If you’re inspired by HCT’s evolving Hinckleys Pond/Herring River Headwaters Preservation Project described below, please donate by clicking here. It’s rare to find a land-saving project that could create a ready-made walking trail destination while also protecting the health of a pond and the Herring River. This approximately 31-acre property is very visible at the […] Read more »

Please join us for a set of fascinating winter talks on Saturday mornings.  Usually we host these presentations at the Harwich Community Center, but this time around you can enjoy learning from home. Explore a variety of topics from bobcats to box turtles to backyard pollinators as well as rescuing whales and eco-restoration.  This five-session […] Read more »

In many ways Pleasant Bay Woodlands, preserved by Harwich Conservation Trust (HCT), embodies how life and our shared landscape have evolved on Cape Cod. The undulating terrain of this nearly 50-acre landscape is part of the Harwich Outwash Plain created by retreating glaciers 18,000 years ago. Looking to the north at that time, you would […] Read more »

Just in time for folks to enjoy a new outdoor experience, the nonprofit Harwich Conservation Trust (HCT) recently opened the walking trails at the Pleasant Bay Woodlands, nearly 50 rolling acres in East Harwich. For many years, HCT had been watching this top priority property, which at the time in 2013 was the largest, undeveloped […] Read more »

Welcome to your December Night Sky Tour! You can download your December Night Sky map by clicking here. There are four exciting events that occur in the evening sky this month. The bright constellations and stars of winter have returned. The red planet Mars shines brightly all night long, beginning high in the east and […] Read more »

The Nelson family including Anne-Sophie Laloe, Zoe Laloe, Max Nelson, and Lila Nelson (grandchildren to Beth and Ted Nelson of East Harwich) embarked on quite an adventure exploring local conservation lands and scenic trails through their “Winter Camp” experience.  Part of their odyssey even included a chilly plunge into Pleasant Bay! As Ted explained: We […] Read more »

Story by Susanna Graham-Pye Photos by Gerry Beetham Back in 1970, singer songwriter Joni Mitchell sang about not realizing “what we’ve lost ‘til it’s gone” when she warned about losing wild places to development. Fifty years later, the words couldn’t be truer. As our paradise-to-pavement consumption of forests, meadows, and other natural lands accelerates, many […] Read more »

Every year from late September into early October a diversity of plants, fungi, and animals find their unique expressions of autumn change.   After a rain shower, fall mushrooms like boletes and amanitas suddenly pop up under the trees in our yards as if they’ve waited for months for the weather to cool off. The […] Read more »

Important: The International Space Station is only visible from 7:32 to approximately 7:42 p.m. A clear view toward the north is critical. Welcome to your self-guided September Night Sky Tour courtesy of HCT volunteer astronomer Michael Payne. If you want to see the International Space Station make sure you have identified what direction north is […] Read more »

Steps for your Night Sky Tour First, to orient yourself, download the August Evening Sky Map by clicking here. You will want to have the direction that you are facing at the bottom of the map. Find a location away from streetlights and as open to the horizons as possible. To read the sky map, […] Read more »