Please join us for our Annual Meeting this coming August 9, 2023, 6:30 pm at WBNERR’s Visitor Center. Andrew Gottlieb, Executive Director of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, will be our guest speaker talking about recent efforts across the Cape to address water quality in our bays and ponds along with some of the new funding sources available to help pay for it.
Check out this fantastic Tufts student presentation on stormwater outfall remediation for the Quashnet/Moonakis by clicking here.
On Monday evening (Feb. 13th), Scott Horsley presented the findings of the CPWB-sponsored Moonakis River Restoration Project which was conducted in the fall of 2022. His presentation examined the water quality of the Moonakis/Quashnet River and analyzed alternative remediation approaches focusing on the efficacy and cost effectiveness of nitrogen reduction technologies. It is the first time that a study of this kind has been done for the Moonakis, and as such, will provide important direction for future action. If you missed this important, information-rich presentation, you can watch below!
The December edition of our newsletter is filled with information about the Bay and some gorgeous pictures!
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Please check out this project done by local student, Aksel Jensen, about toxic road runoff in our estuaries.
Click here to view the slide presentation!
Dennis Martin did a spectacular job documenting the restoration by photographing the physical process of transformation starting with a “Before” state of the site. Photography is a hobby of his. From September of 2018 to September of 2021 (project almost complete), he took thousands of photos by walking the site – sometimes 3 times a week. Dennis drafted a script mapped to the photos taken and created several videos.
Video documenting “UCRRP Before State”
24 minute video entitled “Project Construction”
11 minute high level video entitled “The Transformation”
Last Wednesday, August 25, CPWB held its Annual Meeting featuring Dr. John Todd and his presentation about floating wetlands as a means to clean water bodies.
Thank you to everyone who attended the meeting both on zoom and in person. I hope the summary of our activities last year helped remind you why we work so hard to protect Waquoit Bay.
We also elected the August 2021-2022 Board:
Matt Patrick, President
Mike Bingham, Treasurer
Winthrop Munro
Bobye Anderson
Rick Otis
Joan Ryan
Dan Rothenberg
Joan Muller, WBNERR Liason
James Rassman shared history about military use of Washburn Island.
Click here to watch Dr. Todd’s presentation. We will have a video of the Q&A soon.
Thanks again for your commitment to Waquoit Bay,
Matt Patrick
President
Dr. John Todd to speak at the Citizens for the Protection of Waquoit Bay Annual Meeting
Dr. John Todd, one of the co-founders of the New Alchemy Institute and the first winner of the Buckminster Fuller Challenge for, “the best idea to help humanity” will speak at the CPWB Annual Meeting.
Dr. Todd will speak about restoring marine and fresh bodies of water impaired by nutrients. Considering the most recent report on Waquoit Bay and the time it will take for a plan to address waste water pollution at its source, this is an option that must be considered. Historically, Waquoit Bay has been one of the most highly productive estuaries in the Commonwealth. Now, because of ground water pollution from septic systems in its watershed, Waquoit Bay has never been worse according to Dr. Brian Howes of SMAST, the group that has been monitoring the health of Massachusetts bays and estuaries.
At a meeting of the Mashpee Board of Selectmen, Dr. Howes said, “For the first time in 20 years, I have nothing good to say. The enrichment in nitrogen is causing real impairments to not only the water quality with increased algal blooms and low oxygen, but we’ve lost our eel grass and we’re losing our benthic animals, which means we’ll start losing our fish. Or we’ve already started losing our fish and we just don’t know it yet.”
CPWB President, Matt Patrick said, “It will be decades before septic system waste can be intercepted by conventional sewering before it goes into the ground. In the interim, living machines offer the potential to remove nitrogen quickly and economically until we can prevent point sources and nonpoint sources on a larger scale.”
DATE: Wednesday, August 25th
TIME: 6:30 PM
PLACE: WBNERR boat house, 131 Waquoit Hwy., (Rte.28), East Falmouth, MA 02536 or ZOOM
Please RSVP if attending in person and to get Zoom link email CPWB1981@gmail.com
MASKS WILL BE REQUIRED to attend at the Boat House
Dr. John Todd, Ph.D. is the President of Ocean Arks International and Professor Emeritus at the University of Vermont in the Rubinstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. He is a former assistant scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and the cofounder of the New Alchemy Institute on Cape Cod. He has pioneered ecological design and engineering and applied ecological concepts around the world to help solve major environmental issues. He is the inventor of eco-machines, technologies for wastewater treatment, environmental restoration and for the production of aquatic and terrestrial foods.
You are invited to attend our Annual Meeting to hear an important talk by Dr. John Todd, one of the co-founders of the New Alchemy Institute and the first winner of the Buckminster Fuller Challen
ge for, “the best idea to help humanity.” Dr. Todd will speak about his approach to restoring marine and fresh bodies of water stressed by nutrients. Considering the most recent report on Waquoit Bay and the time it will take for a plan to address waste water at its source, this is an option that should be considered.
In addition, James Rassman will tell us about the historical significance of Washburn Island as a training site for soldiers who participated in the D-day landings.
DATE: Wednesday, August 25th
TIME: 6:30 PM
PLACE: WBNERR boat house, 131 Waquoit Hwy., (Rte.28), East Falmouth, MA 02536
Desserts and coffee will be provided.
Dr. John Todd, Ph.D. is the President of Ocean Arks International and Professor Emeritus at the University of Vermont in the Rubinstein School of Environment and Natural Resources. He is a former assistant scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and the cofounder of the New Alchemy Institute on Cape Cod. He has pioneered ecological design and engineering and applied ecological concepts around the world to help solve major environmental issues. He is the inventor of eco-machines, technologies for wastewater treatment, environmental restoration and for the production of aquatic and terrestrial foods. In 2008 he became the first winner of the R. Buckminster Fuller Challenge for the “best ideal to help humanity.” His entry was entitled Design for a Carbon Neutral World? The Challenge of Appalachia.