Dedicated to diamondback terrapin research, conservation, management and education
The Diamondback Terrapin Working Group was formed in 2004 by individuals from academic, scientific, regulatory and private institutions/organizations working to promote the conservation of the diamondback terrapin, the preservation of intact, wild terrapin populations and their associated ecosystems throughout their range. The Diamondback Terrapin Working Group is committed to and supports research, management, conservation, and education efforts with the above goals in mind.
We welcome new members to the working group and encourage interested parties to join.
About Terrapin Institute
The Terrapin Institute began in 1998 as a consortium of concerned citizens, scientists, resource managers, and educators dedicated to the understanding, persistence, and recovery of Diamondback Terrapins and other turtles through effective management, thorough research, and public outreach. We work to protect an abundance of adult turtle populations, preserve nesting and forage habitat, and improve recruitment. In return the terrapin has become the perfect metaphor for natural resource stewardship and public engagement; the face of estuarine restoration, and a gateway to the many wonders of our rich tidewater heritage.
Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
PROGRAM BROCHURE
September 5November 30, 2017
massaudubon.org/wellfleetbay
Birding Programs
Banding and Birding
Meet the bird banding team and learn about banding methods and research, then
explore sanctuary trails in search of resident and migratory birds.
Wednesdays, September 6 and 13, 810 AM
$12 M/$14 NM; pre-registration required
Early Birds Walk
Explore sanctuary trails in search of resident and migratory birds.
Fridays, September 8October 20, 810 AM
Sundays, October 1 and 8, 810 AM
$10 M/$12 NM; pre-registration required
Bird Research in Action!
Meet the bird banding team and learn about banding methods and research.
Saturdays, September 9November 11, 89 AM
$7 M/$9 NM; pre-registration required
Birding Forest Beach
Explore Forest Beach in Chatham on a guided walk in search of migratory shorebirds.
Friday, September 15, 911 AM
$10 M/$12 NM; pre-registration required
Birding High Head
Explore the High Head area in search of migratory songbirds and birds of prey.
Thursday, September 28, 8:3010:30 AM
$10 M/$12 NM; pre-registration required
In Search of Shorebirds
Explore sanctuary trails on a guided walk in search of migratory shorebirds.
Saturday, September 30, 35 PM
$10 M/$12 NM; pre-registration required
Herons at Hemenway
Observe night-herons nightly flight to the marsh from Hemenway Landing in Eastham.
Friday, October 6, 5:30-7 PM
$5 M/$7 NM; pre-registration required
Birding Excursions
Tern Island Birding
Join us for an excursion to Mass Audubon's Tern Island, a 28-acre island in Chatham and
one of the best places to see migratory shorebirds on Cape Cod.
Wednesday, September 6, 2:304:30 PM
Saturday, September 16, 1:303:30 PM
Thursday, September 21, 3:305:30 PM
$40 M/$50 NM; pre-registration required
Seabird Cruise
Cruise from Sesuit Harbor in Dennis into Cape Cod Bay in search of alcids, loons,
gannets and sea ducks. We may also spot seals and other marine life.
Saturday, November 11, 10:30 AM12:30 PM
Sunday, November 19, 24 PM
$42 M/$52 NM; pre-registration required
Cheep Eats Lecture Series
Enjoy a beverage and a sweet treat while discovering the avian diversity of Cape Cod.
$3 M/$5 NM; pre-registration required
Cheep Eats: Red Knots
Learn about the latest research on these long-distance migrants, and their connection to
horseshoe crabs, with Science Coordinator Mark Faherty.
Wednesday, October 18, 1111:45 AM
Cheep Eats: Wild Turkeys
Learn about the natural history of wild turkeys and their return to Massachusetts.
Wednesday, November 15, 1111:45 AM
Lectures, Walks and Workshops
State of the Birds 3: The Effects of Climate Change
Join Mass Audubon's Joan Walsh as she discusses the latest State of the Birds report
which focuses on what climate change means for the future of birds in Massachusetts.
