Programs Blog

Tuesday, March 4th 

Location: SEA Campus, Falmouth, MA 

Weather:  33 degrees F, Cloudy, Light wind 

Hi! My name is Charlotte and I’m a junior at Mount Holyoke College studying Biology and Environmental studies.  

For the Saturday of our first weekend at the SEA campus, we headed out on a short hike to The Knob. The Knob is a 12-acre piece of land donated by Cornelia Carey in the early 1970s to Salt Pond Areas Bird Sanctuaries. Its narrow neck juts out where Quissett Harbor meets Buzzards Bay.  

Quissett Harbor is quiet at this time of year, with the yacht club house closed for the season, and just one boat bobbing in the harbor. But it’s easy to imagine the harbor alive with the comings and goings of sail boats during the summer months. The water is calm in the harbor, protected by the narrow strip of land jutting out just beyond it. Even on this chilly March morning, the small parking lot at the entrance of the preserve is relatively full.  

As we follow the dirt path along The Knob’s narrow neck, we enjoy the stunning views of the Quisset Harbor and Buzzards Bay on either side of us. The neck is protected by large boulders on either side that were added first on a small scale by Cornelia Carey prior to donating the land. As the land was donated for conservation, she wanted to preserve the area to be enjoyed by generations to come. The boulders, also known as revetment, protect the land against erosion from the wind and waves, and have undergone several expansive renovations and re-armorings since their original installation in 1973. There have also been efforts to plant native grasses and plants to help protect against erosion. These conservation efforts have been a collaboration between Salt Pond Area Bird Sanctuaries, Quissett Harbor Preservation Trust and the Quissett Harbor House Land Trust.  

We arrived at the end of The Knob, and enjoyed the stunning 360 degree views while snacking on chocolate and clementines. We then dispersed, equipped with our journals and art supplies to explore the preserves walking trails and beaches. I took the time to sit at the end of The Knob looking out over the water and reflect on our whirlwind of first couple days of orientation and classes. I also benefitted from Brigette’s birding knowledge (which is much superior to mine) as we traded her binoculars back and forth and she pointed out the different species of ducks, gulls, and even a loon feeding in the bay.  

We then meandered down to the beach to pick through rocks and shells in search of intertidal treasures. We found a variety of snails, muscles, and other unidentified critters before meeting back up with the rest of the group. We were never alone on the trail, passing groups walking their dogs and out with their kids. 

Upon returning to the larger group, we found everyone gathered around a dead bird, a surf scoter, that Rich had found. Upon some google sleuthing, we learned that there is currently some testing being done to determine the causes of abnormally high bird mortality rates that have been recently observed around Cape Cod. Rich examined the bird as he talked us through possible explanations for the phenomenon.  

We then returned to the SEA campus and had a highly successful first grocery shopping trip followed by a fun night of Contra dancing at the Woods Hole Community Hall.   

Shout outs: 

To Mom, Dad, Ollie, and Mewsey: Hi! I miss you guys! And I hope all is well in New York.  

To Carly, Eliza, Anna, Liv, and Dekyi (and the rest of the MHC family): I hope your semesters are going well so far! I miss you guys, eat lots of croissants for me. 

To Bella and the Ireland crew: I’m already missing Barcelona with you guys. Get some sleep and don’t forget to keep me updated on everything! 

Captions:

Walking out to The Knob, the point that pokes into Buzzards Bay; note the significant recent buttressing of the edges against storm surges. 

Gabi (left) and Brigitte, poke around the rocky beach to see what has survived the winter.