Cape Cod Cooperative Extension

06/05/2026

Dennis residents: Household Hazardous Waste Collection is this Saturday!

Time to check under the sink, dig through the garage, and finally deal with those half-used cans, bottles, and containers you've been meaning to get rid of.

🗓 Saturday, June 6
🕘 9 AM to 1 PM
📍 Tony Kent Arena, Dennis

Bring eligible items such as:
🎨 Oil paints and solvents
🚗 Automotive and marine products
🧴 Household cleaners
🌱 Lawn and garden chemicals
🌡 Mercury-containing items

Proper disposal helps protect Cape Cod's drinking water and keeps hazardous materials out of our landfills, waterways, and neighborhoods.

✨ Bonus: Safe disposal also helps protect first responders. During fires, floods, and other emergencies, improperly stored chemicals can become dangerous or even explosive.

⚠️ Not everything is accepted. Before you load up the car, check your town's brochure and accepted items list.

👉 Visit www.loveyourlocalwater.org for collection details, accepted materials, and more information.

Let's clear the clutter and protect the Cape we love. 💙

06/04/2026

We love seeing local partnerships rise to the occasion.

A big shoutout to Erik Gura and the team at Pie in the Sky for helping launch the baking program that became part of the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office's Answering the Knead initiative.

Erik helped teach baking skills to participants in the culinary program, and today those skills are helping produce fresh baked goods that are distributed through community partners across Cape Cod.

Cape Cod Cooperative Extension is proud to help coordinate the distribution network that connects these baked goods to food pantries and organizations serving community members experiencing food insecurity.

Thank you to Pie in the Sky, the Sheriff's Office, and all of the partners working together to make a difference, one batch at a time.

📸 We're especially happy to see our Food Access Coordinator, Andrea Scarpellini, helping connect this work from the kitchen to the community.

In news that’s almost as cool as DJ Pei (okay, nothing’s as cool as DJ Pei), Pie is proud to share that in 2025 our very own GM Erik Gura began a Community Cooking program at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility teaching inmates how to bake and make pastries!

recently did a great write-up on how the program has grown and expanded and the way it’s giving back to the Cape Cod community by addressing food insecurity locally!

Further proof that baked goods are world and life-changing 😘

Photography by Todd Marcus 🍞

06/03/2026

Outer Cape residents: Your Household Hazardous Waste Collection is this Saturday!

If you've been meaning to clean out the garage, basement, shed, or under the sink, now's the time.

🗓 Saturday, June 6
🕘 9 AM to Noon
📍 Wellfleet Transfer Station

This collection is open to residents of:
✔️ Provincetown
✔️ Truro
✔️ Wellfleet

Bring items such as:
🎨 Oil paints and solvents
🚗 Automotive and marine products
🧴 Household cleaners
🌱 Lawn and garden chemicals
🌡 Mercury-containing items

Proper disposal helps protect Cape Cod's drinking water and keeps potentially dangerous materials out of the trash.

⚠️ Before you load up the car, check what's accepted and what's not. Visit www.loveyourlocalwater.org for your town's brochure, accepted items, and collection information.

Let's clear the clutter and protect the Cape we love.

06/02/2026

🌭Cape Cod, let's talk grill safety.

Be honest...

How many of you are still using the "poke it and hope" method to see if burgers are done?

Because grill marks are not a food safety strategy.

Summer means cookouts, beach parties, graduation celebrations, and backyard BBQs. But warm weather and outdoor cooking can also create the perfect conditions for foodborne illness if food isn't handled safely.

Did you know?

✔️ Turkey burgers aren't done when they "look done." They need to hit 165°F before they earn a spot on your plate.

✔️ Those beautiful grill marks? Great for Instagram. Not great for checking doneness.

✔️ Bacteria consider 40°F to 140°F perfect patio weather.

✔️ If the potato salad has been enjoying the sunshine longer than your beach towel, it's probably time to let it go. 😬

Our Nutrition & Food Safety team put together some simple tips to help keep your family and guests safe this summer, whether you're grilling burgers, seafood, vegetables, or smoking meat.

Read the blog here https://loom.ly/yZE1nZ8

Because summer memories should end with sunsets and s'mores... not food poisoning.

05/29/2026

🥶Cape Cod Gardeners: Please step away from the panic button.

Yes, it's going to be cooler than normal for the next few nights.

No, this is not the Garden Apocalypse.

Most of Cape Cod is expected to stay around 50°F, with some spots dipping into the upper 40s. That's a little chilly for late May, but it's not unusual and it's not a freeze.

Here's the quick version:

🌸 Hydrangeas? Fine.

🌱 Perennials? Fine.

🥬 Lettuce, kale, peas, and other cool-season vegetables? Also fine.

🍅 Tomatoes, peppers, basil, cucumbers, melons, and eggplant? They're the drama queens of the garden. They prefer warm nights and may sulk when temperatures dip into the upper 40s and low 50s.

🪴 Tropical plants and houseplants that have moved outdoors for the summer may need extra attention. If you can bring them inside, do it.

If you're worried about tender plants, cover them with a sheet, light towel, or row cover overnight. Container plants can also be moved into a garage, shed, or protected spot.

The good news? This weather may slow growth a bit, but for most gardens on Cape Cod, it's not a disaster.

