Community Grant Award Program

The SPAT Community Grant Award Program provides funds to organizations or projects that consistent with the organization’s mission to support and increase awareness of Wellfleet’s shellfishing and aquaculture industries. The SPAT Board of Directors evaluates grant applications on a rotating basis. ​To date over $740, 000 has been awarded to individuals or community organizations through college scholarships, grants and other initiatives that sustain Wellfleet’s shellfishing and aquaculture industries.

Information on Nauset Regional High School College Scholarship Program here.

2020

• Wellfleet Shellfish Harvester Relief Program ($100,000) – SPAT developed a set of initiatives to support Wellfleet’s shellfish harvesters, their families and the greater community during the COVID-19 health crisis.
• Friends of Herring River ($2,000) –  Pre-Restoration Assessment of Spat Settlement in the Herring River Estuary will be conducted over 3 consecutive years: 2020, 2021 and 2022 by research partners, Barbara Brennessel and John Portnoy. Findings will be shared annually with SPAT and the shellfishing community to better understand the settlement of oyster larvae in the estuary.
• Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary ($3800) – To support the Sanctuary’s Coastal Ecology of Wellfleet Harbor Program for 4th and 5th-grade students at Wellfleet Elementary School.

• Wellfleet Elementary School ($829) – SPAT supported the school’s effort to eliminate single-use plastics by donating 200 metal cups and providing the stipend for the purchase of metal portion cups and ramekins
• 246 Community Kitchen ($433.50) –  SPAT also donated 150 metal cups to the Kitchen for use in their weekly Wellfleet Community Suppers

2019

• Marketing Campaign ($100,000) – SPAT is developing a brand image and marketing campaign strategy to differentiate Wellfleet Oysters from other oyster brands, to promote Wellfleet’s unique growing region and connect consumers with the shellfish harvesters and where their food is coming from.
• Wellfleet Shellfish Department ($17,500) – In support of the town’s invigorated recreational shellfishing program intended to create a robust recreational shellfishery for the community and visitors. This program will include rotational spawning sanctuaries to ensure a sustainable shellfishery for Wellfleet Harbor overall.
• Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary ($3800) – To support the Sanctuary’s Coastal Ecology of Wellfleet Harbor Program for 4th and 5th-grade students at Wellfleet Elementary School.

2018

• Barnstable County Cape Cod Cooperative Extension ($10,000) –  Matching contribution to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Sea Grant to explore Market Development to Diversify Shellfish Aquaculture Products in Massachusetts. The goal of the work is to address market hurdles that impede the advancement of aquaculture of two native shellfish species, surf clams and blood clams, and to determine how to expand the market for oysters beyond the ‘half shell’ market.
• Town of Wellfleet Maintenance Dredging Fund ($10,000) –  A contribution to a town fund to support ongoing maintenance dredging. A navigable and healthy harbor is critical to the shellfishing industry.
• Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary ($3800) – To support the Sanctuary’s Coastal Ecology of Wellfleet Harbor Program for 4th and 5th-grade students at Wellfleet Elementary School.
• Wellfleet Recycling Committee ($2000) – To fund the installation of a water bottle refilling station in town and help eliminate single-use disposable water bottles.
• Wellfleet Council on Aging ($600) –  Proceeds from the Wellfleet Shellfish event held at the COA were donated back to the Center. This event kicked-off the OysterFest and helped to educate people about all that is involved in shellfish production.

2017

• Wellfleet Shellfish Department ($12,000) – To help fund the purchase of shellfish seed to reinvigorate the town’s propagation program and ensure future populations of oysters and clams in Wellfleet Harbor.
• Mass Audubon Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary ($3800) – To support the Sanctuary’s Coastal Ecology of Wellfleet Harbor Program for 4th and 5th grade students at the local elementary school.
• East Coast Shellfish Growers Association ($2000) –  ECSGA Political Action Fund will support a lobbyist to advance shellfishing issues in Washington, D.C., specifically the Jones Act seaman’s insurance and getting shellfish designated as specialty crops in the next Farm Bill.

