Choose Granite Countertops Near Me Eastham, MA for Elegance and Durability

The Native Land Conservancy, an Indigenous-led nonprofit, has purchased its first property in the the outermost Cape Cod towns — 20.4 acres in Eastham that Executive Director Diana Ruiz said could provide breeding habitat for several species in danger of extinction.

"We are so grateful to our neighbors and partners who understand the importance of returning this site to Indigenous care,” said Ruiz. “The ecological significance of this site is extraordinary."

The conservancy bought the property on June 30 for $3 million from the Nauset Land Trust, a private family trust, according to Barnstable County Registry of Deeds.

The conservancy purchase was aided with an undisclosed donation from the Eastham Conservation Foundation.

“Having the NLC adopt this magic land on the Outer Cape is a dream come true,” said Eastham Conservation Foundation Clerk Joanna Buffington.

With this deed, the conservancy now holds title to 17 properties, totaling roughly 250 acres across the state, including on Martha's Vineyard and Plymouth. The conservancy, based in Mashpee, also holds about 8.5 acres on the Madeline Islands in Wisconsin.

“These lands and waters hold so many stories — stories that go far beyond the fraught history of colonization,” said Conservancy Board President and Founder Ramona Peters.

The land overlooks First Encounter Beach on Cape Cod Bay and is known for its marshes and upland wildlife habitats, said Paula Peters, the NLC's communications and programs coordinator.

"I can just imagine that long ago the Nauset villagers probably saw colonial interlopers headed this way as they stood on this parcel of land," said Paula Peters.

The parcel is surrounded by conservation lands, including Oak Meadow Herring River marsh that spans roughly 126 acres, she said. The river marsh is overseen by The Nature Conservancy.

Eastham Conservation Foundation was the "driving force" in getting the land preserved and bringing the Native Land Conservancy to the table, Paula Peters said.

What is included on the property?

There is also a house on the property, which was built around 1740, according to Nauset Land Trust Partnership Manager Richard Mixter.

Buffington described the house as a former hunting camp.

"It's rustic, cool, and antique," she said.

The conservancy is still thinking about how to incorporate the house into its work, Paula Peters said.

Existing restrictions on the property will remain

Before the purchase, the land held existing conservation restrictions through The Nature Conservancy that bar certain types of development, according to Peters. Through a partnership with The Nature Conservancy, those restrictions will remain in place, she said.

For about 10 years, said Buffington, Eastham Conservation Foundation has been worried about what would happen if Nauset Land Trust ever sold the property.

When the property went up for sale in fall of 2025, area conservation organizations were worried about potential buyers who might clear the land or treat it with insecticides, pesticides or soil sterilant.

"There's so many endangered species throughout the area including diamondback terrapin turtles," said Buffington. "Even cold stunned sea turtles cross the marsh from that peninsula."

Buffington and Eastham Conservation Foundation President Henry Lind held conversations with Mixter, she said, along with The Compact of Cape Cod Conservation Trusts, Inc. Executive Director Mark Robinson to try to find an entity that could manage the land responsibly.

Eastham conservationist: 'Such an important piece of land'

"This is such an important piece of land. We wanted someone to cherish it the way we do," she said.

Robinson eventually brought the sale of the property to the Native Land Conservancy's attention.

"They were thrilled because they didn't own anything on the Outer Cape yet and this land was so significant," said Buffington.

The sale and purchase of the land came together in a wonderful way, said Paula Peters.

"The community and the neighbors wanted to rescue this piece of land and get it in the right hands," she said.

The Native Land Conservancy, said Ramona Peters, believes that Indigenous-led land conservation isn’t just about the protection and restoration of healthy landscapes. It’s also about the protections of Indigenous lifeways.

“Bringing Indigenous stories and cultures to the surface is part of responsible land care. It’s an inherited responsibility to protect Mother Earth. It’s how we reclaim our identity,” she said.

Staff writer Rachael Devaney can be reached at rdevaney@capecodonline.com.