Wequassett Resort To Be Honored For Conservation Commitment

by William F. Galvin

            HARWICH – The Wequassett Inn and Golf Resort will be honored with the Harwich Conservation Trust’s Conservationist of the Year Award at the trust’s 20-year anniversary event planned at the inn.

            The Resort’s managing partners James McClennen and Mark Novota will be recognized for “outstanding contributions that have helped the HCT preserve land to protect the woods, water, wildlife and our shared quality of life in Harwich and Cape Cod,” HCT President Robert Smith said.

            The resort’s managing partners played major roles in raising the $5.8 million for the Save Monomoy River Campaign, which enabled the town, working with the trust, to purchase 42 acres along the river’s edge. That parcel abuts the river (Muddy Creek) which flows into Pleasant Bay and which has suffered from excessive nitrogen.

            The inn, perched on the shores of the bay, provided the venue for the kick-off fundraising event for the campaign and a $170,000 challenge grant to help the trust complete fundraising efforts to secure the land.

            “The success in preserving the top priority property in the 21,000-acre  Pleasant Bay Watershed also marked the start of the HCT’s Save Land—Save Water Initiative, a long-range plan to preserve priority lands that protect water resources like Pleasant Bay, Nantucket Sound, ponds, streams, and our sole-source aquifer,” HCT Executive Director Michael Lach said.

            “As Wequassett expands its accommodations abutting Round Cove and Pleasant Bay, the resort continues to put the bay’s health front and center,” Lach said. He cited nitrogen loading from septic systems as taking its toll on Cape Cod’s coastal waters posing serious consequences for everything from sustainable fisheries to tourism to property values.

            Recognizing a business leadership opportunity to improve Pleasant Bay’s water quality, Lach said, the Wequassett resort embarked on a $4.5 million wastewater management facility initiative to reduce nitrogen loading in Round Cove by 76 percent. He also cited parking lots reconfigured to mitigate storm water impacts. Those improvements are scheduled to be implemented over the winter months as the resort adds a dozen more units.

            The event will take place at the inn on Sunday, Oct. 19 from 4 to 6 p.m. The trust will also be honoring volunteers with the first EverGreen Awards for time and talents dedicated to conservation.

            Mary Metzger will be honored with the EverGreen Award for her volunteer work with community outreach, environmental education and coordinating HCT’s growing guided walking tours. Metzger has written environmental features for The Chronicle.

            “With walks and writing, Mary has a knack for sharing her diverse knowledge of natural history and current environmental concerns, “Lach said.

            Volunteer bird nestbox monitors from the trust and the Cape Cod Bird Club will also be honored with EverGreen Awards for their wildlife conservation efforts over the past three years.

            “Volunteers and community support have truly accelerated our land conservation efforts. Opportunities to volunteer with the HCT continue to grow and so will our ability to save special places,” Smith, a founding trustee, said.

            The annual meeting will also feature guest speaker Beth Schwarzman, author of “The Nature of Cape Cod,” a quintessential field guide to conservation destinations across Cape Cod.  She will talk about critical habitat protected by HCT’s land preservation success, as well the importance of preserving land to protect water resources. She will have her field guide available for purchase and will also be autographing copies.

The event is free and open to the public with reservations made by Oct. 15 by email at hct@cape.com or by calling 508-430-3997.

10/9/08