Stewardship Plan - the Town of Dennis

Grassland: Locally on Cape Cod, the increased development of land has resulted in a huge
decline in grassland ecosystems. As a result of this decline in habitat, combined with the
remaining poor quality habitat, species populations that utilize grasslands have also declined.
Native grasses attract insects that small mammals and birds depend upon as a food source. If
grasslands are not maintained annually, the grasses are out competed by tree and shrub
growth, resulting in early successional woodlands. By introducing prescribed fire into this
habitat, woody growth is periodically stopped and grasses thrive.
Cape Cod Bird Club members surveyed the area in 2002-2004 to determine what species of
birds, butterflies and dragonflies were utilizing the area. An extensive list of these species was
compiled. It was recognized that Crowes Pasture was wintering habitat for 20-30 Eastern
Bluebirds; from this, the idea of establishing a nestbox trail was born. Six boxes were installed
in the spring of 2004 and others added in 2006 and 2008. Currently there are 12 (2011). The
Club organizes a team of trained monitors who visit the boxes at least once per week during
the nesting season from April through mid-August. Field notes are compiled for each visit and
entered into the Cornell NestWatch website where the results are available to researchers
studying cavity-nesting species of birds. Results of the nestbox survey are also posted on the
Cape Cod Bird Club’s website. During the nestbox monitoring season at least 40 species of
birds are seen nesting or foraging in Crowes Pasture, the surrounding woodlands, and salt
marshes. Many more utilize it during yearly migration and for winter habitat.
In addition to bluebirds, sparrows, swallows, wrens, and warblers have all been observed in
the grassland area. White tailed deer can also be seen foraging on the grasses and berries.
Listed Species
The adaptive habitat management of species and ecosystems undertaken by Dennis Natural
Resources has enabled a popular recreational destination to also be enjoyed and inhabited by
locally rare animal species. Limiting non-climate related stressors to species promotes
populations of rare species to continue to return year after year. Piping Plovers have
specifically become a high priority for the Natural Resources Department, employing seasonal
plover monitors each summer. Their duties include installing fencing, predator exclosures, and
observation and recording of breeding trends and behavior. This enables the department to
implement management actions that promote plover breeding or to discontinue actions that
have a mitigating effect to the bird’s population. Below is a table of recorded rare species
found at CPCA to date. When rare species are observed, Natural Resources staff reports the
findings to the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program.