Tag: nature

INTERVIEW WITH OUR NEWEST TRUSTEE: BARRY JOHNSTON ANSWERS 10 QUESTIONS

How did you decide to move from Virginia to Wellfleet?

We have owned a summer house in Wellfleet since 2007 and lived on a farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.  In 2023 we decided it was time to downsize and Wellfleet became our home. 

Tell us about your conservation efforts in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

When we renovated our old farm house we discovered it was built around a prerevolutionary log cabin which we restored.  We placed the farm in a conservation easement and over the years we removed invasive species, promoted wild flowers and native plants, created trails and conducted wildlife surveys with the Smithsonian Institute.  As a Virgina Master Naturalist, I volunteered to preserve Virginia’s natural habitat including as a National Park volunteer to protect rare native plants in the Shenandoah National Park.

What is your educational and professional background?

I am an economist/econometrician by training. I worked for 27 years with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC and before that in London at the Bank of England and Treasury, and in Basel Switzerland, specializing in finance. I now teach on the financial effects of climate change and bio diversity loss.

Who and/or what got you interested in the Wellfleet Conservation Trust?

My wife Pat and I are gradually finding our way in the Wellfleet community and we were looking for volunteer opportunities.  I thought the WCT would be a good fit and I am very appreciative to have been selected as a trustee.

What are your interests and experiences that you bring to the W.C.T.?

What I learnt in Virginia is that conservation is not just a question of protecting land.  Stewardship of the land and education is a vital part of conservation. I hope my background will allow me to contribute on that.

What are some early influences that inspired your interest in nature/conservation?

I grew up in Northern Ireland surrounded by open country side. My family were from farming stock. It was part of growing up to appreciate and spend time in nature.  

What Cape and Wellfleet activities and places do you especially enjoy and why?

Swimming in Great Pond and sailing my catboat for the peace and tranquility.

What Wellfleet or Cape organizations do you belong to?

We are members of Mass Audubon, the Friends of the Cape Cod National Seashore and Nauset Newcomers.

Tell us about your family members.

My wife Pat of 48 years is an avid gardener.  My eldest daughter lives in Brooklyn, my second daughter lives in Switzerland with our three grand-children and our son lives in Scotland. Spending time on our farm in Virginia instilled them with a love of nature. Our son is a marine biologist.

What is something surprising about you that not too many people know?

I am a fan of minimalist music.

Bonus question – What is something else you would like to say to our readers?

The WCT will only be able to conservation a relatively small amount of land.  To preserve our habitat, the conservation effort must be much bigger and depends on you.  Start by creating a home environment to attract the birds, butterflies and bees — plant natives and remove invasives.

First Day Walk: The Gut to the Herring River Overlook

Report by Bill Iacuessa.

Thirty-eight participants thoroughly enjoyed the First Day Walk 2024, The Gut to the Herring River Overlook. Bright skies greeted the walkers as they arrived at the National Seashore Great Island parking lot. Bill Iacuessa, Vice-President of the Wellfleet Conservation Trust (WCT), welcomed the participants and described the walk saying that the Trust and the Friends of the Herring River (FHR) were delighted at the turnout. Dale Rheault, Chair of the Friends of the Herring River, was introduced, and spoke briefly about the role of the FHR. Speakers Alice Iacuessa and John Portnoy were introduced. Alice and John, are former members of the FHR board and along with Barbara Brennessel, co-authors of Tidal Waters, A History of Wellfleet’s Herring River.

The walk began by heading down the hill to the beach near the mouth of the Herring River and the Gut. Bill gave a short orientation, and then Alice talked about the recent archeological research on Native American and English colonial use of Great Island. The walk proceeded down the beach a bit further toward the dike where John talked about the history of the dike and benefits of removing it which will restore the salt marsh incrementally over a number of years.

