Author: mmarogers

HAWK RESCUE IN DUCK CREEK

On Saturday, Sept. 5th, WCT Trustee Jen Elsenshon received a call from the Wellfleet police letting her know that some folks called to report an osprey or other raptor stuck in the mud by Uncle Tim’s Bridge.  She and her husband Jon got some equipment and walked down to Duck Creek to see if they could spot it. They met a man named Doug who showed them where the bird was.   Doug had tried to rescue him, too.  At this point, the tide was coming in and taking the bird towards the Head of Duck Creek.  

Jen walked as far as she could into the marsh to see if she could grab him while Jon went home to get their canoe. Jeff Kemprecos helped Jon get the canoe onto the car.  Jen couldn’t get close enough to the bird before the mud became treacherous, so she headed back to Commercial Street.  Doug kept an eye on Cooper (they called him that because he turned out to be a Cooper’s Hawk) while Jon and Jen got the canoe into the creek.

Jen contacted Wild Care, the police, and the Conservation Agent to let them know that they would be accessing the creek through a WCT property, the marsh to the right of the bridge. The tide took them to Cooper quickly, and Jen was able to grab him from the marsh grass that he was hung up on. He must have been exhausted because he didn’t resist Jen’s picking him up at all.

The Elsenshons paddled to the trail by Cannon Hill, and Doug helped pull them to shore. Jen disembarked with Cooper, and Doug gave her a shirt to wrap him in.  Jen walked back to Commercial Street to meet Jon when he tied the canoe up at Party Duck’s house. They allowed Jon to keep the canoe there overnight.

Another volunteer from Wild Care, Jan, met Jon and Jen at their house on Main St.  and took Cooper to Wild Care.  She happened to be in the area to pick beach plums but ditched her endeavor to get Cooper.  It had a small injury under his wing but seemed okay otherwise besides being tired and cold. He was doing ok as of Sunday.  Jen will get an update this week on how he is recuperating.

This isn’t the first time the Elsenshons have encountered an unusual situation involving a juvenile hawk.  I spring, they observed a young,  red-tailed hawk visiting their house, contemplating how it might approach a squirrel sharing railing space on their deck.  (See photo)

Jen and Jon are quickly becoming our resident hawk whisperers.   

Come to Our 42nd Annual Meeting August 19th – Chequessett Club

Please join us on Wednesday, August 19, 2026 from 4 to 6 p.m. at the Chequessett Club, 680 Chequessett Neck Rd., Wellfleet for our 42nd Annual Meeting and Reception.

We start with a reception for informal discussion with the Trustees and other members, home-made hors d’oeuvres, desserts, soft drinks and a cash bar. Following the reception, we will conduct our regular Annual Meeting.

Andrew Gottlieb, Executive Director of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod (APCC) will present a special report, “The Cape We Shape.” This is the APCC’s program to protect the natural benefits of the remaining areas of undedicated open space. By protecting our priority natural resource lands, we also safeguard clean water, species at risk, and the natural beauty that sustains our economy and makes life on Cape Cod special.

We hope to see you there August 19th!

SAFETY NET FOR TERRAPINS AT HEAD OF DUCK CREEK 

With the approval of the Wellfleet Conservation Commission and the WCT Trustees, Barbara Brenesel and Michael Fisher installed a 75-foot long, low fence to protect the terrapins at the Head of Duck Creek property from overshooting the nesting garden area and going into the gas station and out on Route 6.  The fence materials were donated by an anonymous donor.  We hope the safety net will prove to be successful. 

Earth Day Clean-up  April 22, 2026

On the morning of April 22, 2026, a team of WCT volunteers cleaned up a great deal of trash from one of our properties, WCT 54 on Rte. 6.  Eric Siegler, Tom Janssen, and Michael Fisher collected 11 full bags of trash plus some larger items. The weather held and there were no encounters with ticks, coyotes or snappers.

Free Earth Week Film & Panel Discussion by Local Conservationists

WCT President Denny O’Connell will be a panelist in the discussion to follow the free documentary film Cresta Alta , which will be screened Sunday, April 19, 2026 at 7 p.m. at the WHAT Theater in Wellfleet. Cresta Alta chronicles an expedition of dedicated scientists who travel to Alaska, Chile and Peru to gather field data that informs our understanding of climate science and sustainability. The film by Todd Anders Johnson, who studied development issues at the University of Washington, highlights the need for more sustainable policies regionally, nationally and globally. 

Scheduled for the evening are a meet & greet at 6:30, the film screening at 7:00 with a Q&A period and the panel discussion following it. Panelists who will be participating include: Chris Palmer, Climate Action Chair from the Town of Truro; Francie Randolph, Founding Director of Sustainable CAPE; Carli Bertrand, Executive Director of the Wellfleet Oyster Alliance; Dennis O’Connell, President of the Wellfleet Conservation Trust Board of Trustees; and Mark Borelli of the Center for Coastal Studies’ Seafloor Mapping Program.

Cresta Alta is a part of the Risan Project Earth Week Film Tour. The event is free. No reservations are needed.

FIRST DAY WALK – JANUARY 1, 2026

10:00 AM – The Gut to the Herring River Overlook
Herring River Overlook, Wellfleet
Hosts: Wellfleet Conservation Trust and Friends of Herring River (Wellfleet/Truro)

Join this First of January walk featuring Wellfleet Conservation Trust’s Herring River Overlook and the Herring River Restoration Project. The walk will include short talks on recent research of Native American land use in the area, geology of the area, an update on the restoration project, and the acquisition by the Wellfleet Conservation Trust of the beautiful land overlooking the river. The out and back 2-mile, 2-hour walk will be mostly on rolling dirt paths with a short section over the temporary walking bridge and on Chequessett Neck Road. Walking shoes or boots are recommended.

Free registration is limited to 20 people and will be on a first come/first served basis. Please email wct.annual.walk@gmail.com to enroll with the names of participants (maximum 4) and contact telephone numbers. Parking directions will be e-mailed to registrants.

The Barnstable Land Trust oversees first day walks for the entire Cape.  To see what other walks might interest you go to https://blt.org/firstdayhikescapecod