Berries, driftwood and cremains: A quirky dive into Seashore regulations

Eric Williams, Cape Cod Times
·3 min read

This all started when our friend, the Countess of Quahogia (not her real name), stopped by and began regaling us with tales of her latest escapades. She was in the midst of an ambitious project to create a giant driftwood trellis, and soon we were enjoying phone photos of ingeniously woven branches rising toward the sky in her backyard.

The Countess and her longtime co-conspirator, Prince Ronaldo (almost his real name), had been scouring Cape Cod National Seashore beaches for the choicest and chunkiest hunks of driftwood. They had acquired a beefy two-wheeled cart with a sizable bucket to expand their range and increase their payload.

Driftwood, or perhaps a dinosaur skeleton, on Coast Guard Beach in Eastham.
Driftwood, or perhaps a dinosaur skeleton, on Coast Guard Beach in Eastham.

But the Countess was concerned that her activities might be running afoul of Seashore regulations. She had been trying to fly under the radar, but it's kind of tough to conceal a cartful of huge branches on a wide-open beach. She had already been pulled over by police while bringing her woody loot home, because several limbs were jutting way too far out of her pickup truck.

As a supporter of art, trellises and goofiness, I told her I would look into the Seashore regs. So let's cue the montage, where I travel to Washington D.C. to consult with the U.S. Secretary of the Interior, then acquire a doctoral degree in driftwood studies from the University of Sawdust in northern Maine.

Well, none of that happened. But I did find a handy Seashore regulations webpage that addressed the driftwood issue and much more.

In the driftwood department, the "collection of driftwood, flotsam and jetsam is determined not to be detrimental to the protection of the beach environment. Driftwood, flotsam and jetsam are considered hazards to navigation and may be collected from beaches below the spring (season) high tide drift line."

So, it seems the Countess and Prince Ronaldo are OK! But driftwood isn't the only thing you can collect within the Seashore.

Blueberries in a secret Cape Cod patch. They may be the best fruit in the world!
Blueberries in a secret Cape Cod patch. They may be the best fruit in the world!

Fans of fruits and berries can rejoice, because you are allowed to gather (by hand) one gallon per person of the following for personal use or consumption — it's more fun when you say the list out loud: bayberry, beach plum, blackberry, blueberry, cranberry, dewberry, grapes, huckleberry, juneberry, raspberry, salt spray rose hips and teaberry.

For those with enough expertise to delve into the mysterious realm of mushrooms, the Seashore is your oyster. Folks are allowed to gather up to five gallons per person per day, but you can't dig or disturb the soil. Collection of mushrooms, fruits and berries is permitted in all park areas, unless they are designated as closed.

A mushroom that was harvested along the trails near the Cape Cod National Seashore's Salt Pond Visitor's Center in Eastham.
A mushroom that was harvested along the trails near the Cape Cod National Seashore's Salt Pond Visitor's Center in Eastham.

I was amazed to see regulations regarding the "scattering of ashes from cremated human remains." But I guess it makes sense, because the splendor of the Seashore resonates deeply with folks, including me. The idea of somehow being part of it after the final curtain falls is beautiful.

But, of course, there are rules. Luckily, they don't seem too onerous. No permit is needed to scatter cremated human ashes in the Seashore under the following conditions — I'll quote directly from the regs here:

"The remains to be scattered must have been cremated and pulverized. The scattering of remains by persons on the ground is to be performed at least 100 yards from any trail, road, developed facility, or body of water. The scattering of remains from the air is to be performed at a minimum altitude of 2,000 feet above the ground. No scattering of remains from the air is to be performed over developed areas, facilities or bodies of water."

But let's not dwell on the inevitable. There are berries to be gathered, pies to make and fantastical driftwood trellises to build. And while this escapade has filled me with a sense of universal love, I'm still not going to share my secret Seashore blueberry spot!

Eric Williams, when not solving Curious Cape Cod mysteries, writes about a variety of ways to enjoy the Cape, the weather, wildlife and other subjects. Contact him at ewilliams@capecodonline.com. Follow him on X: @capecast.

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This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: What you can gather - and scatter - in the Cape Cod National Seashore