Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Natural Resources Department

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.

03/02/2026

𝙁𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙪𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙖 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙗𝙖𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙝.

Several kids were able to hit the ice for ice fishing, while others experienced their very first rabbit hunts.

Many of us learned these skills from our elders, and we are proud to help lead the way for a new generation of Tribal youth. Some of our fondest memories were made on the ice and in the woods, and we hope to instill that same sense of excitement, confidence, and connection to the land in these kids.

A heartfelt thank you to our 𝗡𝗶𝗽𝗺𝘂𝗰 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 who welcomed us to fish on their homelands, and to our Mashpee Tribal parents and culture keepers who helped mentor and support our youth both on the ice and in the woods back home.

If you’d like more information about future hunting and fishing opportunities through the 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗽𝗲𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗮𝗴 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝗯𝗲 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, please click the link below.

https://forms.gle/GSA6PWL4SChNV5UD7

03/02/2026

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

02/03/2026

𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐝: 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐜𝐭 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝟑𝟏𝟗 𝐍𝐨𝐧𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧
The Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Natural Resources Department (NRD) has recently completed the Tribe’s Clean Water Act Section 319 Nonpoint Source (NPS) Management Plan. In accordance with EPA guidelines, NRD is required to hold a 30-day public comment period for the Tribal community before the plan is finalized.
This comment period is an opportunity for Tribal members to review the plan and share feedback that will help guide the Tribe’s work to protect and improve water quality, address nonpoint source pollution, and strengthen long-term stewardship across our lands and waters.

𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧
•https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59ca33c0f09ca4a9c58455a9/t/6981f1935aae8b5e6f3ab2d9/1770123667271/2026-01-20_MWT_NPS_ManagementProgramPlan_FINAL.pdf
•https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59ca33c0f09ca4a9c58455a9/t/6981f1a9a6ed77485fca0e62/1770123689816/2026-01-21_MWT_319_MgmtPlan_30_DayCommentPeriodNotice_V1.pdf

𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐝 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬
The 30-day comment period opened on Tuesday, February 3rd, and will close on Thursday, March 5th. Tribal members are encouraged to take part and submit comments during the 30-day window. Your input is important and will help ensure the plan reflects community priorities and Tribal stewardship values.