Pulling weeds? Lugging oyster seed? Explaining algae to kids? AmeriCorps Cape Cod is 25

Merrily Cassidy, Cape Cod Times
·2 min read
AmeriCorps Cape Cod members Grace Vachon, left, and Savannah Gray work together on July 11 in Mashpee to fill sand bags in the Quashnet River to be used for erosion control in another spot in the waterway. They were working with service partner Francis Smith of Trout Unlimited.
AmeriCorps Cape Cod members Grace Vachon, left, and Savannah Gray work together on July 11 in Mashpee to fill sand bags in the Quashnet River to be used for erosion control in another spot in the waterway. They were working with service partner Francis Smith of Trout Unlimited.

A small green and white sign hangs on the fence at the garden behind the Family Pantry of Cape Cod in Harwich: “Thank you AmeriCorps Cape Cod.”

The sign recognizes the hours of work by AmeriCorps Cape Cod members who have — year after year — helped to ready the gardens in the spring and returned in the fall to put the nonprofit's gardens to bed.

It’s a recognition that could be hung in all 15 towns on Cape Cod where members work with municipal officials and nonprofits.

Eighteen members make up the 25th AmeriCorps Cape Cod cohort. The local program is supported by Barnstable County and the federal AmeriCorps agency. Sworn in this past September, the members completed five weeks of training before their service schedule started in mid-October.

What does AmeriCorps do on Cape Cod?

On Cape Cod, members help to remove invasive species in conservation areas. They clear herring runs and work with shellfish departments to grow oysters. They help with disaster preparedness and work with young students to understand the importance of water quality. They work through rain, the cold winter months and hot and humid summer days.

They work hard.

Very hard.

AmeriCorps Cape Cod member Leeza Barstein helps prepare an area for planting on June 12 at Bismore Park in Hyannis. The members worked with the town of Barnstable to plant 125 plants around the park and 85 mint plants around the artist shanties, said Alice Marcus Krieg, a grants coordinator for the town of Barnstable.
AmeriCorps Cape Cod member Leeza Barstein helps prepare an area for planting on June 12 at Bismore Park in Hyannis. The members worked with the town of Barnstable to plant 125 plants around the park and 85 mint plants around the artist shanties, said Alice Marcus Krieg, a grants coordinator for the town of Barnstable.

By the time their service ended July 25, Year 25 members had dedicated more than 30,000 hours on Cape Cod. These hours, in addition to the hours that 585 alumni before them have completed, total more than one million hours served since the program started in 1998. The work is estimated to have provided more than $26 million in value to the region, according to the organization.

Cape Cod Times photographer Merrily Cassidy made 21 visits to Cape Cod projects and events, from October to July.

To see photos from the work of Year 25 members, go to www.capecodtimes.com.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: AmeriCorps Cape Cod at 25 years: Hard work in rain, cold, sticky heat