The vision and mission of the AmeriCorps Cape Cod program is to offer a diverse group of trained adults an 11-month, full time, residential living opportunity serving the critical environmental and disaster preparedness needs of the fifteen towns within Barnstable County.
Conservation & Land Use
Who We Are
A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science found that nature conservation could provide over one-third of the emission reductions needed to help keep the average global temperature from increasing by two degrees. Nature will play a critical role in our actions to address climate change by providing a two-for-one solution to reduce the impacts of rapid climate change — as the places we protect and restore both store carbon and help people and nature adapt to our changing climate.
We are land trust members, ecologists, climate scientists, regional and municipal planners, property owners, park managers, nonprofit leaders, students, natural resources administrators, gardeners, teachers, conservation commission members, farmers, county administrators, hikers…and, of course, tree huggers. We value and work to preserve, conserve, and improve the open space and natural resources of the Cape Cod region.
We are a new network and welcome your contributions and questions. Contact capecodclimate@gmail.com for more information.
Programs & Partners
Association to Preserve Cape Cod
The mission of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, APCC, is to preserve, protect and enhance the natural resources of Cape Cod. APCC is the region’s leading nonprofit environmental organization, working for the adoption of laws, policies and programs that protect and enhance Cape Cod’s natural resources and quality of life.
Cape Cod Commission
The Cape Cod Commission is the regional land use planning, economic development, and regulatory agency created in 1990 to serve the citizens and 15 towns of Barnstable County, Massachusetts. The Cape Cod Commission’s mission is to protect the unique values and quality of life on Cape Cod by coordinating a balanced relationship between environmental protection and economic progress.
What We Do
We promote, connect, and collaborate with individuals and organizations working to preserve open space, conserve habitat, provide recreational access, protect water quality, promote sustainable agriculture and natural resource management, and protect the fragile environment of the Cape & Islands region.
We accomplish this by sharing tools, resources, information, and inspiration to:
- Connect climate-literate audiences with conservation campaigns, initiatives, and organizations
- Help build the capacity of the conservation community by promoting mission-aligned work
- Host workshops, forums, and educational events to illuminate the connections between conservation, land use and climate change mitigation and resilient communities
- Advocate for the use of healthy landscapes and ecosystems as natural and efficient carbon sinks, storing carbon in plants and soils
- Protect, conserve, and restore tracts of land with trees, grasses, marshland, and shrubs
- Advocate for federal, state, regional and local policies affecting private landowners and promoting natural climate solutions
- Promote smart growth and sound land use policies, programs and initiatives that lead to sound and sustainable development
- Help build communities resilient to the effects of climate change by preserving and protecting resilient habitats
- Oppose development practices including deforestation, inappropriate building or utility siting, and poorly planned growth that will contribute to significant greenhouse gas emissions
- Safeguard clean water
- Promote the economic benefits associated with tourism based on a flourishing and sustainable natural environment
- Improve health outcomes by connecting people with natural systems