Mill Hill Island

WCT recently acquired a small parcel on Mill Hill Island, an uninhabited salt marsh island in Wellfleet Harbor.  It's surrounded by Loagy Bay and salt marsh creeks and represents an important refuge for local wildlife and a nesting ground for threatened and endangered species such as the Diamondback Terrapin. 

When WCT learned that a structure was planned on the only privately owned lot on the island, we moved quickly to purchase the parcel and preserve this extremely fragile and unspoiled place.  The entire island is now owned by WCT or the Town of Wellfleet.  Gifts to the Land Acquisition Fund made the funds and the quick action by WCT to complete the purchase possible.   Read more in our soon to be published Spring Newsletter.

Head of Duck Creek

Speaking of Diamonback Terrapins, following the acquisition of the 1.2 acre parcel at the Head of Duck Creek in the spring of 2012,  Audubon was interested in the site because of known nesting by the endangered Diamonback Terrapins.  WCT has worked with Audubon to protect nesting sites and establish monitoring programs at other locations in Wellfleet. 

So together we established "Turtle Gardens" on the site and, lo and behold, on the weekend of September 8th,2012 the first terrapin nest hatched out the Head of Duck Creek - 11 healthy babies.  We'll look for continued success again this year at this and other sites around town.

Photo by Barbara Brennessel

EVENTS

There are a number of scheduled eventsoutlined below that you may find interesting and worthwhile.   Check the website for more information as the date for each event approaches, but for now you may wish to put these activities on your calendar.

Sunday, April 21,  2 -4 pm: Fox Island Marsh Walk

Join us for a walk through the Fox Island Marsh area and Pilgrim Springs Woodland in South Wellfleet.  This walk is part of Spring Walking Weekend 2013 sponsored by the Cape Cod Commission.   

This will be an easy-paced two or three mile walk through the upland woods to the marsh with views of Blackfish Creek and Loagy Bay.  We'll return through one of Wellfleet's Historic neighborhooks in Paine Hollow.

To join us, take Way 112 and Paine Hollow Road off Route 6 in South Wellfleet and turn right on Baker Road.  Park at the end of Baker Road.

Saturday, May 4 9:30 am - 2:30 pm:  Climate Change Panel Discussion

WCT  is co-sponsoring this event to be held a tthe Wellfleet Audubon Sanctuary.  See the home page for more information.

Saturday, May 4, 2-4 pm:  Community Walks in Wellfleet

One of the walks will include WCT owned land at Whalebone Point.  Check the website for details as they become available.

Saturday, June 1, 9 am -  4 pm:  Wellfleet HarborFest

WCT will join other organizations at the harbor with information about our activities.  We welcome visitors and an opportunity to talk with you about our programs and activities.  Come enjoy a good day at the harbor.

Saturday, August 17, 10 am:  Wellfleet Conservation Trust Annual Meeting

Join us at the Wellfleet Senior Center for our annual meeting when we'll conduct a short business meeting (election of officers and directors, financial report) and present our activities over the past year. 

Saturday, September 7, 2013 - Seventh Annual Walk in Wellfleet

This September the Wellfleet Conservation Trust will have its seventh annual walk in Wellfleet.  The six previous annual walks have explored areas of town with historical significance and have illustrated the value and natural beauty of preserved land to be enjoyed by all.  This year's walk will be no exception.

We plan a walk to Old Wharf Point in South Wellfleet.  From the reference History and Lore of South Wellfleet Written for the South Wellfleet Neighborhood Association by Margaret T. Dooley, 1938, "South Wellfleet for years was the centre of the fishing industry on the Cape.  In the early days the small boats went out after whales as they came near the shore.  Later the boats were larger and followed them over the seas."

Our 2 1/2 mile walk will include a view of the Audubon Marsh Property, a view across Blackfish Creek to Drummer Cover where the fishing fleet anchored during the winter, the site of salt works at the base of Cannon Hill and then along the shore of Blackfish Creek to the site of the old wharf.  We'll have talks along the way on the history of the area, shellfishing and the early occupants of South Wellfleet.

Later in the spring we'll have more detail on the walk here on our website to include the meeting place, but in the meantime save the date and plan to join us on what has become a most popular informative annual event.

If you have suggestions for other activities or events please contact us at info@wellfleetconservationtrust.org.

PAST EVENTS

read about and see pictures from past events