Upcoming events
First Day Hike
Start the New Year among friends of the land by taking a hike with the NLC through the Mashpee River Woodlands.
How Tribal nations are leading the way in climate change adaptation, planning and resiliance
Join us to hear from Mashpee Wampanoag citizen and scientist Dr. Casey Thornbrugh who will speak about how tribal nations are addressing climate change.
Wampanoag historian Linda Coombs
Aquinnah Wampanoag historian and culture keeper Linda Coombs will speak on her tribal history and the myths of Thanksgiving as she introduces her new book, Colonization and the Wampanoag Story.
Indigenous teachings with the elements
Indigenous Teaching with the Elements: Air, Earth, Water and Fire. Come see this four-part mini-documentary series at the Cotuit Center for the Arts.
Native land conservancy 12th Annual Meeting
The Native Land Conservancy 12th Annual Meeting will celebrated the achievements of the Indigenous land trust over the last year and share the evening with the board, officers and members of The Compact of Cape Cod.
Wampanoag Convening
All of Wampanoag Nation is invited to this convening on the Wampanoag Common Lands to camp, feast, and celebrate on this land held in care by the Native Land Conservancy for the exclusive use of Wampanoag people.
NLC summer fellow symposium
Four summer fellows will share their experiences with up to 35 NLC members and friends. Registration required.
Wampanoag common lands bioblitz 2024
Please join the Native Land Conservancy (NLC) as we observe and monitor plants and animals on the Wampanoag Common Lands (WCL) in Kingston, Massachusetts for the 2nd annual BioBlitz, a gathering of professional and citizen scientists to collect biodiversity data.
Land Care Day - Wampanoag Common Lands
Please note that this event has been postponed to our rain date, Thursday, July 25th. This land care event will support NLC in the effort to maintain trails and campsites, and remove invasive species on the Wampanoag Common Lands.
Enter the edible landscape with russ cohen
The NLC will be hosting an afternoon ramble through the Mashpee River Reservation, where we are expecting to encounter at least 18 edible species. The walk will be guided by Russ Cohen, author of the book Wild Plants I Have Known…and Eaten, who, for each edible species encountered, will share plant identification tips, info on edible portion(s), season(s) of availability and preparation methods, as well as guidelines for safe, ethical and environmentally-responsible foraging.
Land Care Day
Join us at our Simpkins Bog property to help maintain the trails and construct a new bridge that will make the site more accessible for all.
Honor the Ocean
Andrea will share stories of our connections to the ocean locally and globally that unify us in the mission to support healthy oceans that are important for us all.
Land Care Day
Grab a rake or shovel and join the spring clean-up crew who will be working to prepare the grounds of our Cotuit cottage to welcome this season’s NLC fellows.
Nurturing Outdoor Spaces with Indigenous Plantings:
Conventional landscaping practices disconnect people from nature. Learn how to reimagine your yard in an environmentally friendly way.
Taste of the Earth Cooking Contest
One way to Honor the Earth is to recognize a food philosophy that emphasizes respect for life while nourishing the body, mind, and soul by connecting with nature through plant-based food. This contest embraces that idea while challenging foodies to be creative in the quest to satiate the pallet and be kind to the planet.
Cooks of every skill level are invited to participate in the Taste of the Earth (TOTE) culinary competition sponsored by WCAI and hosted by Elspeth Hay of the Local Food Report. Chefs will enter their absolute best original plant-based dish for the ultimate prize of an original clay pot trophy created by Ramona Peters. Contestants must complete an online registration form before the deadline of 4 pm on Monday, April 14, 2024. Prizes will also be awarded to 2nd and 3rd-place winners.
Click to see the rules and register as a Chef Contestant: TOTE
Honor the Earth Fair
Come join the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and the Native Land Conservancy as we celebrate Earth Day from the indigenous perspective. There will be exhibits and activities for all ages to demonstrate the best practices for living in balance with nature including rescuing, preserving, and protecting our shared home.
Nature Walk with Chiefie
Earl “Chiefie” Mills Jr. will lead a nature walk through the pine barrens, wetlands, and cedar swamps that surround the Mashpee Wampanoag reservation. The tour will feature diverse characteristics of the land in its natural state as well as land impacted as a result of man’s influence to develop bogs and also areas that have been managed by controlled burns.
Rescheduled Land Care Day
This event has been rescheduled from April 11 due to inclement weather.
Indigenous teachings with the elements
NLC is excited to premier the third in a series of four videos on the Indigenous Teachings with the Elements, “Air” featuring the Earth Mother’s Four Winds.
A screening will be held at the NLC headquarters at 2B Center Street, Mashpee, on Friday February 2, from 6 to 8 pm.
This mini-documentary produced and directed by Leslie Jonas, is designed to enhance one’s connection to the world including practices that connect people on a deeper level with the natural world and provide guidance to living closer to the earth. Prior to screening Air, the first two videos, “Earth” and “Water,” which premiered last spring will be shown. The run time for all three videos is just under 35 minutes.
The final video, “Fire” will be completed later this year. The series was funded by the Island foundation. Light refreshments will be served. Seating is limited.
Dune Shack Lottery Applications Due Today
A unique opportunity to spend a week of uninterrupted solitude and refuge in the dunes of the Cape Cod National Seashore is being offered exclusively to one Native American artist/writer to be chosen by lottery.
The Provincetown Community Compact is collaborating with NLC to offer the 2024 Native American Dune Shack Residency, October 26 to November 2nd. Interested applicants must use this link to apply by January 15.
The winner will be selected by the Native Land Conservancy to stay in the C-Scape Dune Shack. The Dune Shacks are primitive and have no electricity or indoor plumbing but afford access to sandy shores, marshes, ponds and diverse species of plant and wildlife. Located in the ancestral homelands of the Wampanoag, they are considered rare and fragile architectural shelters deemed historically significant as a resource for the development of American art, literature and recreation over the last century.
First Day Hike
Join the Native Land Conservancy for a First Day Hike at the Mashpee River Woodlands. Use the southern parking lot on Mashpee Neck Road where you will be welcomed by Gail Melix, NLC Board Member, and member of the Herring Pond Wampanoag Tribe to share her indigenous perspective of the land, and NLC Executive Director Diana Ruiz, PhD to share her knowledge as a conservation scientist. Difficulty level: Easy
Contact information: Diana Ruiz, Diana@NativeLandConservancy.org, 508-477-1361
Debunking the Season: The Truth About Thanksgiving
Mashpee Wampanoag historian Paula Peters talks about 17th century colonialism and how the myth inspired Thanksgiving holiday distorts and marginalizes the history of her people.
