2022 Mobile Workshop
Pond Ecology Tour
Details
Date: Tuesday, August 2
Departure Time: 2:30PM
Return Time: 4:00PM
Length: 1.5 hours
Participants: Up to 20
Fee: Complimentary
Transportation: Shuttle bus provided by CCRTA
Other Notes: The tour includes a small amount of walking including over natural and potentially uneven surfaces and along a portion of paved bike trail.
DESCRIPTION
With nearly 900 ponds and lakes on Cape Cod, protecting our freshwater bodies is a regional priority. Learn more about a healthy freshwater pond ecosystem and what contributes to a pond’s decline on a tour of local ponds with Cape Cod Commission Water and Natural Resources staff.
Session Leads:
- Tara Nye Lewis, Water Resources Analyst, Cape Cod Commission
- Jessica Rempel, Natural Resources Analyst, Cape Cod Commission
ABOUT
The Regional Policy Plan identifies the health of Cape Cod freshwater ponds and lakes as a key challenge facing the region, calling for an updated and expanded understanding of freshwater resources data. Facilitating a better understanding of the functions and stressors of Cape Cod’s freshwater resources is one key aspect of engaging the public on this issue. Online resources like the Commission’s Pond Atlas and Viewer and APCC’s State of the Waters and Cyanobacteria Monitoring Maps, provide ready resources to learn about pond water quality across Cape Cod.
Jessica Rempel is a Natural Resources Analyst for the Cape Cod Commission. She specializes in open space, wetland, and plant and wildlife habitat planning and protection. Prior to working for the Cape Cod Commission, she was an environmental regulator with several governmental agencies including a previous engagement with the Cape Cod Commission and the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. She has also managed endangered species restoration and tracking projects.
Tara Nye Lewis is a Water Resources Analyst for the Cape Cod Commission. She focuses her efforts on region-wide policies and actions to protect and restore water resources on Cape Cod, including coastal, ponds, groundwater, and drinking water. Some of her current projects include watershed assessments, stormwater management, and pond restoration strategies. Prior to joining the Commission, Tara was the staff biologist for the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, managing the Salt Marsh Restoration Program on Cape Cod. She earned an MS from the University of New Hampshire where she studied the accumulation of toxins in bivalves. Tara has 20+ years of experience with water resources on Cape Cod.