Becoming One with Cape Cod Ecology – Serena Yu, BFA Illustration’27
My first blog post of the summer, and oh my god where do I even start?? These past two weeks I have been settling down in the town of Dennis on Cape Cod, and becoming fully immersed in the vast variety of projects at the Dennis Conservation Land Trust. The DCLT has connected me with two of their board members Frank and Shawn, who have generously offered to host me in their home for the summer. These first two weeks here have been filled with so many activities across so many different areas, and I am super excited to talk about my time out on the field and farm!
Fieldwork and Research:
Much of my time have been spend shadowing TerraCorp members Charly Raymond and Lydia Reinhart in conducting fieldwork and exploring several of the DCLT’s conserved properties. From salt marsh to swampland to sand dunes, much of my day is spent out in the sun doing biodiversity surveys, collecting samples, and gaining a deeper understanding of the different ecological landscapes. It is amazing to see how diverse different environments can look within one township!
Two species of note that we have been monitoring are the Spadefoot Toads and Diamondback Terrapins, both endangered. Spadefoot Toads can be distinguished by the ‘hourglass’ patterning on their back and dark marks on their feet (see below for an example of one we found, compared to the spotted patterning of the common American Toad). We went out searching for these toads in the evening, when they come out of their burrows and hang out in sandy, open spaces near vernal pools. There is an ‘eyeshine’ technique that helps you spot them in the dark. I am excited to say that I am the first and only person so far who has found a Spadefoot Toad in one of the DCLT’s properties! (I cant specify because you aren’t meant to publish where you find endangered species; another thing I have learned)
Diamondback Terrapins are currently in nesting season, meaning we are looking for them during high tide in open, sandy dune environments when females exit the salt marsh to lay their eggs. Through monitoring populations and understanding their nesting behaviors, conservation groups gain data to protect these endangered species through permits and regulations (gaining permissions to regulate land, tracking animals, and add fencing around nests).
Much of the field research and sampling work is related to TerraCorp members Charly Raymond and Lydia Reinhart’s current research on the effects of commercial mosquito deterrents, specifically the chemical BTI, on insect and bacterial populations in vernal pools. On the headquarters property sits a series of mesocosms containing organic material and water samples taken from our properties that mimic natural vernal pool biodiversity. Each mesocosm is treated with a different concentration of BTI solution (done professionally by a local mosquito control company) and are routinely observed, monitored and sampled. We are looking for insect populations, vegetation growth, and zooplankton diversity.
Regenerative Farming:
The Dennis Conservation Land Trust is headquartered on the historic Not Enough Acres Farm, where they have built several garden plots on their property. The food grown on the property is donated to local food pantries. Last year, they donated 2000 pounds of fresh produce, and this year they hope to donate 3000 pounds! its been super rewarding getting my green thumb on helping out with planting and gardening, and all while learning about regenerative community farming and Cape Cod’s agricultural history. I’ve been helping with general farm maintenance alongside volunteers and staff members, installing drip irrigation, looking at barn swallows, and getting inspired for my own future garden!
Fun Fact: Did you know that the entire nasturtium plant is edible, and the flowers and stems taste just like radishes?
The DCLT also recently purchased another property and farm house right across the street from Not Enough Acres Farm. The farmhouse was owned by the Crowell family, who were some of the original residents of Cape Cod. The history of the farm house goes back to the 1800s, and the DCLT is currently in the process of inventorying all of the eclectic and historic objects within the house. Sesuit Farmhouse feels like a place frozen in time, with shelves of lamp oil, barns filled with firewood, handmade quilts, an outhouse, yet also a Ninja Creami on the counter? The DCLT plans to convert it into usable living space to provide affordable housing for youth working in conservation. They already own several properties for this initiative, and have offered me the opportunity to stay in the farmhouse this summer! There is so much cool stuff in here, its a collector’s dream. The Cape Cod Historical Society is taking on many of the items with historical significance, and much of it is also being donated to be auctioned and sold for funds that support local charities.
Community Engagement
Beyond my farm and field duties, it has been a pleasure to be so welcomed by the Dennis and Cape Cod community! There are so many wonderful residents and organizations that collaborate with us and share similar conservation-minded values. I am constantly amazed by how many people show up and offer their time to help on the farm, steward the properties, inventory, clean, and contribute their labour. My first weekend here, the DCLT hosted their annual open house, where they socialize and chat with community members about conservation work. There were over 150 attendees! I have been learning so many names and faces and not doing a very good job of keeping track of them. I was also able to tag along for a Stewards Meetup, where conservation groups from several surrounding towns meet up to learn what each organization is doing, make friends with other conservationists, and also just socialize. Even though man-made municipal borders often separate locations on the legal side of things, many conservation areas overlap properties, and groups need to collaborate on their restoration projects and initiatives. It was also super exciting to see how many young people were involved with and passionate about environmental protection.
The DCLT collaborates with the local Brazilian Resource Center and coordinates weekly activities in the 4H program for Brazilian immigrants and youth. This week, we visited the AquaCultural Research Center, which functions as an oyster and shellfish hatchery and scientific research facility We were able to witness and observe the shellfish lifecycle while learning how an oyster hatchery and research facility functions. I’ve been thinking a lot about how shellfish and crustaceans are now seen as high-end foods, when historically they were the ‘poor man’s food’ and readily available.
Next Steps
In the upcoming weeks, I will be discussing with David Fryxell, executive director, to narrow down specific creative projects for me to begin working on. These initial weeks were spent with the goal of gaining a thorough understanding of the DCLT’s objectives, mission, programming, and resources, as well as a deeper understanding of the ecology and land to inform my process. The plethora of nature has inspired several potential projects and I have many ideas on how to move forward. Up to this point, Dave has given me space to consider my own ideas based off of my interests and passions, and soon we will be sitting down to combine our thought processes and establish concrete, tangible creative projects for me to contribute.
In the meantime, I will continue to draw, sketch, and take notes! I have been enjoying the creative outlets and local galleries in the area. The Cape Cod Museum of Art was wonderful, and I have been busy chatting textiles with Amy DuFault, the Outreach Coordinator at the DCLT who also runs the Southeast New England FibreShed. She is a brilliant natural dye and textiles artist, and we will hopefully do some rust dyeing together with some of the rusty old equipment in the shed of Sesuit Farmhouse.
This was such a long blogpost. So much has happened in only two weeks, and it all went by so quickly. I am super excited to see what happens next and talk about it! This is like the diary I have always wanted to keep. Like, Comment and Subscribe.
