May 16 Ongoing Click here to go to exhibit page	Transformations - From Farming to Fishing: Cape Cod 1639 - 1739, a new exhibition that will chronicle and explore Colonial life on Cape Cod both from the European and Native People’s perspectives.  The exhibit will examine themes such as agricultural life on the Cape, early voyages from Europe to America, and drift and shore whaling, which enticed Cape farmers away from the land and served as a catalyst to the development of the rich maritime tradition that we revere today. The exhibit features the remains of the ship Sparrow-Hawk, which wrecked on the Outer Beach in 1626, and includes art and artifacts depicting life amongst the Colonists and indigenous Wampanoag People.
May 27 Ongoing	CCMM and Women of Fishing Families Present: Gone Fishin, a collection of photographs taken by local youngsters age 6 to 18. These images represent their view of the Cape Cod fishing industry, past, present and future. The exhibit also discusses the worst and best case scenarios for the fisheries and the families directly affected by the industry. Special kid-friendly elements include Fishy Facts, quizzes and lots of hands-on activities. Free with Museum admission.
June 7, 2 pm	Lecture: USS Constitution and the Birth of the American Blue-water Navy, by Mark Wilkins, Director/Curator
June 14-15	Cape Cod Lifeboat and Recreation Expo and In-Water Boat Show
June 20, 2pm	Lecture:  Lusitainia Stays Afloat and the US Stays Out of World War II? by Mark Wilkins, Director/Curator
June 27, 2pm FREE	Lecture:  USS Monitor and CSS Virginia: Battle of Hampton Roads, by Mark Wilkins, Director/Curator
July 11 , 2 - 4 pm	The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and its Draft Management Plan by Matthew Lawrence (see full details below)
July 1 - August 31	Catboat Sarah's South Shore Tour Click here for detailed map and dates for Chatham, Harwichport, Hyannis, Osterville/Cotuit, Falmouth, Woods Hole.
September 25-28	Cape Cod Land and Sea Harvest Festival
October	Family Shipwreck Day and Maritime Archaeology Symposium

Stop by the Cape Cod Maritime Museum for a presentation on the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and its Draft Management Plan on 11 July 2008 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM.  Currently, the sanctuary is seeking public comment on its Draft Management Plan making it a good opportunity to make your voice heard on ocean conservation.  The presentation is being given by Matthew Lawrence, a sanctuary maritime archaeologist, and will feature information about the sanctuary’s shipwrecks and natural resources.

Why should you care?
The Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is YOUR sanctuary.  It is one of 14 national marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and it is the only national marine sanctuary in New England waters.  Twenty-two species of marine mammals, six of which are endangered whales, make the sanctuary their home.  Located in Federal waters between Cape Cod and Cape Ann, the sanctuary is a critical feeding ground and nursery area for large whales.  The sanctuary is an accessible marine tourist destination for New England residents and draws over a million visitors every year that support cape businesses.  The sanctuary’s tremendously rich marine ecosystem contains over 575 marine species making it a natural laboratory; pioneering research in the sanctuary serves as a model for other marine protected areas throughout the world.  Historically, Stellwagen Bank has been a productive fishing ground and remains an important inshore fishing area.  Man’s association with the sanctuary may stretch back 10,000 years when sea levels were lower and Stellwagen Bank was dry land.  Since the European discovery and colonization of New England began 400 years ago, thousands of ships have passed through the sanctuary on the way to the historic ports ringing Massachusetts Bay.  All of this maritime traffic has resulted in many shipwrecks within the sanctuary’s waters.  Most famous of all is the steamship Portland lost with all hands in November of 1898. 

Today, the sanctuary is in trouble.  The condition of 10 of 17 resource states is fair to poor.  The sanctuary needs your help to ensure that the proposed management actions protect this special place.  For more information, please familiarize yourself with the sanctuary’s Draft Management Plan which can be found at http://stellwagen.noaa.gov .

Friday, June 27, 2-3 PM FREE

Friday June 20, 2 pm, at the Museum

Saturday, June 7, 2 pm, at the Museum