Illustration courtesy of Inter-Fluve
Eco-Restoration Projects
Nature transformation
How eco-restoration benefits plants, wildlife and people
Ecological restoration is the process of rewilding land and water resources that benefit plants, wildlife, and people.
Eco-restoration increases biodiversity, improves water quality and reconnects all ages to the natural world around us.
Our unique Cape Cod environment is loved by residents and is a major draw for visitors who contribute significantly to the local economy. One of the region's greatest natural resources is our scenic wetlands, which hold an astounding diversity of plants and animals.
Healthy wetlands help buffer coastal communities from storm surges, absorb flood waters after heavy rainfall, provide wildlife habitat, help improve water quality and bolster resilience to climate change.
However, over the last 250 years, more than 28% of wetlands have been lost to development in Massachusetts.
Eco-restoration is a way to turn back the clock and bring wetlands back to life. Harwich Conservation Trust (HCT) is on the cutting edge of this innovative field with the Cold Brook Eco-Restoration Project and the Hinckleys Pond — Herring River Headwaters Eco-Restoration Project.
How the opportunity arose
The indigenous Wampagnoag have long since harvested the native cranberry that grows in wet dune swales. In the 1800s, settlers converted naturally occurring wetlands into commercial cranberry farms. Over the last few decades, much larger off-Cape bogs produced an extra supply of cranberries that caused the price to fall. This shift in the industry made it more difficult for some local growers to continue farming.
Farmers looking to exit the industry are faced with difficult decisions. One option is to convert the upland to a subdivision, which would impact water quality and close off public access. Another option would be to sell the property to a local land trust like Harwich Conservation Trust (HCT). In turn, working with HCT creates the possibility for eco-restoration that can rewild retired bogs into native habitats as well as provide trails to enjoy the new views and wildlife watching opportunities.
Thanks to the generosity of farm owners and donors, HCT was able to acquire retired cranberry bogs at the Cold Brook and Hinckleys Pond sites and launch eco-restoration projects.
Photo by Gerry Beetham.
Rewards make this eco-effort worth the work
Complex eco-restoration projects are only made possible through partnerships that often involve town, state and federal entities, as well as unique design, engineering and construction expertise.
The “green engineering” involved in these important projects creates lasting community benefits. Healthy wetlands are restored and marshes are rewilded, increasing the biodiversity of plants and animals. Even river otters have rediscovered the Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve.
The new half-mile, wheelchair accessible All Persons Trail at Cold Brook allows access to the natural world for people of all ages and abilities. A nearly one-mile All Persons Trail will grace the Hinckleys Pond — Herring River Headwaters Preserve. These inviting trails are easy to navigate, offer scenic views and welcome everyone to reconnect with nature as well as each other.
Hinckleys Pond-Herring River Headwaters Preserve
Harwich Conservation Trust's (HCT) Hinckleys Pond — Herring River Headwaters Eco-Restoration Project includes the rewilding of two retired cranberry bogs that bookend 174-acre Hinckleys Pond in Harwich, which is at the headwaters of the Herring River estuary.
Hinckleys Pond provides river herring spawning habitat and the connection to more spawning habitat upstream in Long Pond and Seymour Pond.
Robert F. Smith Cold Brook Preserve
Harwich Conservation Trust's (HCT) Cold Brook Eco-Restoration Project, completed in 2025, transformed a retired cranberry bog into a wildlife oasis.
The project included rewilding a mile of stream, native plantings, sculpting in four ponds and creating a half-mile wheelchair accessible All Persons Trail, allowing people of all abilities and ages to experience the beauty of nature.
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