2016

• Shellfisherman’s Relief Fund ($23,000) – The fund was established at the OysterFest in response to the closure of Wellfleet Harbor.  About $8,000 was raised in donations and SPAT contributed an additional $15,000 to this Fund that supported 23 families impacted by the shellfish bed closures.  More information can be found here.
• Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary ($3,800) – SPAT continues its support of the Sanctuary’s Coastal Ecology of Wellfleet Harbor curriculum for Wellfleet Elementary School, expanded to grades 4 and 5.

2015

• Aquacultural Research Corporation ($125,000) – The ARC in Dennis the only commercial hatchery in Massachusetts supplying nearly 80 percent of the shellfish seed. SPAT invested in the rebuild of the facility to help it become a world class hatchery and enhance aquaculture operations.
• Shellfish Loan Program in collaboration with the Community Development Partnership ($60,000) – SPAT and CDP are collaborating on a Shellfish Loan Fund created to meet the needs of shellfishermen and aquaculturists in Wellfleet and the Lower Cape.
• Benthic Mapping Study of Wellfleet Harbor ($15,000) – The Center for Coastal Studies (CCS) conducted a study of the benthic habitats of Wellfleet Harbor for the National Park Service. The Town of Wellfleet hired CCS to map the areas not included in the park boundaries. SPAT contributed funds to this project.
• Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary ($3,800) – For the fifth year, SPAT supported the Sanctuary’s Coastal Ecology of Wellfleet Harbor curriculum for Wellfleet Elementary School Grade 5.

2014

• Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary ($3,800) – This gift helps fund classroom and experiential learning such as field investigations and a boat trip.
• Wellfleet Blossoms ($500) – Wellfleet Blossoms is a spring event intended to feature emerging artists and draw visitors to Wellfleet during shoulder season. Blossoms consist of an exhibition, hands-on workshops and business education for artists.

2013

• Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary ($5,000) – The Coastal Ecology Program has been given $3,800 toward this educational curriculum for fifth grade students at Wellfleet Elementary School, which demonstrates the intricate link between a healthy Wellfleet bay ecosystem and a healthy shellfish industry. The Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary’s Horseshoe Crab Project will receive $1200 to help fund horseshoe crab research, outreach, constituency building and advocacy.
• The Community Development Partnership ($2,500) – The Community Development Partnership (CDP) was awarded $2500 toward its Sustainable Business Initiative. This program is intended to strengthen and support small businesses in the region and enhance the local economy.
• Wellfleet Housing Authority ($1,000) – The Wellfleet Housing Authority was awarded $1,000 in support of their mission to develop affordable housing in the Town of Wellfleet, particularly for members of the shellfishing community, who must reside in town in order to hold a grant or fishing license.
• Wellfleet Harborfest ($1,000) – Wellfleet Harborfest and Nautical Flea Market was developed by the Town Citizen’s Economic Committee, the Wellfleet Chamber of Commerce and the Recreation Department to increase visitation during the spring shoulder season, to showcase Wellfleet’s Harbor and to highlight its fishing industries.
• Wellfleet Blossoms ($500) – Wellfleet Blossoms brings visitors to the region and provides exhibition and educational opportunities to emerging artists working in a wide range of mediums.