Saturday, September 30, 10:30 AMNoon
Free with sanctuary admission; pre-registration suggested
Moonrise Hike at Coast Guard Beach
Hike along the sandy shore at Coast Guard Beach in Eastham as the moon rises up
from the Atlantic. Be prepared to walk two miles in soft sand.
Thursday, October 5, 67:30 PM
$8 M/$10 NM; pre-registration required
Fascinating Fungi Workshop
Join Mass Audubon's Dan McCullough to learn about the natural history of mushrooms,
slime molds, and the other strange things you see growing in your yard.
Saturday, October 7, 10 AM2:30 PM
$25 M/$30 NM; Lecture only (1011:30 AM): $8 M/$10 NM; pre-registration required
In the Footsteps of Thoreau
Explore Fort Hill and the Red Maple Swamp in Eastham focusing on the views, wildlife,
and natural history of the area as described by Thoreau in his book Cape Cod.
Thursday, October 12, 1011:30 AM
This program is offered in cooperation with Snow Library and is free of charge. To make a
reservation call Snow Library at 508-240-3760.
Exploring Bearberry Hill
Hike through the pine forests and heathlands of Truro and enjoy peeks of the Atlantic.
Bring a lunch and be prepared to hike up to four-miles at a moderate-to-fast pace.
Saturday, October 21, 10 AM2 PM
$14 M/$16 NM; pre-registration required
Kayak Trips
Explore the tidal rivers, bays, and marshes of Cape Cod with an experienced naturalist
during our kayak trips. Call or go online for expanded descriptions.
All kayak trips are $50 M/$55 NM; pre-registration required
Moonrise Paddle on Gull Pond, Wellfleet
Tuesday, September 5, 5:307:30 PM
Wellfleet Kettle Ponds
Wednesday, September 13, 10 AMNoon
Great Island, Wellfleet
Saturday, September 23, 14 PM
Nauset Marsh, Eastham
Saturday, September 30, 9 AMNoon
Saturday, October 7, 14 PM
Tern Island, Chatham
Sunday, October 1, 13:30 PM
Pleasant Bay, Orleans
Sunday, October 8, 122:30 PM
Kayak trips require previous, recent paddling experience. Ages 1217 welcome with an adult.
Sea Turtle Open House
Saturday, November 25
Join us for a day all about sea turtles! Drop in to learn more about sea turtles and why
they strand on the beaches of Cape Cod and get a behind-the-scenes look at Wellfleet
Bay's rescue efforts. Call or go online for additional details.
Open House
Come to the Sanctuary to learn more about sea turtle rescue through touch tables,
tours, kid-friendly crafts, lectures, and more.
11 AM2 PM; free with sanctuary admission; all ages welcome
Sea Turtle Patrol
Search for cold-stunned sea turtles
stranded on Cape Cod Bay beaches and
learn about sea turtle biology, behavior,
and conservation.
23:30 PM; $10 M/$12 NM for adults and
children age 6 and older; pre-registration
required
Film Screening of Saving Sea Turtles: Preventing Extinction
This documentary film highlights the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of sea turtles that
washed up "cold-stunned" on the beaches of Cape Cod Bay in the fall of 2014 and
highlights the critical role Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary plays in rescuing cold-stunned
sea turtles.
45 PM; $5 M/$7 NM; this film is best-suited for ages 8 and older; pre-registration required
Reserve your space by calling 508-349-2615 or register online at massaudubon.org/wellfleetbay
Turtle Programs
In Search of Terrapin Hatchlings
Search for diamondback terrapin hatchlings and visit with terrapin research volunteers.
Tuesdays, September 5 and 12, 4:306 PM
Friday, September 8, 4:306 PM
Saturday, September 16, 4:306 PM
$10 M/$12 NM for adults and children age 8 and older; pre-registration required
Sea Turtle Patrol
Search for cold-stunned juvenile sea turtles stranded on Cape Cod Bay beaches and learn
about sea turtle biology, behavior, and conservation.
