Pochet Island Walk Recap

On Sunday, September 20, Orleans Conservation Trust co-led a walk to Pochet Island with Tim Payson as part of the Orleans Pond Coalition’s Celebrate Our Waters Weekend.  Both former Director Kris Ramsay and current Director Elizabeth Migliore led 35 participants through the ORV road leading to Pochet Island.  En route they explained about Conservation Restrictions on adjacent land, and new adaptive ORV regulations to help the Town protect piping plovers, terns, and terrapin turtles while not closing the routes as frequently.  Then at the bridge leading onto the island, they turned over the talk to Tim Payson, whose family owns the land.  Tim brought the tour group through an old, traditional Cape-style house, and out to an overlook on the southern tip of the island.  Participants learned about the extensive management efforts the family undertakes to control invasives on the island and maintain portions as open field habitat.  Sightings during the walk included a Great Blue Heron and a large osprey nest on a dead tree.  The Payson family dog accompanied participants through much of the hike.  While this was a strenuous 4 hours walk mostly over sand, it was well worth the effort with beautiful overviews of Nauset Beach and Pochet Inlet, and providing a glimpse at a remote part of Orleans seemingly preserved in time.