2012

• The Town of Wellfleet CWPC ($5,000) – The Town of Wellfleet Comprehensive Wastewater Planning Committee has received a grant in support of the town’s Oyster Propagation and Habitat Restoration effort. This project is designed to increase native oyster populations, which also provide critical breeding habitat for fish, turtles and many other organisms all of which significantly improves water quality.
• Mass Audubon’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary ($3,800) – Leaders in life science education, Sanctuary will bring its Coastal Ecology of Wellfleet Harbor curriculum to the 5th grade students at Wellfleet Elementary School. Many families in Wellfleet are involved with the shellfishing industry and this educational program offers an understanding of relevant ecosystem and coastal issues that impact the lives of these students and their families.
• Safe Harbor Environmental Services ($2580) – Safe Harbor Environmental Services is restoring the barrier dune of Ballston Beach at the headwaters of the Pamet River estuary to safeguard habitat for a wide diversity of birds, mammals, vegetation and bi-valves. This critical habitat of the coastal barrier dune was actually restored by an innovative system developed by Safe Harbor, called biomimicry, a process that the organization plans to make Public Domain and publishing a booklet providing instructions on how to use it.
• Wellfleet Public Library ($1000) – The Wellfleet Public Library has received an unrestricted grant to support of the Library’s vital role in the community in general and specifically The Outermost Sustainable Development Reading Group Project which will focus on ideas about long term, appropriate and sustainable economic development including shellfishing.
• The Wellfleet Community HarborFest ($1000) – HarborFest is a celebration of the fishing industry in Wellfleet. Event organizers are producing a guide-map featuring main points of interest around the harbor and pier. SPAT supports the production of this guide that will serve the needs of boaters, visitors and other users of the marina facilities.
• Wellfleet Blossoms ($500) – Along with other local sponsors, SPAT supported the inaugural Blossoms festival which highlighted young and emerging artists from the Outer Cape working in a wide range of media.

2011

• Mass Audubon Society’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary ($2,500)
• The Wellfleet Shellfish Trail Guide and Map ($2,400)
• Wellfleet Elementary School Scoreboard ($2,400) – SPAT contributed $2400 toward a new scoreboard for Wellfleet Elementary School in loving memory of Katie Suggs for her 30 years of volunteer service to the Wellfleet Elementary School, Wellfleet Recreation Department, Wellfleet OysterFest and to the Wellfleet community overall.
• Community Development Partnership (CDP) ($2,100) – SPAT proactively awarded a grant to the Community Development Partnership because its mission is closely aligned with the goals of SPAT. The CDP provides funding for Wellfleet fishermen developing new business plans and in need of financial support.
• The Wellfleet Conservation Commission ($2,000) – The Wellfleet Conservation Commission will create a brochure outlining the Wetland Protection Act and Wellfleet’s environmental protection bylaws. The Commission has observed an increase in public violations of these bylaws. SPAT is proud to enable the production of this brochure to benefit the shellfishing community by informing people about regulations and how to protect our essential tidal flats where these species – vital to the environmental and economic health of the town – reproduce and grow.
• Wellfleet Montessori Preschool ($500) – The Wellfleet Montessori Preschool will use these funds provided by the SPAT grant to create a permanent science corner in their classroom.
• Wellfleet Community Harborfest ($500) – The Wellfleet Community Harborfest, held on June 11, 2011, highlighted all the harbor has to offer. SPAT awarded a grant to support this nascent festival and the production of a permanent map to inform residents and visitors about the harbor, the meaning of buoys and the village of Wellfleet.

2010

• Wellfleet Historical Commission ($2,000) – Perfectly aligning with SPAT’s mission to educate the community about the history and traditions of shellfishing, this grant enabled Wellfleet Historical Commission to restore one of the last remaining oyster shacks generously donated to the town by the Burgess Family. Oyster shacks dotted Duck Creek and the marina area back in the heyday of Wellfleet’s wild oyster fishery. They were used by shellfishermen to cull and shuck oysters for market. This shack belonged to Earle Rich, shellfisherman, author and Wellfleet historian.
• Wellfleet Comprehensive Wastewater Planning Committee ($5,000) – With funds provided by SPAT, the committee was able to publish a Septic Best Practices Guide to help the public learn how to reduce septic system failure, which will improve water quality for all of Wellfleet, and especially the harbor. With SPAT’s support, it will also initiate a voluntary Shell Recycling Program with local restaurants and commercial and recreational shellfish permit holders. This effort will help increase the amount of cultch (discarded oyster and clam shells) put back into Wellfleet harbor. Cultch serves as important wild shellfish habitat; it is where spat (free-swimming oyster larva) attach themselves to grow. Adding cultch to the harbor ensures future oyster populations.

