Our first annual Honor the Earth Fair event was a huge success with more than 30 vendor exhibitors and more than 350 attendees. NLC partnered with the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe’s Natural Resources Department to host the event in the tribal community center to celebrate Earth Day.

There were dozens of cultural and environmental displays promoting respect for the Earth and strategies to sustain ecosystems critical to a healthy planet. Several exhibitors included activities for children who got to make necklaces out of wood and plant seeds to take home for their gardens.

The Neesh La Singers and Dancers performed powwow-style dances as their dad, Cameron Greendeer explained powwow etiquette and the meaning of different dances and various forms of regalia.

Emily Diamond of the University of Rhode Island spoke about the dangers of polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and how to reduce “forever” chemicals from our ecosystem. She was followed by NLC Executive Director Diana Ruiz who spoke about the benefits of a plant-based diet to humans and the planet by reducing the high amount of carbon produced by the livestock industry.

The Taste of the Earth cooking contest was sponsored by CAI, featuring Elspeth Hay of the Local Food Report as the master of ceremonies. Nine local chefs brought their culinary best to the judging table using only plant-based foods in their recipes. The contest was a delicious and beautiful smorgasbord of dishes from an Eastham turnip stew, to a wild foraged pesto, to an Indigenous power bowl featuring wild rice, squash and beans, kale and fiddlehead ferns, and strawberry chutney that took first place for Mashpee Wampanoag chef Sherry Pocknett!

A special kutâputanamo (thank you) goes out to our volunteers who came in teams from the Waquoit Congregational Church, the First Parish Brewster UU, and the Faith Communities Environmental Network.

Pavilion raised on WCL

A new 32-foot open-air pavilion was erected on the Wampanoag Common Lands in May that will provide a unique space for events, activities, and ceremonies.

The pavilion is the design and construction of TimberHomes Vermont featuring massive beams and rafters of spruce and ash in their organic form that are evocative of the natural surroundings in the tranquil woodlands of the common lands. A dozen rafters in a complex geometrical reciprocating pattern uphold the roof without the need for any interior central support. A team of NLC volunteers also worked on the construction shingling a portion of the roof. The pavilion is now available to shelter Wampanoag visitors to the land. Individuals or groups of Wampanoag people interested in visiting the land for recreation, cultural or spiritual ceremony may contact NLC.

NLC Welcomes first land care manager

In March we welcomed Earl “Chiefie” Mills Jr. to the NLC team as our first Land Care Manager and while he is only working part-time, he has already made a significant impact on day-to-day operations from directing land restoration projects to visiting potential new land holdings. A lifelong Cape Codder, Chiefie recently retired after a 32-year United States Postal Service career. As a young man, he studied agriculture at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and earned a degree in plant and soil sciences from the Stockbridge School. He is an enthusiastic gardener who pursues a passion for wild and cultivated plants with a particular interest in indigenous plants. A citizen of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, Chiefie has been a member of the American Indian Movement since 1973. He is a former chairman and board member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and was recently asked to serve as the tribe’s Chief. A father of three and grandfather of three Chiefie lives in Mashpee. We are fortunate to benefit from his wealth of knowledge and influence on our team and land.

Speakers lend knowledge on land and sea

NLC has been fortunate to host several experts for our ongoing programs that support our mission to protect and preserve the earth.

In May we invited Cape Cod horticulturalist, garden designer and conservationist Bob Hoxie to give a presentation on Nurturing Outdoor Spaces with Indigenous Plantings. Bob, owner of Great Hill Horticultural Services in Sandwich, talked about how indigenous plantings can make the gardening experience much simpler and create a much healthier ecosystem.

On June 8th we recognized World Oceans Day by having Community Scientist and Ocean Stewart, Dr. Andrea Bogomolni speak on how important the ocean is to sustain the planet and all of us. She talked about how new fishing strategies are protecting marine mammals in the sea by preventing entanglement. She credits the Marine Mammal Protection Act which is celebrating its 50th year with such innovations and impacts that have allowed the seal population to rebound. It is evidence, she said, that actions we take as human beings can make a big difference. Having studied seals extensively throughout her career, Andrea was part of a team that created a traveling exhibit, Seals and Society, that will be on display for the month of July at the National Marine Life Center in Buzzards Bay.

Earlier this month naturalist and wild food enthusiast Russ Cohen led a tour in the Mashpee River Woodlands where he introduced dozens of species of edible plants. Russ shared tips on recognizing plants, what parts are edible, and when to harvest plants including berries like barberry, black raspberry, Juneberry, and elderberry, also nuts from the white oak, sweet fern that makes a great tea and insect repellant, and familiar plants like the milkweed that is edible in three stages of growth. Russ even threw in a bit of history. Did you know that sassafras not only makes a great tea but was a much-desired import of European visitors in the 17th century who believed it had healing properties for syphilis? The tour finished with a taste of Russ’ homemade black birch twig tea and black walnut honey squares from recipes in his book; “Wild Plants I Have Known . . . and Eaten.”