It was quite a night!

Save Popponesset Bay and nearly 200 friends and neighbors attended the annual Summer Kickoff Event on July 11 at the Cabana Club. We had a chance to meet new neighbors, connect with old friends and enjoy delicious food and beverages.The sounds of It’s a ‘J’ Thing coupled with the beautiful Cabana Club venue made for a perfect evening.

This event is special as friends from Popponesset, Bright Coves, Popponesset Island and Summer Sea all gather to enjoy the evening but also celebrate the success of the past five years. In that time, SPB has made great strides to re-build the Popponesset Spit, build a stronger alliance with Mass Audubon, collaborate with the Town of Mashpee, and live up to our mission statement to protect the Spit and help maintain the waterways in and around Popponesset Bay.

A big thank you to all our supporters whose contributions, large and small, finance our work. We have begun the second phase of the project with a focus on expanding the outer channel with recent agreements signed and impact studies underway. We couldn’t have accomplished what we have, or our future plans without your help.

We hope more friends and neighbors attend our summer kick-off event next year as it is one of the best gatherings of the summer.

A few shout-outs to those who contributed: Caroline Malloy spearheaded the event from invitations to the excellent band, wonderful raffle prizes, the décor and all the details in between. Talia Cramer handled the social media efforts. Both are terrific leaders! We are grateful for all that they do and encouraged to see the “next generation” getting involved!

Thank you to our corporate sponsors: Tim Leedham and Bosuns Marina, and Chris Burden and New Seabury Marina and Sotheby’s/New Seabury Sotheby’s International Realty.

Thank you to all the raffle item donors and event volunteers. It all contributed to an excellent evening.

Enjoy the summer!

Winter 2019 sand and grass work completed on the Spit:

Our winter project for this phase of the Spit re-construction was completed last month.  We trucked in 10,000 cubic yards of sand, 8,500 for the eastern side closest to Audubon’s land and 1,500 to repair damage on the western side at the foot of Popponesset Island. We also had grass planted on the eastern side to anchor the sand. The resiliency of the Spit has been improved dramatically, especially along the middle section where it was extremely vulnerable.

We also had a nice, low-profile, hummocky dune built at the entrance to the Spit and installed a dense grass array to deter people from walking on the dune. There is a clear pathway, outlined with grass on both sides.  In the spring we will look at whether we need to add symbolic fencing (stakes and twine) for the walking paths.

Outer channel:

We continue to work with Woods Hole Group and the Town of Mashpee for permitting of the outer channel to improve boating safety, while also providing a critical source of near-term and long-term dredged sand. This permitting process will continue through 2019.

Grant applications:

In 2019, we will continue to pursue grant opportunities including the MA Coastal Zone Management (CZM) and other funding groups which we follow.

With each public funding application, the State emphasizes the importance of the breadth of our private donor base.  We appreciate all contributions, large and small.  Without your support, we could not have accomplished what we have over the past four years.

Thank you:

We thank you for your continued support and hope you will consider a tax-deductible contribution to Save Popponesset Bay in 2019.  SPB is an all-volunteer organization.  We accept and encourage corporate matching gifts.

Please go to: www.savepopponessetbay.org/donate or mail your donation to SPB, Box 920757, Needham MA 02492.