Go Whale Watching with the Provincetwon Center for Coastal Studies!

The women of PCCS, photo courtesy of PCCS

In the Summer 2011 Issue of CWO, Karin Delaney tells us about the wonderful women of PCCS - the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies - currently celebrating their 35th summer of environmental awareness and action.

Karin writes about the scientists who had the original vision to open a Center for Coastal Studies at the very tip of Massachusetts and make a go of it. Their vision has endured and grown, with PCCS becoming one of the leaders in coastal research in the world. And they're right here on Cape Cod!

She writes:

This mighty little marine science institute, situated at the tip of Cape Cod, was founded in 1976 by three young PhD scientists. Although they had very limited financial resources, they possessed unbounded curiosity and an unwavering commitment to researching the local marine and coastal environment and educating the public about their findings.

Marine biologist Dr. Charles "Stormy" Mayo's field of interest was studying the colonies of microscopic phytoplankton which provide the major food source for large marine mammals. Stormy's wife, the late Dr. Barbara Mayo, also a marine biologist, had a research passion of her own: studying the benthic zone, commonly known as the ocean floor. Coastal geologist, Dr. Graham Giese, rounded out the trio's complimentary talent pool with his interest in studying the dynamic interactions in the intertidal zone, where the ocean waves meet the shoreline.

To read more of Karin's article, click here.

As part of the year long celebration, PCCS is offering special whale watch cruises, leaving from MacMillan Wharf and including special food and beverages. Marine scientists from PCCS will be on hand to chat with you about the whales, the mission of PCCS, their current projects, and anything else you may want to ask...

There's one cruise left on the calendar of events, coming up on Friday, August 26th. Check out the full calendar of events at CWO by clicking here, or go directly to the PCCS website at www.coastalstudies.org.

One more reason that Cape Cod is a very special place!

Final Week of Free Music on Cape Cod!

The Arts Foundation of Cape Cod has once again teamed up with the Citizen's Bank Foundation to bring a series of free, family-friendly live concerts to multiple venues dotting the Cape Cod landscape.

From Falmouth to Orleans, the Arts Foundation has been helping "rock" the Cape all summer. But if you want to see a free concert or two, you'd best hurry. This is the final week of this fabulous series!

For a complete list of concert locations, dates and artists, visit CapeWomenOnline magazine's Community Action pages here : http://www.capewomenonline.com/Issue_Summer2011/Articles_summer2011/artsFoundationConcert.html

CWO celebrates the National Seashore's 50th Anniversary

Fifty years ago, President john F. Kennedy signed the bill into law that created the Cape Cod National Seashore. In our Summer Issue, CapeWomenOnline celebrates this remarkable milestone with some wonderful stories by contributing writers.

Lisa Ricard Claro may currently reside in the southeastern part of the U.S., but has fond memories of her childhood summers spent on Cape Cod. Her story IN DREAMS includes marvelous black and white family photos from long ago summers.

While she's currently exploring life South of the Border in Puerto Vallarta, Darlene Carucci has spent many winters exploring Cape Cod, including taking her Dad to see an old shipwreck that washed up on the National Seashore, which she recounts in SEASHORE MEMORIES WITH MY DAD.

CWO columnist Lynne Delaney recently helped her husband Josh bring his long-awaited book project into reality. PIECES OF EIGHT is a novel based on Cape Cod, retelling the story of the infamous pirate Sam Bellamy. In this issue of CWO she writes about a day that she and Josh visited the National Seashore to toast all those whose ships have wrecked upon Cape Cod's treacherous shoals in BURIED HISTORY...

And finally, I added a National Seashore memory of my own, telling how my family has created traditions that incorporate the National Seashore into our lives, in RACE POINT SNAPSHOTS.

We are so lucky to have this national treasure right here on our doorstep, and so lucky that it will stay preserved for our children and grandchildren. Kudos to President Kennedy and everyone else who was involved in this preservation back in 1961, and throughout the last 50 years. The Cape Cod National Seashore is a jewel in the National Park system and we're blessed to live right next door.