Think "light jacket weather" for your basil, not "evacuate immediately."

🌱 Not sure if your plant is pouting, panicking, or perfectly fine? Give it a few days after the cool weather passes. If you notice changes or have questions, connect with the Master Gardener Association of Cape Cod through the Horticulture Clinic at capecod.gov/hortclinic. They're happy to help you figure out what's going on in your garden.

05/29/2026

Household Hazardous Waste Collection season is in full swing across Cape Cod!

Now through the fall, Cape residents can safely dispose of items that don't belong in the trash, including:

✔️ Oil paints and solvents
✔️ Automotive and fuel products
✔️ Household cleaners
✔️ Lawn and garden chemicals
✔️ Mercury-containing items

Proper disposal helps protect Cape Cod's drinking water, local waterways, and the environment we all depend on. It also helps keep first responders safer by removing potentially dangerous materials from homes, garages, sheds, and basements.

⚠️ Before you load up the car, check your town's collection schedule and accepted items. Not everything can be brought to every collection.

👉 Visit www.loveyourlocalwater.org to:
• Find your town's collection brochure
• See what materials are accepted
• Learn what cannot be brought to collections
• Get dates, locations, and program details

Let's clear the clutter and protect the Cape we love. 💙

05/28/2026

Got boat shrink wrap? 🚤♻️

You can recycle your boat shrink wrap at Cape Cod transfer stations now through July 31. It’s FREE for Cape Cod residents.

📍 Bourne
📍 Chatham
📍 Eastham
📍 Falmouth
📍 Wellfleet

✔ Clean wrap only
✔ Remove straps, vents, and zippers
✔ No curbside recycling

This program is a partnership between Barnstable County’s Cape Cod Cooperative Extension and WHOI Sea Grant , helping keep plastic out of our landfills and local waters.

👉 Get full details, locations, and tips:
seagrant.whoi.edu/shrinkwrap

Let’s keep Cape Cod clean, one boat at a time

Town of Chatham, MA Town of Eastham Town of Wellfleet, Cape Cod Town of Sandwich, MA Town of Barnstable Town of Mashpee Town of Yarmouth Massachusetts Town of Dennis Town of Brewster, Cape Cod Town of Harwich Town of Orleans, MA Town of Wellfleet, Cape Cod Town of Truro, Massachusetts Town of Truro Health & Conservation Department Town of Provincetown

05/21/2026

Summer break is coming… and the “I’m bored” countdown is already ticking. 😅

The Barnstable County 4-H Youth Exhibit Hall gives kids a chance to create something, learn something new, and see their hard work on display for the community this summer.

And nope, you do NOT need to be in 4-H to enter.

Kids ages 5 to 18 can submit projects like:
🎨 Art and crafts
🧁 Baking and cooking
🌱 Gardening
📸 Photography
🧱 LEGO creations
🔬 Science and STEM projects

It doesn’t have to be perfect. The best part is watching kids build confidence, try something new, and say, “I made that.”

Start brainstorming those fair projects now at https://loom.ly/j4pGCJc

05/20/2026

Warm evenings, blooming flowers, buzzing pollinators, and fresh garden inspiration!

Spend a summer evening surrounded by color, fragrance, and growing gardens during the “Evenings in the Garden” series with the Master Gardener Association of Cape Cod at the Demonstration Garden at the Cape Cod Fairgrounds in East Falmouth.

Each free session includes:
🌱 Gardening talks
🍅 Tips for growing vegetables and ornamentals
🚶 Guided walks through the garden
🌼 A chance to slow down, explore, and connect with fellow garden lovers

This season’s topics include:
✔️ Beginning the Season
✔️ “My Garden’s Growing… Now What?”
✔️ The Fruits of Your Labor
✔️ Preparing for a Long Winter’s Nap

No registration required. Bring a chair if possible and enjoy an evening in the garden with fellow plant people 🌻

05/19/2026

Women helping shape the future of our coastal communities? We’re here for it.

At Cape Cod Cooperative Extension, we’re proud to work alongside women in marine science, water quality, coastal resilience, and fisheries education right here on Cape Cod. That’s why we’re excited to share this upcoming event from our friends at the Woods Hole Film Festival.

Women on the Water highlights women in New Hampshire who are reshaping the fishing industry, opening doors for others, and inspiring the next generation.

Following the film, hear from a panel of women working in the seafood industry on Cape Cod and the Islands.

📍 Saturday, June 6
🕒 3:00 PM
📌 Redfield Auditorium, 45 Water Street, Woods Hole

Free event, but tickets are required to reserve your seat. See the post below for more info!

🎣FREE SCREENING! WOMEN ON THE WATER highlights women in New Hampshire who are reshaping the fishing trade, opening channels for more women to join their fields, and inspiring the next generation. The 45-minute film shares the stories of four women: why they chose their industries, the challenges they’ve overcome, and why they choose to stay.

🎤Following the film, there will be a panel of women working in the seafood industry on Cape Cod and the Islands.

📍Saturday, June 6 at 3:00 pm at Redfield Auditorium, 45 Water Street, Woods Hole.

🎟️The event is free but ticketed to ensure everyone a seat. Please click here to reserve yours: https://woodsholefilmfestival.org/events/womenonthewater/