Design with Nature on Cape Cod & the Islands

Join us Monday, April 25th at the brewery to hear from Jack Ahern, Emeritus Professor of Landscape Architecture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, about how to preserve the beauty of the Cape with ecologically-based landscaping. The talk is a preview of Ahern’s 2022 book “Designing with Nature on Cape Cod and the Islands” which will be available for sale at the event.

This event is FREE to attend. Please RSVP through Eventbrite!

Jack Ahern, Emeritus Professor of Landscape Architecture, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Popular landscape practices on Cape Cod replace native ecological conditions with a generic “landscape of anywhere” and add to stresses and pollution of the Cape’s water resources. This talk will explain how to preserve the special environmental and visual character of the Cape and Islands through an “ecologically-based” approach to landscape design. This approach is based on an understanding of the Cape and Islands’ ecology and native plant communities, which are well-adapted to local soils and growing conditions. Ahern will discuss how these plant communities can be managed and designed as landscapes where people live, learn, work, and play. His approach will be illustrated with examples of designed landscapes on the Cape and Islands that have applied this approach. The talk is a preview of Ahern’s 2022 book “Designing with Nature on Cape Cod and the Islands” which will be available for sale at the event.

Jack Ahern Bio:

Jack Ahern, FASLA

Jack Ahern is an emeritus professor of landscape architecture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He researches and writes about how ecology can be applied in landscape design – at multiple scales and in diverse contexts. Jack consults on plant community establishment and management for private clients and leading design firms – integrating his horticultural, design and ecological knowledge to create and manage memorable landscapes. His latest book is “Design with Nature on Cape Cod and the Islands” UMass Press 2022. He is a board member of the Barnstable Clean Water Coalition.

Cape Cod Groundwater Guardians

Join us Monday, May 23rd at the brewery to hear from Brian Baumgaertel and Kalliope Chute of the Cape Cod Groundwater Guardians for an informative look at the sole source aquifer that supplies water to all of Cape Cod. Brian and Kalliope will talk about the history of the Groundwater Guardians and the projects they have worked on, such as the podcast series “One Drop Leads to Another”. AmeriCorps Cape Cod members who serve on the team will bring fun activities that deepen our understanding of Cape Cod’s sole source aquifer, our unseen but critical water supply resource.

This event is FREE to attend. Please RSVP through Eventbrite!

Brian’s Baumgaertel Bio:

Brian is the Director of the Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center and is a Senior Environmental Specialist at the Barnstable County Department of Health and Environment. He is a Registered Sanitarian, Environmental Health Specialist, Title 5 Soil Evaluator and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator. Originally from Upstate New York, Brian has lived on Cape Cod for 15 years and currently resides in Mashpee, where he serves as Chair of the local Board of Health.

Kalliope’s Chute Bio

Kalliope is the Hazardous Materials Environmental Specialist at Barnstable County’s Cape Cod Cooperative Extension. Her program area is Water Quality and Hazardous Waste. The mission is to protect Cape Cod’s unique drinking water source, a largely unconfined, sole-source aquifer. She works towards educating Cape Codders of all ages on the value of our aquifer. Kalliope has a B.A. in Human Development from Lesley University and an M.S. in Organizational Leadership from Johns Hopkins University. She serves on the Cape Cod Hoarding Task Force and the Provincetown Board of Health. Kalliope lives in Provincetown where she has a 2-acre sea farm, an apiary, and assorted animals.

www.capecodgroundwater.org

Discovering the Cape Cod Shore

This program will introduce participants to the variety of marine plants and animals along the Cape shoreline, their ecology, and the diverse habitats in which they are found. The presentation will include a survey of marine mollusks, crabs, echinoderms, sponges, horseshoe crabs, seaweeds, and other common species. You will learn about the great marine diversity in our local waters.

GIL NEWTON BIO

Gilbert Newton is a Cape Cod native who has been teaching environmental and marine science at Sandwich High School and the Cape Cod Community College for many years. His classes included coastal ecology, botany, coastal zone management, and environmental technology. In 2013 he became the first Director of the Sandwich STEM Academy. He completed his graduate work in biology at Florida State University. He has also taught classes for the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, the Falmouth Academy, Bridgewater State University and the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. He was also the Program Director for the Advanced Studies and Leadership Program at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy for 14 years. Gil is one of the founders of the Barnstable Land Trust and is the past president of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod. He is the author of several books about the Cape’s shoreline including the recent Mysteries of Seaweed: Questions and Answers and Activities for the Cape Cod Beachcomber.

Meet Your Neighbors – Whales & Dolphins of Cape Cod

Join us at the brewery on July 20th to hear from Regina Asmutis-Silvia, the Executive Director of Whale and Dolphin Conservation-North America (WDC). Come learn about the over 12 species of whales and dolphins who come to Cape Cod to find their food in our nutrient-rich waters! During this talk, we will discuss the species who are commonly seen here, including how they have their own language, culture, and personalities! These whales also play an important role in our ecosystem – whales are the ocean’s gardeners who bring nutrients to the plants of the ocean when they poop at the surface. This is politely referred to as the ‘whale pump’ and plays a key role in our environment, our economy, and combating climate change.

