, recreation and visual beauty.

• Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

• Slow the Flow: A faucet leaking just one drop per second wastes over 1,300 gallons per year!  A leak from a hot water source wastes both water and fossil fuel, creating more greenhouse gasses. Most repairs to plumbing fixtures pay for themselves within just a year.  Fix it!

• Cleaning products that contain chlorine or petroleum distillates expose your family to toxins and then end up in the ecosystem. Choose nontoxic, naturally derived cleaning products, which are proven effective but won’t cause long term damage to the Earth.

• Go outside and enjoy our little place on planet EARTH!

THANK YOU AmeriCorps Cape Cod

AmeriCorps Cape Cod recently volunteered a day of trail work to the Sandwich Conservation Trust.  The five volunteers  were able to clean up Joe's Woods and Elinor's Woods for everyone to enjoy.  Thank you!

What is AmeriCorps Cape Cod?

It is a residential service program dedicated to Natural Resource Management, Disaster Preparedness & Response, Volunteer Engagement, & Volunteer Engagement!  AmeriCorps Cape Cod is dedicated to offering a diverse group of 32 service-minded adults an opportunity to enhance their personal and professional development, foster civic values, build community leadership and address the environmental and disaster preparedness needs in the communities of Barnstable County.

 

Check out their website if you would like to know more:

http://www.americorpscapecod.org/ 

 

Volunteers:  Adam, Ben, Kayla, Sara, Hannah, and Kristy