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The Mashpee Environmental Coalition is a
non-profit
(501 C.3), membership directed, ecologically concerned organization dedicated
to area-wide coordination for the solution of local environmental problems.
MEC coordinates data gathering with local agencies and publishes a quarterly
newsletter.
"To provide a grassroots community problem solving infrastructure disseminating early identification and accurate threat analysis information.
This site navigates best from the "Table of Contents" page.
Residential Stormwater Primer (Return via browser "Back Button".)
View the Environmental Oversight Committee's "Residential Stormwater Primer".
You can help reduce the man-made nutrient contamination of our surface waters.
Officers
Ashumet Pond 
(photo
by Al Orlando)
Ed
Baker
President
Evelyn Buschenfeldt Vice President
Birgit Nelson Treasurer
Priscilla Theriault
Clerk
Directors
George Reichenbacher
Ray Bowman
John Harris
Tony Analetto (ex.o.)
Maxine Wolfset Jim Leonard
Al
Orlando
Peter White
Beverly Kane
The next MEC Board of Directors Meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 10,
2010 at The Mashpee Senior Center, 2:30 P.M.
Check out the High School's Solar
Panel electricity generation.
Go to http://www.fatspaniel.com
and click "Demos" then "Live Sites" then find Mashpee High School by surfing to
Cape Light Compact on that page or using the Edit-find utility for
"Mashpee".
Lawn Fertilizer Control
The "Friends of Santuit Pond" have forwarded a proposed law to control phosphorus content in lawn fertilizers to Senator O'Leary for consideration and sponsorship in the Massachusetts Legislature. The proposed law is similar to existing ones in States around the Great Lakes and the Chesapeake Bay area. Click here to view a copy of the draft legislation. With freshwater algae problems becoming more prevalent, this proposal should enjoy Cape-wide support.
Mashpee Environmental Coalition efforts to develop a "Land Stewards Corps" coordinated by the Town's Conservation Commission have been successful due in no small part to the cooperation and assistance of the Town Manager and the Conservation Commission.
This important initiative can utilize unlimited volunteers to be a "Presence on the Land" observing and reporting conditions via a check list once or twice a year.
This activity is a non-confrontational "stroll in the woods" that advises the Conservation Department about existing conditions and needs and helps maintain our valuable open space lands.
A kick-off Meeting was held on Monday, March 3rd, 2008, 7:00 P.M. at Mashpee Town Hall (Go to Town's Web Site to View Meeting). If you wish to volunteer but were unable to make the meeting, send an email to MEC with contact data and area preferences and we will follow up with Conservation. The program's "rocky start" is expected to show improvement with time and elimination of start-up problems.
This Mashpee River Picture was taken on May 8, 2007 about 1 mile upstream from the mouth.
The small whitish spots are clusters of tiny gas bubbles evidently emanating from the copious algae. The species are melosira and enteromorpha. In other areas along the river codium is also thriving.
Local TV Programming
Check Local Cable Community Channel 17 listings for environmentally related video presentations sponsored by the Coalition. Weekly programming schedules for channel 17 are carried on the channel itself and in the Mashpee Enterprise.
The MEC Board of Directors urges the public to stay up-to-date on the many activities targeted at the Estuaries problems. Wastewater infrastructure is today's magic pill that actually may be a solution.
The cost is high and there are many avenues to choose among. There is no doubt that the nutrient overload must be fixed. The right way is with an informed and involved public.
As information becomes available to MEC, Overall and non-wastewater planning will be covered on the "Nutrient Management" and the "Environmental Oversight Committee" pages while wastewater issues will be covered on the "Community Advisory" page.
Mashpee's "Environmental Oversight Committee"
This follow-on group for the Blue Ribbon Comprehensive Committee held its initial meeting on 8/16/07.
The Committee's responsibilities are to monitor the Town's Environmental Health and provide recommendations relating to ecological problems to the Board of Selectmen.
Committee membership and current activity status is available on the "Environmental Oversight" page.
The last Blue
Ribbon Status (click) available is for 11/9/06 and is retained for
historical reference.
Santuit Pond visit "Friends of Santuit Pond"
Santuit Pond September 13, 2006
Our 2009 Pond Health Monitoring Program is complete for another season of baselining the trophic health of our ponds. Santuit's nutrient overload problem remains . The algae causing this condition is believed to be strains that are capable of fixing nitrogen from the air and for some types producing toxins. The Town has recently funded a study to determine the problem source and identify remedial procedures. Click on the Study Schedule below for a brief view of the program.
The Mashpee Board of Health voted to identify the Blue Green algae problem in Santuit Pond a "Human Health Concern" on 12/17/2008