2008-2009

• Nauset Regional High School (NRHS), Eastham, MA ($1,000) – In celebration of its expanding mission, SPAT is helping fund an outdoor initiative program at NRHS. The program allows students access to an outdoor experience to help “round out” their understanding of how and where we live within our environment.
• The Parkington Sisters, Wellfleet, MA ($750) – SPAT gave these local singer-songwriters a grant award to help them take the stage at the Nashville Folk Alliance where they entertained audiences with their originals about Cape Cod and our seafaring traditions. While playing violin, cello, piano, mandolin and guitar, the sisters also share lead vocals with up to five-part harmonies.
• The Wellfleet Pre-School, Wellfleet, MA ($2,500) – This community-supported early childhood education service lost its state funding and needed help in order to continue to honor its commitment to Wellfleet’s children and finish out the 2008-2009 school year. SPAT was proud to make an award to keep this essential service up and running. This pre-school will continue under the direction of a volunteer board of parents with Montessori-certified teachers and is now called Wellfleet Montessori Pre-School.
• Wellfleet State of the Harbor Conference, Wellfleet, MA ($250) – This conference provides an excellent venue for researchers and the public to share new information, discoveries and studies vital to our harbor, the lifeblood of Wellfleet. This year, there will be presentations on local restoration projects, water quality and a 2009 river herring count. SPAT’s contribution helps the conference produce its printed materials.

2007

• David Wright of Wellfleet, MA ($2,500) – Wright will work with the Wellfleet Historical Society to author a book that will act as a record of the enterprise and ingenuity of Wellfleet’s shellfishermen in building its aquaculture industry.
• Shellfish Advisory Committee of Wellfleet, MA ($2,000) – The committee will conduct an awareness campaign, posting signage and distributing brochures that educate the public about water quality, clean beaches and “pick up after your pet” regulations.

2006

• Abraham Storer of West Dennis, MA ($1,000) – To build on his original grant in 2004, Storer was granted additional tuition support to continue to pursue his interests in both art and shellfishing. Abraham’s drawings and paintings have been exhibited at the Wellfleet Public Library.
• David Rowell of Wellfleet, MA ($3,000) – Rowell designed and constructed two unique park benches for Wellfleet conservation areas using concrete cast from oyster and clamshells and hand-hewn wooden rails made from locust trees. As part of his project, he taught student apprentices the traditions of this age-old construction technique.

2004-2005

• Amalia Marie Aruda of Wilmington, MA ($500) – Aruda presented a slideshow at area schools that showcased the aquaculture practices involved in cultivating a market-ready oyster from its larval stage and created a poster exhibit for the library.
• Karen Dowcett of Yarmouthport, MA ($1,000) – SPAT provided financial support for ten individuals to participate in Dowcett’s mask-making workshops in preparation for her comedic mask and puppet review, Cirque de Sea, which was performed at that year’s OysterFest.
• Nate Johnson of Wellfleet, MA ($1,000) – Johnson, a local oysterman with a passion for conservation and an eye for photography, crafted “Faces and Lives of Wellfleet Waters”, a photo essay of the people behind commercial aquaculture. Johnson’s photographs have been exhibited at the Wellfleet Public Library.
• Abraham Storer of West Dennis, MA ($1,000) – In support of his interests in both art and shellfishing, Storer’s grant went toward his tuition at Waltham’s Brandeis University, where he explored the images, emotions, smells and tastes of a lifestyle marked by the shellfishing industry.
• Wellfleet Public Library, Wellfleet, MA. ($1,000) – SPAT enabled the library to collect and purchase new aquaculture materials and literature, properly archive aquaculture films and improve access to these new materials through publicity and programs.