About Island Pond Cemetery
Arboretum at Island Pond Cemetery
Tucked among the many areas of natural beauty in Harwich, MA, sits Island Pond Cemetery. It is a public garden and historic site established in 1872. Its wooded and rolling hills are home to burial sites of the earliest residents back to 1770. The town’s history here is surrounded by a variety of trees and shrubs. It is our hope to create an Arboretum in Island Pond Cemetery.
“An Arboretum is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees. More commonly a modern arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants and is intended at least in part for scientific study.” The Arboretum will encompass 18 acres of the Island Pond Cemetery and over 7 acres of the Harwich Conservation land with walking trails. The Cemetery and Conservation land are located in Harwich Center and are connected to Cape Cod Bike Rail Trail. This will be an invaluable natural and horticultural resource with many species of plants, wildlife and historic monuments. With the intention of attracting hundreds of annual visitors, the non-profit Arboretum will be the only regional public Arboretum with historic architecture on Cape Cod. We will be providing educational programs for visitors of all ages, including youth education programming.
The mission of the Arboretum at Island Pond is to engage, educate, and enrich the lives of our constituents enabling them to become better stewards of our local history and environment. The Cemetery Commission is working in collaboration with the Conservation Agent, Cape Cod Regional Technical High School Horticultural Students, Monomoy Regional Schools, Bird Watchers of Harwich, and local historians to create the Island Pond Arboretum.
The creation of the Arboretum at Island Pond Cemetery will positively impact the community. All visitors will benefit from:
- Guided educational walking tours on species of trees
- The creation of a wildlife informational brochure on species of birds and mammals
- Future enhancements such as new trees, Butterfly Gardens and Perennial Gardens, Pollinator Gardens
- Monument artwork and biographical information about notable persons
- The creation of a Mobile App (a computer program designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone or tablet) allowing self-guided walking tours on the property.
The goal of all of these aspects of the Arboretum is to give visitors a unique educational experience and an opportunity to appreciate the historical significance and beauty of the
Island Pond Cemetery. The development of a Mobile App particularly demonstrates this. For example, if visitors are interested in a specific stone carver, they will be able to access just monuments done by that carver. Handheld maps would also allow for visitors to identify locations of all the different species of trees, vegetation, wildlife, notable residents and artistic styles of monuments.
A Stanford review of research over a twenty year period found strong evidence of the value of environmental educational programs. Studies demonstrated that students gain important knowledge about their environment. Learning about the environment is just the tip of the iceberg, however. Studies in the review demonstrated that environmental education has led to a number of positive impacts, from improving academic performance to enhancing critical thinking skills, developing personal growth and building life skills such as confidence, autonomy and leadership. A number of the studies also showed that environmental education increased civic engagement and positive environmental behaviors.
Through a unique partnership with the Monomoy School System the Arboretum will facilitate development of engaging, challenging and interdisciplinary opportunities for the students fostering research, data gathering, analyzing, synthesizing information and evidence gathering. The Arboretum will fill a need in the Monomoy schools by allowing for the further development of interdisciplinary learning experiences for all students, specifically (preK-7.) Arboretum curriculum will be developed in accordance with the horizontal and vertical guidelines and frameworks that integrate science, technology, reading, engineering, art, and math (STREAM). These lessons will highlight and support the Monomoy vision by leveraging the unique history and environment of our community. Furthermore, with the development of an Island Pond App, students and residents will be able to experience a unique multi-faceted ecosystem and learn by the experience provided through guided tours and resources at the touch of a button on any mobile device. The Arboretum will provide exceptional opportunities for teaching, research, and outreach and the Island Pond App will make our arboretum accessible to all!
We owe it to our pioneering ancestors that their monuments are not forgotten and their contributions are remembered for future generations to come. The Cemetery Commission is hoping to educate the public in the historical importance of our cemeteries. The Harwich Cemetery Commission’s mission is to preserve Harwich Cemeteries and to pay homage to those who built our town and made it what it is today.
The Arboretum will provide exceptional opportunities for teaching, research, and outreach. It will be a destination for learning in institutes across Cape Cod. One is never too young or too old to learn. The Arboretum will cultivate residents and students who value our natural resources. They will learn how to recognize their impact on the world around them and equip them with the skill, knowledge and ability to achieve in the fields of sustainability, conservation and environmental sciences. Hands on, outdoor learning experiences, particularly in science and mathematics, are greatly augmented by providing accessibility and immersion in the environment. These real-world opportunities for discovery excite and motivate our students’ interest in 21st century careers in science, technology, reading, engineering, art and mathematics.
Creating and maintaining these partnerships and developing multi-faceted learning experiences is an exciting and educational way for all parties to contribute to the historical, educational experiences that exists in the extraordinary Island Pond Arboretum.