HYANNIS – The Cape Cod Chamber of Commerce has announced that several towns in the region have committed to showcasing Cape Cod’s blue economy by hosting sites in “Expedition Blue.”
With grant support from the Seaport Economic Council, Expedition Blue is a network of sites that showcase the region’s economic and social connections to water.
Each location is envisioned as a “front porch” to the area’s blue economy and will be supported by an interactive mobile website to give users a multimedia experience.
Inspired by the lifesaving shacks that once stood on the Cape coastline providing refuge for shipwrecked sailors, the installations are a series of adaptable modular cubes that allow for contemplation, education, and investigation about the region’s past, present, and future.
Since not all sites can accommodate a full structure, a kit of parts adaptable to a range of sites has been designed.
Expedition Blue is designed to bring awareness to “Water as Our Way of Life,” the vision of the Cape Cod Blue Economy Foundation.
“Expedition Blue is a network of sites in the Cape Cod region showcasing how water anchors our landscape, powers our economy, and inspires our future,” said Wendy Northcross, Cape Cod Chamber CEO.
“It tells the story of our region by showcasing the special connection we have to the water that surrounds us from both economic and social perspectives.”
After an engagement campaign last year with communities across the region, over 30 potential sites across ten towns entered the design process, including: Barnstable, Bourne, Brewster, Chatham, Falmouth, Harwich, Nantucket, Provincetown, Sandwich, and Yarmouth.
One installation location for Expedition Blue will be along the Cape Cod Canal at the Buzzards Bay Recreation Area which offers a focused view of the National Marine Life Center.
“Being in downtown Buzzards Bay, the town of Bourne is very heavily impacted by the water in so many ways,” said Kathy Zagzebski, President and CEO of the National Marine Life Center.
Zagzebski cited the work and mission of the National Marine Life Center, the Cape Cod Canal, and wind turbines at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy as some of the reason the area would be an ideal fit for the project.
“I just thought it was the perfect location and put in a proposal and worked with town leadership here in the town of Bourne to bring the proposal to them and they loved the idea and they have embraced it and are taking it on,” continued Zagzebski
“The National Marine Life Center has been a follower and participant in the blue economy since before it was part of the blue economy. We’ve been really excited to see the development of this concept on Cape Cod and Southeastern Massachusetts.”
She added that the project provides Cape Cod with a unique opportunity.
“It just really emphasizes everything that we are as an organization as well as everything this region is,” said Zagzebski.
“With the combination of maritime industry and the environment and people involved in science and technology, engineering, it’s really an exciting concept to build on what we already do as a region.”
Installation of the sites and website launch are scheduled to being in early spring of 2021.
For more information and to get involved with the project, click here.
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