Earth Day 2020

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So for today, let’s pretend that it’s “business as usual”. -Earth Day 2020…

Even though, it’s just not so…

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Message From the Prez
The telltale signs of a Cape Cod spring are everywhere.  The osprey have returned to their nests, the red-winged blackbirds and grackles to the marsh, and the chilly winds of a Cape Cod April are definitely here.  Daffodils are in full bloom, as are the forsythia, and for many, spring allergies have returned.

Thankfully, “mother nature” remains consistent, perhaps even thriving in the face of the changes that accompany the Commonwealth’s “Stay At Home” order. 

In recognition and support of Earth Day 2020, I want to share with you one of my pet peeves.  The over-use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers on lawns and gardens.  My reasons are simple:

  • Pesticides are toxic to many organisms, including birds, fish, and shellfish
  • Herbicides kill environmentally beneficial plants, not just weeds
  • Fertilizers increase nitrogen loads in our harbors and bays, and algae growth in our ponds
Earth Day 2020

 Our Friends of Barnstable Harbor website has some ideas for steps that you can take to make your yard and garden more eco-friendly.  APCC (Association to Preserve Cape Cod)’s Spring 2020 Newsletter features an article “What’s the Value of Natural Landscaping?”. 

If you are not already doing so, please consider implementing some of the strategies and techniques found in these resources.  Our harbor, and our earth will be thankful.

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Earth Day 2020

Today marks the 50th Anniversary of Earth Day.  I would hardly be the first person to note that a worldwide “stay at home” order is providing our environment with some relief.  These days, a plane in the air is a notable event.  The night sky is visibly clearer and brighter.  Ship traffic is greatly diminished, resulting in a reduction in the ocean noise that constantly surrounds the creatures that live in the sea.   There are fewer cars on the streets.  The world in general is a quieter place.

Please, don’t get me wrong, this worldwide economic pause has dire implications for most.  Of course, I too share the hope that our lives will return to normal in short order.  Nevertheless, I believe there is an opportunity, if not a mandate, for us as a community, and as a nation, to re-consider the future of “normal”. 

As we consider the paths to re-booting the economy , please bear in mind not only our personal well being, but also that of our harbor, and of the entire planet.
 Happy Earth Day!
Avery Revere, President