This event is FREE to attend. Please RSVP through Eventbrite!

Regina Asmutis-Silvia Bio:

Regina Asmutis-Silvia is the Executive Director of Whale and Dolphin Conservation-North America (WDC), a non-profit organization based in Plymouth, MA. WDC works to save whales and dolphins and protect their ocean homes through outreach, policy, and science programs. Regina has been active in whale conservation, research, and education for over 30 years, with a focus on the whales who come to Massachusetts and Cape Cod.

Digging for Clean Water!

Nitrogen pollution from our septic systems is a major problem for Cape Cod’s waters. Please join us at the brewery on August 24th to learn about the Town of Barnstable’s Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP), the work being done at the Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center (MASSTC), and the different innovative and alternative (I/A) septic systems that are being used on Cape Cod. Working together, we can find solutions to reduce nitrogen in our local waters.

Our speakers include:

– Paul Ruszala, Senior Project Manager for the Town of Barnstable Department of Public Works

– Emily Michele Olmsted, I/A Tracking Environmental Project Assistant for Barnstable County

– Maureen Thomas, Independent Water Resource Consultant and Project Manager for I/A septic system installations and currently working for KleanTu.

This event is FREE to attend. Please RSVP through Eventbrite!

Speaker Bios:

Paul Ruszala, P.E. is a Senior Project Manager for the Town of Barnstable Department of Public Works. He is responsible for implementation of the Town’s Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP), which includes the design, permitting and construction for 190 miles of new sewer, associated pump stations and wastewater treatment facility upgrades. Prior to accepting a position with the Town in 2021, Paul gained 15 years of experience working as a consulting engineer on management, planning, design and construction of water and wastewater projects.

Emily Michele Olmsted is a Grade 4 wastewater treatment plant operator and a Soil Evaluator, has been working with Barnstable County’s Department of Health and Environment for more than seven years. She received a Bachelor of Science in environmental sciences from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. At MASSTC, she managed Barnstable County’s I/A Septic System Tracking Program for five years and is currently serving as the Quality Assurance Manager for the ongoing project studying virus attenuation in varying soil depths of a leach field.

Maureen Thomas is a water resource consultant focusing on nitrogen-reducing septic systems to improve water quality. Currently Maureen consults part-time with KleanTu,LLC, fabricator of the NitROE enhanced I/A treatment system, where she manages I/A septic system installations on the Cape and Martha’s Vineyard. She also works part-time as Falmouth’s Community Preservation Coordinator. Maureen was a water resource specialist with the Buzzards Bay Coalition (BBC) for 3.5 years and a consultant with them for an additional year. With BBC, she worked on various wastewater projects including the West Falmouth Shoreline Septic Remediation Project and the Layered Soil Treatment Area Demonstration Project. Maureen received her master’s in Public Administration from UMass Boston and her bachelor’s in Geography & Biology from Bridgewater State University.

This month’s topic: Cleaning Our Water One Oyster at a Time!

Let’s dive into the world of oysters! Join our speakers on Monday, September 19th to learn the importance of oysters for improving water quality, providing a livelihood, and contributing to the Cape’s blue economy.

Kristen Rathjen will introduce a pilot program to remove nitrogen from impaired estuaries by growing oysters that can be sold commercially. This program, now in its third year, continues to demonstrate positive and productive outcomes from collaboration with the Town of Falmouth and aquaculture contractors. It is an exciting opportunity to simultaneously improve water quality and stimulate the economy, which benefits many stakeholders.

Mark Begley will take us on a journey of oyster farming in Barnstable Harbor. From tiny seed oysters the size of sand grains to ice cold oysters in the harvest boat, follow one oyster farmer’s experiences over decades of growing oysters year-round on Cape Cod. Join Mark for an illustrated talk on the joys and challenges of farming shellfish.

This event is free to attend but RSVP is required!

Speaker Bios:

Kristen Rathjen joined Science Wares, Inc. in 2018 to assist with technical consulting and implementation of pilot projects. She holds a Master of Science in Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Science from University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Southampton College of Long Island University. Kristen has worked with private firms, research institutions and government agencies to evaluate technologies, navigate regulatory pathways, and implement projects designed to improve ecosystems.

Mark Begley has been growing Beach Point Oysters in Barnstable Harbor since 1999. He was born in Boston, where he met his wife, Linda. Mark is a retired engineer with a Master of Science in Engineering from Northeastern University. In the late 80’s, Mark and Linda moved to their favorite place, Cape Cod, where they raised their three children. They operate their shellfish farm under their own company, Beach Point Shellfish, LLC. In addition to farming, Mark is on the Board of Trustees of the Massachusetts Aquaculture Association and the Board of Directors of the East Coast Shellfish Growers Association.