Thursday, June 20: beginning at 9:15 AM
The BPC Cycling Group rides again this summer! Join us for the first of our FREE cycling tours as we explore the backroads and kettle ponds of Brewster and beyond. This ride will be on Thursday, June 20 when we will ride the Cape Cod Rail Trail past four kettle ponds and into Harwich and back. More rides are planned for July, August, and September. Registration is required and the ride is limited to 12 cyclists. Meet up instructions will be provided prior to the ride. Please read the "BPC Cycling Group's Rules of the Road" for important information. Saturday, May 18: beginning at 10 AM
(Rain date: Sunday, May 19) Join the BPC and leader Nancy Ortiz for a three-mile narrated hike through the north area of the Punkhorn Parklands on Saturday, May 18 (rain date is Sunday, May 19). Those interested can join us for an additional short hike afterward to the beautiful Eagle Point that overlooks Upper Mill Pond. Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring along water and a snack. The area is mostly flat, but there will be some rocky trails and roots. You are encouraged to take photos. There is a maximum of 25 participants for this free event. Details will be sent to registered participants before the walk. REGISTER HERE! Pictured below is the group that participated in the 2023 hike. Tuesday, June 4: 4:30 - 6:30 PM Brewster Ladies Library 1822 Main Street, Brewster There are many plants and insects on Cape Cod that are not native to our specific environment. Many of us don't know where to start in identifying them and learning how to manage them. The BPC invites you to this free informative talk by Beth Taylor, a Barnstable County Master Gardener, about removing invasive plants and insects from your landscape and promoting native species. There will be ample time for questions and answers. Please register here to attend! Pictured above (left to right) are: Beth Taylor, Barnstable County Master Gardener; the invasive plant bittersweet; and the effects of the invasive southern pine bark beetles. (Plant and insect photos copyright UGA Entomology Department.)
Session 1: Tuesday, April 16 from 4 - 6 PM; Brewster Council on Aging (1673 Main Street) Session 2: Saturday, April 20 from 10 AM - 12 PM; Brewster Ladies Library (1822 Main Street) These two community information forums are being held to discuss the Spring Warrant article related to water resources. Come learn about the projects that the article will fund and why it’s important to support them. Find out how an Integrated Water Resources Management Plan (IWRMP) differs from a Comprehensive Wastewater Management Plan (CWMP) and what will be included in the town’s 2024 updated IWRMP. Also, learn why it’s especially important for Brewster to have a Pond Management Plan and why individual pond studies are critical. Additional topics will include the BPC's goals regarding wastewater management and the pros and cons of various solutions. We encourage you to attend and bring your questions along! Photograph courtesy of William F. Pomeroy.
On March 26, the BPC held an informative talk on decentralized or "package" wastewater treatment plants that manage wastewater in specific neighborhoods and locations. David Bennett - a Brewster resident, environmental services engineer, Chair of the Town of Brewster Board of Health, and member of the town's Water Resources Task Force - delivered an engaging presentation and provided handouts that detailed an overview of such plants and their associated economics, public health effects, and sustainability. These handouts were prepared by the EPA Decentralized Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Partnership. To download the documents, simply click on each link: Dave Bennett's Presentation Decentralized Wastewater Treatment - Introduction Decentralized Wastewater Treatment - Economics Decentralized Wastewater Treatment - Green Decentralized Wastewater Treatment - Public Health Pictured above is Mr. Bennett delivering his presentation at the Brewster Ladies Library.
Herring Run Eco Paddle Saturday, May 4: 10 AM - 12 PM Upper Mill Pond, Brewster Join us for an inspiring day on the waters of one of the most iconic and productive herring runs on all of Cape Cod - the Stony Brook Run and Mill Ponds in Brewster. The BPC and SUPfari Adventures (a BPC business partner) invite you to this Eco Paddle on Saturday, May 4 from 10 AM - 12 PM (rain date is Sunday, May 5). Each paddle is limited to 12 participants. SUPfari Adventures will supply kayaks, paddles, and life jackets. If you have your own equipment, feel free to bring that along! The fee is $75 per person; pre-registration and payment are required. Reservations are limited and will go fast, so be sure to sign up soon! Photograph above left: a previous Eco Paddle on Upper Mill Pond. Photograph above right: juvenile alewives (river herring) in Slough Pond by Janice Riley, used with her permission.
Join the BPC on Saturday, April 27 during Beautify Brewster Day!
The BPC team - always one of the largest and most fun groups - will participate in the 12th Annual Beautify Brewster Day to help clean up roads and paths in Brewster that might contribute to pond and groundwater degradation. Last year we collected over 3,100 nip bottles, which helped pass the town nip ban at the Brewster Spring Town Meeting. We hope you can join us. Details will be emailed to volunteers after registration. Click here to join us! Pictured below is the BPC group during the 2023 Beautify Brewster Day. An interested group of Brewster residents attended a tour of the Orleans Wastewater Treatment Plant on Thursday, March 21, organized by the BPC. This tour included a thorough overview of this state-of-the-art plant, all of its components, the design and infrastructure, and how it functions. The tour was led by Dan Sullivan-Xenos, the project manager in charge of the plant's management and maintenance, and members of his staff. Joining this tour was Kevin Galligan, a member of the Town of Orleans Select Board, who was involved in the early stages of the planning and construction of the treatment plant.
This facility is currently only servicing a portion of the Town of Orleans but has plans for further build out to operate at full capacity. Tour members were impressed by the information obtained and that they were able to get a close look at how the plant operates. If you missed this first tour, there is still room to participate in the second tour, on Thursday, March 28 from 3:00 - 5:00 PM. To register, please click here. Pictured below is the tour group along with Kevin Galligan and Dan Sullivan-Xenos (left to right, wearing hard hats). Session 1: Tuesday April 16; 4:00 - 6:00 PM Brewster Council on Aging 1673 Main Street, Brewster Session 2: Saturday, April 20; 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM Brewster Ladies Library 1822 Main Street, Brewster The BPC is hosting two community forums to discuss articles that will be on the town's Spring Warrant related to water resources. BPC representatives will review the details of the articles and answer any questions you may have. Both forums are free and open to the public. Your registration is appreciated to assist with our planning purposes. Photograph courtesy of William F. Pomeroy
Tuesday, March 26 5:00 - 6:30 PM Brewster Ladies Library 1822 Main Street, Brewster Many communities on Cape Cod, including Brewster, have decentralized or “package” sewage treatment plants to manage wastewater in specific neighborhoods or locations. This informative talk, presented by Brewster resident and engineer, David Bennett, will allow you to hear from an expert about the benefits and limitations of decentralized sewage treatment plants and where some of these systems are located in Brewster.
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