Salt marshes line the coast of Cape Cod on both the bay and the ocean side of the peninsula. The long stretches of green and gold grass, divided by meandering channels of blue water, provide both picturesque views and an important habitat for many species of birds, turtles and fish.
Many of the marshes have been harmed by development. Many are bisected by roads and railroad tracks, cutting off the flow of seawater into portions of the marsh. Many have been filled, dredged and drained. More than a third of the Cape's marshes have been lost. Today, groups are working to restore them.
I am endlessly fascinated by the salt marshes. Each year, while visiting the Cape, I spend a large amount of time looking at them. Watching the herons and seabirds fish in the shallow waters. Trying to spy crabs and turtles. Watching the tide ebb and flow. Watching the wind ripple through the grasses. The colors, the shapes, the movement all entrance me. I will admit I'm obsessed.
This year was no exception.
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| Nauset Marsh |
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| The marsh near First Encounter Beach |
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| Nauset Marsh |
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| Nauset Marsh |
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| The marsh near Wellfleet Harbor |
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| Me and the marsh |
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