540 Main Street • Chatham, MA 02633 • 508-945-4084
UPCOMING EVENTS
CCF's 2024 Environmental Fair
​REFUSE-REDUCE-REUSE-RECYCLE-RE-EDUCATE
Join us on the lawn of the Chatham Community Center for environmentally focused booths, vendors
and activities for all ages!
Friday, August 16th, 10am - 2pm
(Raindate: Monday, August 19th)
Join CCF's Book Club!
CCF Book Club meetings are held in person at Mayo House. No registration necessary!
Monday, September 9th @ 4pm
Fen, Bog and Swamp by Annie Proulx
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Summer Trail Walks - August & September
Strong Island Trail Walks
CCF is pleased to offer weekly excursions to Strong Island,
the "gem" of Pleasant Bay.
Acquired in 1973 from the Horst Family, Strong Island consists of 75 acres of upland owned by CCF and 59 acres of town-owned marsh. Located in Pleasant Bay, the property has both the limitations of isolation from the Cape as a whole and also the likelihood of unique migrational visitations. The island-long trail system winds thought pine and oak woodlands filled with native shrubs and wildlife representative of the general area.
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Distance: App. 2 miles
Tickets: $35, which includes transportation to and from the island on private boats.
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Photo credit: Jon Watkins
Strong Island Photography Walk with Gerry Beetham
co-sponsored with the Harwich Conservation Trust
August 17th at 10:00am (rain date: August 24th at 10:00am)
Guide: Gerry Beetham
​Join local nature photographer Gerry Beetham for a walk along the Strong Island trail, stopping for taking pictures along the way. CCF Executive Director Lauren Arcomano will be on hand to talk about the history of the island and CCF's conservation efforts. This walk is appropriate for participants 12 years and older.
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Your Guide:
Gerry Beetham is an experienced photographer who captures the natural beauty of conservation land, wildlife, and the joy of people of all ages discovering the nature of Cape Cod. He and his wife Karen also lead butterfly walks and educate about whales. They both volunteer for a variety of nonprofits including Harwich Conservation Trust, Association to Preserve Cape Cod, MassAudubon, and others.
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Strong Island Nature and History Walk
August 31st at 9:00am
Guides: Lauren Arcomano and Tim Burt
​Join CCF Executive Director Lauren Arcomano and CCF Vice President Tim Burt for a walk designed for participants of all ages. Tim will focus on the fascinating history of the island and Lauren will discuss the flora and fauna found there and CCF's current conservation efforts in Chatham.
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Your Guides:
Lauren Arcomano is the Executive Director of the Chatham Conservation Foundation and an avid outdoors person who loves to hike and kayak. When not at CCF's historic headquarters in the Mayo House, she can be found paddling in the Nauset Marsh or exploring other conservation lands on the Cape.​
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Tim Burt is a Trustee and Vice President of CCF. Tim is active in many land stewardship activities with the Foundation. Tim has made numerous trips to Strong Island and is familiar with the history of the island. He is a full-time resident of Chatham.
Strong Island Nature Walk
September 7th at 9:00am
Guide: Phil Kyle
Join local naturalist Phil Kyle for a walk focusing on the natural history of the island. CCF Executive Director Lauren Arcomano, who will also be on the walk, will speak to CCF's current conservation efforts in Chatham.
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Your Guides:
Phil Kyle is a Cape Cod naturalist who has worked at the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History and Cape Cod National Seashore, among other places.
Lauren Arcomano is the Executive Director of the Chatham Conservation Foundation and an avid outdoors person who loves to hike and kayak. When not at CCF's historic headquarters in the Mayo House, she can be found paddling in the Nauset Marsh or exploring other conservation lands on the Cape.
Strong Island Bird Walk
September 11th at 11:00am (rain date: September 13th at 11:00am)
Guide: Mark Faherty
Join ornithologist Mark Faherty for a walk tracking and discussing the rich birdlife found along the island shore and woodlands.
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Your Guide:
Mark Faherty has been the Science Coordinator at Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary since August 2007 and has led birding trips for Mass Audubon since 2002. He also hosts WCAI's monthly Bird Report. While his current projects involve everything from oysters and horseshoe crabs to bats and butterflies, he has studied primarily bird ecology for the last 20 years, working on research projects in Kenya, Florida, Texas, California, Arizona, Mexico, and the Pacific Northwest.
Information on additional September Trail Walks Coming Soon!
Private guided tours are available on request. Email the Chatham Conservation Foundation for scheduling.
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Self-Guided Trail Walks
The Chatham Conservation Foundation's walking trails are open year around! We invite you to explore our beautiful trails at your own leisure.
Please be sure to follow social distancing, and keep pets on leashes. Click here for maps of some great walking trails around Chatham.