Regional News

Unusually warm fall weather delayed the start of the Cape's annual cold-stunned sea turtle season, but our staff and volunteers are hitting the beaches to rescue critically endangered and threatened turtles. Anyone walking a bay beach this fall may have a chance to save the life of a cold-stunned turtle by following just a few simple steps.

Fall has been exciting for Cape Cod birders, with a first-ever record and other rare birds. Wellfleet Bay’s bird banding station also recorded a first as well as an old friend.

Save the date! After a three-year hiatus, plans are underway to hold the Cape Cod Natural History Conference on Saturday, March 11, 2023 at Cape Cod Community College in West Barnstable. We're also seeking proposals for presentations.

Wellfleet Bay’s turtle staff and nearly 100 volunteers from East Orleans to North Wellfleet have concluded the 2022 terrapin nesting season, protecting and monitoring hundreds of nests and releasing thousands of hatchlings.

Work is now underway on Long Pasture’s new Outdoor Teaching Pavilion, a fully accessible facility that along with the new Discovery Center gives the sanctuary maximum flexibility for hosting school, community and many other groups.

Mass Audubon Cape Cod's education team has added a new full-time teacher/naturalist. Denise Steiger, who will be based at Long Pasture, will help expand the region's programming in the Barnstable public schools.

Groups serving people with special needs have used Long Pasture as a resource for programs. It's a role the sanctuary is working to expand to encourage more people to experience the benefits of nature and the outdoors.

As part of Mass Audubon's Coastal Resiliency Program, two Cape Cod students spent the past summer assessing a salt marsh for vulnerability to climate change as well as getting professional development for pursuing environmental science careers.