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Closed to visitors while heavy machinery excavated sand and removed man-made irrigation structures, the former cranberry bog site along Acushnet Road was formally re-opened in a public event on Nov. 25.

Under clear skies and a setting sun, Buzzards Bay Coalition staff convened with their partners, including those from the US Department of Agriculture, the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration, and the Town of Mattapoisett to celebrate the successful collaboration and what the future will bring.

This comprehensive community improvement includes freshwater wetlands that benefit natural vegetation and wildlife, fish and wildlife passage along Tripps Mill Brook (a tributary of the Mattapoisett River), turtle nesting habitat, and floodplain connectivity. Most importantly, it will help protect the public drinking water supply for the towns of Marion, Mattapoisett, Fairhaven and Rochester.

The site can be enjoyed by visitors who can traverse the groomed paths that provide varied views of the natural flora and fauna. The paths connect with eight miles of trails throughout the entire 600-acre Mattapoisett River Reserve, a network of conservation properties the Coalition and its partners have worked to protect.

This ecological restoration project was designed in conjunction with GZA Engineering and partners at the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration (MA DER) and USDA-NRCS. Restoration was performed by Luciano’s Excavation, Inc. of Taunton. Funding for the restoration project has been made possible by the USDA-NRCS, MA DER, MA Department of Conservation & Recreation’s Recreational Trails Program, the Massachusetts Environmental Trust, and BBC supporters.

The Coalition often buys property with a few buildings scattered about that are in such disrepair that they have to be demolished. Before the demolition takes place, the structure can serve various purposes. The Acushnet fire department over the course of a number of days in November and December practiced fire suppression and management tactics they use when fighting structure fires on one such building on land purchased earlier this year abutting our Keating Woods Reserve along the Acushnet River. Firefighters were instructed what to look for and where to use chainsaws and sawzalls to cut holes in the walls and roof to vent smoke and fire.

Stay tuned for much more on this exciting new property on the Acushnet River…

Last winter, the Buzzards Bay Coalition acquired the Douglass family’s Christmas tree farm on Sconticut Neck in Fairhaven. The plan is to preserve the farmland to safeguard water quality and coastal habitats and preserve the scenic beauty of “The Neck.”

This holiday season, we offered the gift of a large tree from the farm to the town halls in our Buzzards Bay watershed. Falmouth, Carver, Wareham, and Fairhaven took us up on the offer.

An additional 100 six-foot trees that the Coalition cut down will be sold for $50 apiece to the public on Saturday, December 7 from 11 am to 3 pm. Staff will be on-hand at Sconticut Neck just south of Shipyard Farm in Fairhaven with some holiday cheer and to help those buying a tree. All proceeds support the Coalition’s work.

Fifty-five years ago, Woods Hole scientists John and Mildred Teal’s Life and Death of the Salt Marsh motivated a generation of coastal citizens and lawmakers to advocate for arguably the most important ecosystem in a seaside region. The Coalition has re-released the breakthrough text as the salt marsh’s worst threat—climate change—looms large.

Mark Rasmussen, President of the Buzzards Bay Coalition, wrote this edition’s foreword and notes that today two-thirds of the value of the commercial catch of fish and shellfish landed on the East Coast of the United States comes from species that live at least part of their life cycle in the marsh-estuaries. What’s more, climate change-driven sea level rise is drowning salt marshes in place at an alarming rate.

“Of Buzzards Bay’s nearly 5,000 acres of saltmarsh, approximately 7% of them—were lost between 2001 and 2019,” says Rasmussen. These new data come from twelve study sites—from Westport to Falmouth—featuring a wide range of marsh configurations. Some marshes studied, like those on Mattapoisett Neck, saw dramatic losses of 23% of their area.

One of Rasmussen’s first jobs was spent delivering the Coalition water quality samples from around the Bay and filtering them for nutrient analysis. “I also helped to spread fertilizer onto experimental plots in the Great Sippewissett salt marsh—a long-term study which John Teal helped start and maintain,” he says. Rasmussen was assigned Life and Death of the Salt Marsh in his first college Ecology class.

This hardcover edition boasts a new cover visual designed by Mattapoisett-based designer Hannah Haines; paintings for the cover were donated by Peter Stone of Marion. Copies of the book are available for purchase at Davol’s General Store in Dartmouth, The Drawing Room in New Bedford, Eight Cousins in Falmouth, Partners Village Store in Westport, and Bunch of Grapes in Vineyard Haven. You can also purchase it through the Coalition website www.savebuzzardsbay.org/books.

The recently opened Salt Winds Trail at the Coalition’s nine-acre Salt Winds Farm in Fairhaven offers visitors a short but scenic 0.3-mile walk through diverse landscapes. Starting in an open grass field, the trail passes through a section of maritime forest, a salt marsh, and ends at the beach.

