Save Popponesset Bay

Save Popponesset Bay is a local non-profit working to protect one very special stretch of Cape Cod coastline that shields Mashpee and Cotuit. By supporting my Falmouth Road Race run, you’re directly helping to keep this “happy place” safe, enjoyable, and thriving for years to come.

Popponesset Bay and the Popponesset Spit are more than just a pretty beach—they form a fragile natural barrier that protects the Bay and surrounding communities from Nantucket Sound. Save Popponesset Bay (SPB), a 501(c)(3) founded in 1987, owns 3/4 of the Spit (last 4th owned by Mass Audubon Society) and has already invested millions of dollars in sand, dredging, and dune grass to rebuild it after years of storms and erosion. This work keeps the Spit as a protected species habitat & nature preserve, key channels open for safe boating and aquatics, maintains water flow to improve water quality, and helps preserve property values and storm protection for the whole area.

A few reasons this cause is worth backing:

• Local impact you can see: Donations pay for very tangible work—trucked sand, dredging of navigation channels, and dune restoration that you can literally stand on.

• Protection for endangered wildlife: The Spit is nesting habitat for threatened shorebirds like plovers and terns, and SPB partners with Mass Audubon to monitor and protect them.

• Strong community stewardship: SPB is led by an all‑volunteer board and funded entirely by private donors, so your gift goes straight into on‑the‑ground projects.

• Safeguarding water quality: By keeping the approach channel open and the Bay flushing properly, SPB supports broader efforts to tackle Mashpee’s water quality challenges.

• Long-term resilience: Current “longer, wider, deeper” channel and Spit restoration plans aim to strengthen this natural barrier so it can keep protecting the community for the next generation.

This is a chance to support a local environmental project and cheer on a friend at the same time. Every tax‑deductible gift, large or small, helps keep Popponesset Bay safe, navigable, and beautiful. Please support us by donating today to Save Popponesset Bay and help our Falmouth Road Race team's miles translate into sustainable protection for this special place.