Barnstable Clean Water Coalition

06/01/2026

05/08/2026

Join the Cleanup Crew At Keyes Beach
175 Ocean Ave, Hyannis
Gloves and trash bags will be provided.
Clean-up will be held rain or shine. Please dress accordingly.

Any questions, contact Barnstable Natural Resources: 508-790-6272

04/10/2026

Early spring means crocuses, daffodils and the return of river herring. River herring are diadromous fish that live in both freshwater and saltwater, spending most of their adult life in saltwater and returning to freshwater rivers and ponds to spawn. Annual river herring migration “runs” begin in the spring when water temperatures warm up. For the Marstons Mills River herring run, the fish travel from Nantucket Sound through the Three Bays estuary up the Marstons Mills River via two fish ladders at Mill and Middle Ponds to their final spawning destination in Middle Pond and Mystic Lake.

BCWC herring count volunteers started counting last week. While at the fish ladders, a volunteer is responsible for conducting one 10-minute count per hour between the hours of 7am to 7pm every day. The data collected by these citizen scientists is used by Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries researchers to estimate river herring population sizes.

Stay tuned for more river herring information as the season progresses.

04/09/2026

Join the Cleanup Crew At Ropes Beach
85 Old Shore Road, Cotuit
Gloves and trash bags will be provided.
Clean-up will be held rain or shine. Please dress accordingly.

Any questions, contact Barnstable Natural Resources: 508-790-6272

04/08/2026

There is still time to purchase your rain barrel! 💦

The Town of Barnstable has partnered with The Great American Rain Barrel Company to offer an opportunity for residents to purchase re-purposed rain barrels. Rain barrels allow residents to collect and reuse rainwater from roofs to provide a clean, untreated water source for gardening and a reduction of water bills.

To purchase a rain barrel, please visit The Great American Rain Barrel Company website and click on the “Community Programs” tab to search for Barnstable.

Orders must be placed by the end of the day on Sunday, April 12th, 2026.



The rain barrels will be available for pick up on Friday, April 24th between 1:30-4:30 PM at Barnstable High School (744 West Main Street in Hyannis) within the eastern parking lot near the football field. To learn more about this opportunity please visit the Town’s Rain Barrel Program project webpage or contact Kate Maldonado, Senior Planner, by email [email protected] or by phone 508-862-4791.

03/24/2026

03/20/2026

Join the Clean-Up Crew At Kalmus Beach
670 Ocean St., Hyannis
Gloves and trash bags will be provided.
Clean-up will be held rain or shine. Please dress accordingly.
Questions? Contact Barnstable Natural Resources: 508-790-6272

03/16/2026

Join the crew of citizen scientists that help BCWC collect valuable population data for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries on river herring during their annual spring migration.

BCWC volunteers monitor herring at two fish ladders along the Marstons Mills River.

It's fun, you're outside, and it only takes ten minutes.

Email us for more info at [email protected]

03/12/2026

Join the Clean-Up Crew At Dowses Beach
348 East Bay Road, Osterville
Gloves and trash bags will be provided.
Clean-up will be held rain or shine. Please dress accordingly.
Questions? Contact Barnstable Natural Resources: 508-790-6272

03/06/2026

Join our team of citizen scientists and help BCWC collect valuable scientific data for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries on river herring during their annual spring migration up the Marstons Mills River.

Help BCWC monitor herring at two fish ladders in Marstons Mills this spring. It's fun, it gets you outside, and it only takes ten minutes.

For more info, contact us at [email protected]