Visitors can enjoy the wildflowers scattered across the field and the beautiful stone walls that line the property. Keep an eye out for a pair of Great Horned Owls, often spotted in the woods. The salt marsh provides a glimpse into one of the area’s vital coastal ecosystems before the trail leads to the beach which provides open views across the Bay to the west.

WOODS HOLE, MA – On Sunday, October 6, 322 riders enjoyed the Buzzards Bay Watershed Ride with perfect sunny and mild fall conditions. This annual fundraising event has become a cherished tradition, bringing together cyclists from all over Massachusetts, Rhode Island and beyond to raise over $338,000 to advance the mission of the Buzzards Bay Coalition.

Participants chose from 100, 75 or 35-mile course lengths that led them past coastal farmlands, windswept beaches, cranberry bogs, and scenic harbors between Rhode Island and Upper Cape Cod.

Riders from all three courses were met by cheering crowds at the finish line in Woods Hole, and enjoyed a vibrant finish celebration featuring delicious food, beer from Westport’s Buzzards Bay Brewing, and live music provided by Falmouth favorite Puffy Elvis.

The top fundraisers were Geoff Sullivan of Fairhaven, who raised a total of $23,255, Lizanne Campbell of Mattapoisett, who raised a total of $10,950, followed by Will Saltonstall of Marion, who raised a total of $10,575.

The top fundraising teams were the South Coast Bikeway team, who raised $42,516 and the Sippican Sailors, who raised $73,900, including a very generous matching gift.

The 2025 Watershed Ride will take place on October 5.

The Buzzards Bay Watershed Ride is one of two signature outdoor fundraising events hosted by the Coalition. The other is the Buzzards Bay Swim, a scenic 1.2-mile point-to-point open water swim from New Bedford to Fairhaven set for June 28, 2025.

As more than 2,000 land conservation professionals from across the country gathered for the annual Land Trust Rally held in Providence in late September, participants had the opportunity to explore the remote beauty of Cuttyhunk Island during a special day trip organized by Buzzards Bay Coalition. The island, the outermost of the Elizabeth Islands off the coast of southeastern Massachusetts, serves as a living example of the power of conservation partnerships.

Cuttyhunk’s future was secured through a collaborative effort from 2018 to 2022, led by the Coalition, alongside federal, state, and local partners. Over $6.2 million was raised to purchase 68 acres of precious island habitats, protecting them from potential development. This success story was further amplified when a private landowner contributed a 230-acre conservation restriction, bringing the total preserved land to nearly 70% of the island.

Fifty Rally attendees enjoyed a scenic cruise across Buzzards Bay to reach the island, where they hiked its rolling trails, explored shorebird management areas, and visited an oyster aquaculture farm. The trip to Cuttyhunk was a perfect complement to the Rally’s discussions on sustainable conservation practices and community collaboration, highlighting the real-world impact of their collective efforts.

In a difficult and heartbreaking decision, the 31st Annual Buzzards Bay Swim, scheduled for June 22nd, was cancelled due to heavy rain. The downpour on the night before the event triggered discharges from New Bedford’s combined sewer overflow (CSO) pipes into the Outer Harbor, where the swim was set to take place.

This decision, though disappointing for the swimmers, volunteers, and staff, was necessary to ensure the safety of all participants.

A Call for Federal Action on CSOs

While the City of New Bedford has invested nearly half a billion dollars over the past 29 years to upgrade its wastewater infrastructure, the issue of Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs) remains a persistent problem. Despite these significant improvements and a much cleaner Harbor than when the swim began in 1993, the CSO discharges during storms pose ongoing risks.

Recognizing the increasing urgency of this issue, Buzzards Bay Swim participants are rallying to advocate for solutions. Along with the community of current and past swimmers, the Buzzards Bay Coalition has sent a letter to the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation, calling for greater attention to the issue and increased federal funding to address CSOs.

The Growing Threat of Climate Change

This was the first time in the event’s 31-year history that the swim was cancelled due to CSO-related pollution, but it likely won’t be the last. With the increasing frequency and intensity of storms due to climate change, the chances of future CSO-related cancellations will continue to rise unless permanent solutions are implemented.

The cancelation serves as a stark reminder of the fragility of Buzzards Bay’s health and the need for continued action to protect it. The Coalition’s advocacy is part of a broader mission to secure cleaner waterways, not just for recreational swimmers but for the ecosystems and communities that depend on them.

Despite the setback, the swimmers and their supporters remain committed to the cause. Their dedication to cleaner water highlights the importance of federal involvement in securing long-term investments to fix outdated wastewater infrastructure and prevent future overflows.