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boardwalk trail through a grassy meadow
Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, Wellfleet

Cape Cod Natural History Conference

Special Event: Saturday, March 8, 2025

8:30 am-3:30 pm

Tilden Arts Center, Cape Cod Community College
2240 Iyannough Rd, West Barnstable

Expand your horizons at the Cape Cod Community College Tilden Arts Center for the 28th annual Cape Cod Natural History Conference. Hear the latest natural history news and project updates directly from local researchers and environmental organizations across Cape Cod. 

A tall white bird sticks out in a green saltmarsh. A channel of open water cuts through the center of the marsh.
Allens Pond, South Dartmouth

Presentations

Presenters will be debuting their work throughout the day, please reference the abstract packet (coming soon!) for schedule and locations.

  • Developing Nature-based Solutions to Improve the Resilience of a Wellfleet Harbor Salt Marsh by Alex Patterson, Senior Ecologist, EA Engineering 
  • Marsh Resiliency and Restoration at Chase Garden Creek Salt Marsh by Molly Autery, Salt Marsh Specialist, The Association to Preserve Cape Cod 
  • Windswept Bog Wetland Restoration Project, Nantucket Island, MA: Progress and Lessons Learned from Taking a Phased Implementation Approach by Karen C. Beattie, Vice President of Science and Stewardship, Nantucket Conservation Foundation, Inc. 
  • Profiling our Shores: Community Science for Coastal Resilience by Tricia Teixeira Santoianni, Environmental Advocate, Town of Brewster/Cape Cod Community College 
  • Orthoptera of Martha's Vineyard by Matt Pelikan, Community Naturalist, BiodiversityWorks 
  • Southern Pine Beetle on Cape Cod and the Islands by James Rassman, Forester, Department of Conservation and Recreation
  • Two Decades of Change in Martha's Vineyard Plant Communities by Patrick Farrar, Research Assistant, Woodwell Climate Research Center 
  • Using Publicly Available Data to Guide Citizen Scientists Toward Real-World Biodiversity Conservation Impact by David Fryxell, Executive Director & Ecologist, Dennis Conservation Land Trust 
  • Occurrence and Distribution of Cyanobacteria Blooms on Cape Cod 2022-2024: What are the Risks and How to Best Communicate Them? by Sophia M. Feuerhake, Association to Preserve Cape Cod
  • Establishing a Central Database and Web Portal for Freshwater Pond Monitoring Data by Jessica Rempel, Natural Resources Analyst, Cape Cod Commission
  • Where to Stay on The Cape: The Impact of Habitat on Migrant Songbirds at Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and Monomoy National Wildlife Refuge by James Junda, Lead Bird Bander, Mass Audubon 
  • eDNA Analysis of Red Knot Diet at Staging Sites in the Monomoy-Pleasant Bay System of Cape Cod, Massachusetts by Liana DiNunzio, Shorebird Biologist, Manomet Conservation Science 
  • 2024 Great Shearwater Tracking, Preliminary Results by Liam Waters, Research Technician, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary 
  • Monitoring the Terrestrial Acoustic and Disturbance Ecology of Gray Seals at an Ephemeral Haul Out by Callyan Lacio, PhD Student, University of New Hampshire

Posters

Speak with researchers directly about their work as you browse the selection of projects on display in the foyer.

  • Water Quality and the Important Role of Citizen Scientists by Sara Sampieri Horvet, Research Associate and Analytical Laboratory Manager, UMass Dartmouth 
  • Cape Cod Freshwater Pond Buffer Guidance by Heather McElroy, Natural Resources Program Manager, Cape Cod Commission 
  • Cape Cod Pond Watcher Bio-Survey Program: Preliminary Results by Julie Hambrook Berkman, PhD, Pond and Cyanobacteria Program Manager, Association to Preserve Cape Cod 
  • Cape Cod Water Resources Restoration Project by Martha Craig, Program Manager, Cape Cod Conservation District
  • River Herring by K'tan Weedan, Mashpee Wampanoag Natural Resources 
  • Conservation and Survey Techniques to Estimate Abundance of the Northern Diamondback Terrapin by Emma Keene-Reinhard, Diamondback Terrapin Field Technician, Zoo New England, Mass Wildlife 
  • Discovery and Conservation of Papillose Nut-sedge (Scleria pauciflora) at Camp Edwards by Erin Hilley, Conservation Biologist, MA Army National Guard 
  • Impacts of Baiting Practices on Catch and Bycatch in Gillnets and Design of an Effective Outreach Program to Minimize Seabird Bycatch by Liese Siemann, Senior Research Biologist, Coonamessett Farm Foundation, Inc.

A Prime Opportunity for Networking and Information Sharing

Mass Audubon Cape Cod Regional Director Melissa Lowe says she always looks forward to this annual event. “The natural history conference has always been one of my favorite events in large part because of the special opportunity to meet and talk to local scientists one-on-one. It provides a place to learn about the people and local organizations doing important environmental work, to network—and even to inspire for future projects by sharing questions and ideas.” 

Conference Details

The cost of the conference is $25 per person and $15 for students (with student ID).  

Coffee and refreshments will be provided, but attendees are encouraged to bring lunch and a coffee mug to reduce waste.

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