The walk proceeded up to Chequessett Neck Road and crossed over the dike. Although not open yet, the completed temporary bridge was in full view of the walkers. Continuing along the participants reached the parking lot of the Herring River Overlook Conservation Area where Denny O’Connell, President of WCT met them. Denny described the acquisition of the 18-acre parcel, the significance of its location, and the creation of the one-mile trail. The walk continued with short stops where Denny pointing out features, the most significant being the views of the Herring River from above.

The walkers retraced their steps. Just before the parking lot, at the gravesite of a Native American woman, Alice talked about how and why it was placed at this location. The two-mile, two-hour walk concluded at noon.

Photos, taken by Dwight Estey, board member and former president of the Wellfleet Historical Society and Museum, can be viewed at WCT-FHR – First Day Walk – 2024.

WCT 14th Annual Walk (2021) Cancelled

After much consideration in regards to the latest Wellfleet Board of Health Covid requirements and recommended guidelines, the Wellfleet Conservation Trust has decided to cancel our annual guided walk scheduled for 11 September.

Normally the walk has involved over 75 people. The Health Board recommends that all people not from the same household should maintain six feet of distancing and when closer, masks should be worn, even outside and regardless of vaccination status. Trying to keep six feet physical distancing and masking among our normal numbers would be extremely difficult and would eliminate the group discussions and socializing that walkers have enjoyed in the past.

The walk we planned this year will still be there next year when we will try again. We support the Board of Health in their concern for keeping Wellfleet a safe healthy community.

Good wishes for good health.

WCT 14th Annual Walk

The Wellfleet Conservation Trust is planning its 14th annual guided walk to take place the morning of 11 September.  The walk will be in the area bounded by Gross Hill Road, Ocean View Drive, and Long Pond Road.  It will be almost exclusively on dirt roads and paths, about 2.4 miles in length with some moderate hills.  We will have short discussions/lectures at points of interest. The walk is FREE to participants and expected to take about 2.5 hours.  Walkers who have not received a Covid vaccination are asked to wear masks since social distancing will not always be possible.

This year, walkers are asked to register in order to participate.   Parking will be at a premium so we encourage carpooling when possible. 

If you wish to attend, please register by sending an email to
wct.annual.walk@gmail.com

Make the Subject:    Registering for WCT Annual Walk

In the Body list:     First and Last Name

Once you have registered, you will receive an email with details on time, parking, and a more detailed description of the walk.

The Annual WCT walk to resume this coming September

Plans have not yet been finalized, but WCT intends to offer the Annual Guided Walk in September.  The target date is Saturday, September 11, and the route will follow dirt roads and trails from Long Pond to Spectacle Pond and back. It should be about a two mile walk.  Timing and parking logistics need more planning, so you will need to follow our website and Facebook page for more details as they become available. 

Finding solace in nature

In these locked-up times we miss large gatherings, concerts, dining out, and social visits. Many of us have lost jobs and contact with loved ones. It’s easy to assume that all our social interactions must be through Zoom, our meditations guided by YouTube, and our thinking trapped in endless narratives of the end-of-times.

However, the natural world remains to explore and enjoy. We can still watch the unceasing but ever-changing waves at the beach, walk through forests, listen to birds, check out the bees in the new bee house, and watch adorable rabbits eating our recently planted vegetables. With fewer cars and trucks travelling long distances the air is cleaner and living things are flourishing.

In his book, Confessions, Jean-Jacques Rousseau says, “I can only meditate when I am walking. When I stop, I cease to think; my mind works only with my legs.” Rousseau’s walking was in the woods, not on a treadmill or in a shopping mall. His journeys remind us that our life cannot be separated from the natural world.

Walking in nature can be a social activity as well (six feet apart, of course). Informal connection can be deeper and more attuned to the needs we all feel in these times. We may still feel lost, but we have a chance to find both others and ourselves when we remember our role in nature.

The Trust asked supporters, trustees, and other lovers of nature what particular consolation from nature they are finding during these Covid times. You can some of the responses in the June 2020 newsletter.