Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Natural Resources Department

09/18/2026

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞. 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞. 𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬. 🌿

The Mashpee Wampanoag Natural Resources Department is seeking Tribal members interested in helping guide two habitat restoration projects in Mashpee.

Participants will have meaningful opportunities to:
▪️ Share input on project plans and design considerations
▪️ Share Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and living stories of these places
▪️ Identify community priorities, concerns, and important features of the landscape
▪️ Provide feedback to help inform project planning and long-term stewardship

These sites are part of our shared homelands, and Tribal voices should help determine their future. No technical experience is necessary - your knowledge, experiences, stories, and connection to the land and water is what matters.

𝑰𝙛 𝙮𝒐𝙪 𝙖𝒓𝙚 𝙞𝒏𝙩𝒆𝙧𝒆𝙨𝒕𝙚𝒅 𝒊𝙣 𝙥𝒂𝙧𝒕𝙞𝒄𝙞𝒑𝙖𝒕𝙞𝒏𝙜, 𝒑𝙡𝒆𝙖𝒔𝙚 𝙘𝒍𝙞𝒄𝙠 𝙩𝒉𝙚 𝙡𝒊𝙣𝒌 𝒃𝙚𝒍𝙤𝒘.

𝗦𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗸
https://waquoitbayreserve.org/events/quashnet-river-community-engagement-restoration-site-walk

𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴
https://waquoitbayreserve.org/events/quashnet-river-community-engagement-meeting

If you would like to stay up to date on progress and events for the 𝙍𝙚𝙙 𝘽𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 project, you can register here:
https://waquoitbayreserve.org/coastal-training-programs/source-to-sea

08/28/2026

05/14/2026

This week, Natural Resources Department staff joined Weetumuw School students for two outdoor walks focused on learning from the land around us. 🌲🦌🌊

Along the way, students learned how to estimate the age of pine trees by counting whorls, explored the differences between moss and lichen, and quietly scouted the woods in hopes of spotting deer. The group also stumbled across an old stone wall, sparking conversations about the history of the land and those who walked it before us.

Eventually, we made our way to the bay, where students observed ospreys, seaweed, crustaceans, coastal erosion, and seagrass habitats while learning about the important role these ecosystems play in protecting the shoreline and supporting marine life.

We’re looking forward to continuing these walks with the students and spending more time exploring, learning, and connecting with the land in the weeks ahead.

05/13/2026

Over the past several months, I’ve had the honor of presenting on the work of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Natural Resources Department at a number of regional conferences and community events. One of the biggest themes throughout these presentations has been the importance of strong partnerships and meaningful Tribal community engagement in the work that we do.
I had the opportunity to present on the Mashpee River & Mill Pond Restoration Project at the EPA Tribal Leaders Summit & Environmental Conference, highlighting the Tribe’s commitment to ecological restoration, cultural preservation, and ensuring that Tribal voices remain at the center of the process. I also spoke at the NEIWPCC Conference about ongoing efforts to help protect sacred Santuit Pond through grants, collaboration, and science-based stewardship.
At the Cape Coastal Conference, I was honored to sit alongside fellow Tribal culture keepers to discuss climate resiliency efforts and the importance of incorporating Indigenous knowledge, partnerships, and community involvement into environmental work. I also had the privilege of recognizing many of our valued partners during opening remarks at the Tribe’s Honor the Earth Fair, and most recently provided updates to community members on the Tribe’s role in the Mashpee River & Mill Pond Restoration Project.
I’m incredibly proud of the work our department is doing and grateful for the partnerships, support, and community members who continue to help move these important efforts forward.

More to come,
Jason
𝘋𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳, 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘋𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵

04/23/2026

𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐏𝐄𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ~ 𝐏𝐔𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐂 𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 🌿

03/24/2026

8 spots left!

𝗣𝗢𝗛 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗪𝗧 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝟱-𝟴!

Scan the QR code or click the link below to register now!

𝙋𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚: Camp registration is on a 1st come, 1st served basis. Campers will be registered in the order that COMPLETED applications are received. We can accept 25 campers only - no exceptions!

https://forms.gle/EvLGCBKKpQ3JaASK9

03/19/2026

Early last year NRD was invited to visit the North Attleboro National Fish Hatchery to participate in a tour and shad propagation and release activities. We are looking forward to additional opportunities as the hatchery looks to expand their tribal outreach efforts in 2026, upholding the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s tribal trust responsibilities to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service upholds its trust responsibility to federally recognized tribes by protecting and conserving tribal resources, in part by fostering conservation relationships with tribes in their ancestral homelands. The partnership between the Service and tribal nations to collab...

03/11/2026

We’re excited to be co-hosting our 3𝒓𝒅 𝑨𝒏𝒏𝒖𝒂𝒍 𝑯𝒐𝒏𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑬𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝑭𝒂𝒊𝒓 with our friends and family at the Native Land Conservancy.

It’s a great opportunity to meet the many organizations and vendors doing important environmental work across our region. Stop by, ask questions, learn about what’s happening locally, and find ways you can get involved in protecting the lands and waters we all care about.

𝑯𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆!

03/06/2026

Contracted services are needed to provide Traditional Wampanoag Lunches for POH Campers and staff this summer! See below for more info 🌿

03/04/2026

We are deeply grateful to everyone who attended our recent Talking Circle to learn about the proposed Mill Pond dam removal and fish passage improvements along the Mashpee River.

The strong turnout and thoughtful participation clearly reflected how much this place means to our community. Thank you to all the Tribal members who shared memories, history, and personal connections to the pond and river, as well as your ideas and perspectives on design options moving forward. Your voices, experiences, and knowledge are essential, and they continue to guide how we approach this work.

We would also like to extend sincere thanks to our science partners for their dedication and hard work in helping to organize this event, and for their genuine willingness to listen, learn, and collaborate. Their commitment to honoring Tribal voices and incorporating community input into the final design is both meaningful and appreciated.

This Talking Circle was an important step in ensuring that restoration and infrastructure projects respect our history, our relationship to the river, and our vision for the future.

We are taking time to thoughtfully compile and reflect on the feedback shared by tribal community members. A high-level summary capturing the main themes and ideas will be shared in a follow-up. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.