Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge
Encyclopedia
Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge
on Chappaquiddick Island
(Martha's Vineyard
, Massachusetts
) owned and managed by The Trustees of Reservations
. The refuge consists of 516 acres (2.1 km²) and includes the 1893 Cape Poge Lighthouse.
formed thousands of years ago by offshore currents that deposited tons of sand. Today this beach extends for seven miles (11 km) from Wasque Point past the Cape Poge Lighthouse to the Gut.
Tidal waters support extensive salt marshes, especially around Poucha Pond. The Cedars is a grove of century-old, low-growing eastern red cedars sculpted by salt spray and wind. Cape Poge Elbow is home to a gull
rookery
and nests of piping plover
s, least terns, and oyster catchers. West of the dunes lies Cape Poge Bay, where calm, clear waters serve as a nursery for finfish
and shellfish
. Powerful currents push through the Gut, flushing Cape Poge Bay with oxygen-rich water and attracting striped bass
, bluefish
, bonito
, and albacore
.
Seasonal tours allow visitors to explore the lighthouse, diverse upland
and marine
habitat
s, and world-renowned fishing
spots. Annual over-sand vehicle permits are available for qualified vehicles, providing access to 14 miles (22.5 km) of dune
roads. The lighthouse can also be reached via a 3.5 miles (5.6 km) hike from the Dike Bridge.
Wildlife refuge
A wildlife refuge, also called a wildlife sanctuary, may be a naturally occurring sanctuary, such as an island, that provides protection for species from hunting, predation or competition, or it may refer to a protected area, a geographic territory within which wildlife is protected...
on Chappaquiddick Island
Chappaquiddick Island
Chappaquiddick Island is a small island off the eastern end of the larger island of Martha's Vineyard and is part of the town of Edgartown, Massachusetts. The island's name became internationally recognized following the July 18, 1969 incident, for which U.S. Senator Edward M...
(Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard is an island located south of Cape Cod in Massachusetts, known for being an affluent summer colony....
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
) owned and managed by The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations
The Trustees of Reservations is a non-profit land conservation and historic preservation organization dedicated to preserving natural and historical places in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It is the oldest regional land trust in the world and has 100,000 dues-paying members...
. The refuge consists of 516 acres (2.1 km²) and includes the 1893 Cape Poge Lighthouse.
Description
Chappaquiddick Island's eastern edge is a barrier beachBeach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
formed thousands of years ago by offshore currents that deposited tons of sand. Today this beach extends for seven miles (11 km) from Wasque Point past the Cape Poge Lighthouse to the Gut.
Tidal waters support extensive salt marshes, especially around Poucha Pond. The Cedars is a grove of century-old, low-growing eastern red cedars sculpted by salt spray and wind. Cape Poge Elbow is home to a gull
Gull
Gulls are birds in the family Laridae. They are most closely related to the terns and only distantly related to auks, skimmers, and more distantly to the waders...
rookery
Rookery
A rookery is a colony of breeding animals, generally birds. A rook is a Northern European and Central Asian member of the crow family, which nest in prominent colonies at the tops of trees. The term is applied to the nesting place of birds, such as crows and rooks, the source of the term...
and nests of piping plover
Piping Plover
The Piping Plover is a small sand-colored, sparrow-sized shorebird that nests and feeds along coastal sand and gravel beaches in North America. The adult has yellow-orange legs, a black band across the forehead from eye to eye, and a black ring around the neck...
s, least terns, and oyster catchers. West of the dunes lies Cape Poge Bay, where calm, clear waters serve as a nursery for finfish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
and shellfish
Shellfish
Shellfish is a culinary and fisheries term for exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates used as food, including various species of molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater...
. Powerful currents push through the Gut, flushing Cape Poge Bay with oxygen-rich water and attracting striped bass
Striped bass
The striped bass is the state fish of Maryland, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and the state saltwater fish of New York, Virginia, and New Hampshire...
, bluefish
Bluefish
The bluefish , called tailor in Australia, is a species of popular marine gamefish found in all climates. It is the sole species of the Pomatomidae family....
, bonito
Bonito
Bonito is a name given to various species of medium-sized, predatory fish in the Scombridae family. First, bonito most commonly refers to species in the genus Sarda, including the Atlantic bonito and the Pacific bonito ; second, in Japanese cuisine, bonito refers to the skipjack tuna , which, in...
, and albacore
Albacore
The albacore, Thunnus alalunga, is a type of tuna in the family Scombridae. This species is also called albacore fish, albacore tuna, albicore, longfin, albies, pigfish, tombo ahi, binnaga, Pacific albacore, German bonito , longfin tuna, longfin tunny, or even just tuna...
.
Seasonal tours allow visitors to explore the lighthouse, diverse upland
Upland and lowland (freshwater ecology)
In studies of the ecology of freshwater rivers, habitats are classified as upland and lowland.-Definitions:Upland habitats are cold, clear, rocky, fast flowing rivers in mountainous areas; lowland habitats are warm, slow flowing rivers found in relatively flat lowland areas, with water that is...
and marine
Marine (ocean)
Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology...
habitat
Habitat (ecology)
A habitat is an ecological or environmental area that is inhabited by a particular species of animal, plant or other type of organism...
s, and world-renowned fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
spots. Annual over-sand vehicle permits are available for qualified vehicles, providing access to 14 miles (22.5 km) of dune
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
roads. The lighthouse can also be reached via a 3.5 miles (5.6 km) hike from the Dike Bridge.