Please support protection of the Centerville Wildlife Sanctuary by tuning in and speaking up at the Town Council vote on May 7th at 7 PM!

Orenda is working to protect 6 acres of prime woodland along Great Marsh Road in Centerville and needs your help! The Roman Catholic Diocese of Fall River is selling this land, divided into three two-acre plots, for $500,000, which is below market value. It’s a good deal, but it’s still a lot of money for Orenda to raise. To help pay for the land, Orenda is seeking $425,000 in Community Preservation Act (CPA) funds. Passed in 2000 by the Massachusetts legislature, the CPA provides funding for affordable housing, outdoor recreation, historic preservation and open space conservation in communities across the state. The Barnstable Town Council is scheduled to vote on Orenda’s CPA funding request at their May 7th meeting. Orenda has already cleared a number of hurdles towards finalizing the purchase, including various meetings and reviews by state and local authorities. The town’s Community Preservation Committee (CPC) and the Land Acquisition and Preservation Committee have reviewed the project and recommended it for approval by the Town Council. If the Town Council votes in favor of CPA funds towards the protection of the Centerville Wildlife Sanctuary, Orenda will make up the $75,000 balance through $35,000 in existing pledges from neighbors, other donations and our own funds. New England loses approximately 65 acres of forest every day to development (Harvard Forest, 2017). Every acre saved is critical since forests filter ground water, sequester carbon dioxide, emit oxygen, and provide food, shelter and cover for wildlife. Forests also help to provide open space that helps to renew our minds and spirits in an increasingly busy world.

Please help us make the Centerville Wildlife Sanctuary a reality by speaking in favor of the project at the Town Council’s vote via video conference on May 7th at 7 PM and by making a donation to Orenda by clicking on the Donate button or mailing checks to Orenda Wildlife Land Trust,Box 669, West Barnstable, MA 02668.