Saturday, November 18, 9:3011 AM
Saturday, November 25, 23:30 PM
$10 M/$12 NM for adults and children age 6 and older; pre-registration required
Reserve your space by calling 508-349-2615 or register online at massaudubon.org/wellfleetbay
Program Registration Policies
Pre-registration is required, unless otherwise noted. Drop-ins will be welcome if space
permits. For your personal identity protection, we do not accept registrations by fax or
email. Refunds are issued if cancellation is received at least 7 days before the program
begins. We reserve the right to change programs, schedule, and instructors and to cancel
programs due to low enrollment or unfavorable weather. If we cancel, you will receive a
full refund. Find expanded program descriptions and register online.
Nature Center Hours
Open Daily 8:30 AM5 PM through Columbus Day;
Closed Mondays after Columbus Day
Trail Hours
Daily 8 AMdusk
Nonmember Admission
$5/adult, $3/child ages 212 and seniors age 65 and older
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November 2017
4:30 In Search of Hatchlings
5:30 Moonrise Paddle
8 Banding and Birding
2:30 Tern Island Birding
8 Early Birds Walk
4:30 In Search of Hatchlings
8 Bird Research in Action!
4:30 In Search of Hatchlings
8 Banding and Birding
10 Kayak Wellfleet Kettle
Ponds
8 Early Birds Walk
9 Birding Forest Beach
8 Bird Research in Action!
1:30 Tern Island Birding
4:30 In Search of Hatchlings
8:30 Birding High Head
8 Early Birds Walk
8 Bird Research in Action!
1 Kayak Great Island
8 Early Birds Walk
8 Bird Research in Action!
9 Kayak Nauset Marsh
10:30 State of the Birds 3
3 In Search of Shorebirds
8 Early Birds Walk
5:30 Herons at Hemenway
8 Bird Research in Action!
10 Fascinating Fungi
1 Kayak Nauset Marsh
8 Early Birds Walk
8 Bird Research in Action!
Come visit our tent at
Oysterfest!
Come visit our tent at
Oysterfest!
8 Early Birds Walk
8 Bird Research in Action!
10 Exploring Bearberry Hill
8 Bird Research in Action!
8 Bird Research in Action!
8:30 Wellfleet Harbor
Conference
8 Bird Research in Action!
10:30 Seabird Cruise
9:30 Sea Turtle Patrol
2 Seabird Cruise
11 Sea Turtle Open House
2 Sea Turtle Patrol
4 Saving Sea Turtles:
Preventing Extinction
See summer program brochure
See summer program brochure
14th Annual State of Wellfleet Harbor Conference
at Wellfleet Elementary School
This annual conference focuses on distributing information about
current research and monitoring projects related to Wellfleet Harbor and
its watershed and identifying citizen concerns and questions about the
harbor's health.
Saturday, November 4, 8:30 AM1:30 PM
Free and open to the public; no registration required
8 Early Birds Walk
1 Kayak Tern Island
11 Cheep Eats: Red Knots
11: Cheep Eats: Wild Turkeys
6 Moonrise Hike at Coast
Guard Beach
10 In the Footsteps of
Thoreau
8 Early Birds Walk
10 Meet Salt
12 Kayak Pleasant Bay
Meet Salt: A Life-Sized Humpback Whale!
Join marine biologist Krill Carson for an opportunity to go inside a life-sized replica of Salt, the most
famous humpback whale. Step inside to discover her circulatory, respiratory, and digestive systems.
Sunday, October 8, 10 AMNoon; free with sanctuary admission; all ages welcome
3:30 Tern Island Birding
Haunted Forest
Celebrate Halloween by exploring our haunted pine forest after dark. You'll
be entertained and enlightened (but not scared) by the strange and
mysterious creatures you meet along the way. Wear your costume so you
won't be recognized by the things that go bump in the night! Walking tours
begin every fifteen minutes between 5:30 and 7:30 pm. This program is
recommended for children ages 3 through 12, but everyone is welcome.
Friday, October 27, 5:307:30 PM; $10 M/$12 NM for adults; $4 less for children
ages 312
5:30 Haunted Forest