This past week I’ve spent a lot of time out in the dunes at Sandy Neck…

Sandy Neck is a unique coastal habitat in our area that ranges about 7 miles into Cape Cod Bay on one side and borders the Great Marsh of Barnstable on the other. Within its boundaries are many smaller ecosystems including maritime woodlands, vernal pools, salt marsh, dunes, cranberry bogs and coastal heath land. It is huge staging place for migratory birds.

It is also just breathtakingly beautiful. It is managed by the town of Barnstable and is used by local classrooms, both high school and college, as both lab and field school and the town owns a small cottage that is used to house some of the students who come to study there.

Called the Halfway House, it is halfway along the trails from the parking lot to the end of the neck….it is very basic with no running water, electricity, heat, etc. and has recently been opened up for use by artists and writers as well. I was one of the lucky ones who got to go on the first art related trip out there and in fact, ended up being asked to be a leader. This is a completely volunteer effort with all donations going to a fund to  add solar energy to the cottage.

This is actually trail 4 and leads over the hill directly to the beach….from the top it offers a spectacular view….

I wrote about the day we spent out there and my overnight experience in the cottage alone for the Barnstable Patriot and you can read the article here. I will be adding pictures and more stories over the next few days.