Mission, Vision, Values 

Our Mission...
The Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team is a nonprofit organization dedicated to vernal pond conservation and education since 1990. Our focus is vernal ponds. The issue is the preservation of wildlife habitat, which is ultimately about the health of the planet. 

Our Vision...
The Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team brings people together for education and preservation of nature in a fun and exciting way. We instill passion and stewardship for the natural world in people of all ages thereby helping to save our corner of the world. 

Our Values...
The Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team accomplishes our work in a way that reflects the welfare and comfort of the creatures in our care, and those in the wild. We strive to leave the smallest possible ecological footprint on the world. We work hard to be financially and physically accessible to all participants. Our interactions with humans are based on respect and integrity. We are responsible stewards of our environment and of the finances entrusted to us by the public. 

We LOVE Our Grantors and Funders!!!

...who have graciously and generously contributed to our mission.

 The Echo Charitable Foundation
The Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team and the Echo Charitable Foundation (TECF) share a common goal of environmental protection and stewardship. 

We would like to sincerely thank TECF for challenging us with an incredible Matching Funds Campaign in 2022. They matched your donations and because of that generosity, we met our fundraising goal. Because of TECF and YOU, we have done great things and have worked hard to increase our presence in the community.  We are grateful for the gifts of our Toyota Sienna van and Matching Funds Campaign of $25,000. 

Thank you, The Echo Charitable Foundation, from the HEART… for providing us with this generous funding… what a tremendous opportunity for our Team.

In late December we were nominated and awarded a very generous donation from the Combined Change Donor Advised Fund. We asked them to please help share our JOY by telling us more about how and why they chose CAVPT.

Combined Change

In their words… "In honor of Marilyn Comb, members of the Comb Family have selected your organization for its outstanding commitment to making our planet a better place to live. The family was happy to support the work you are doing this year as an organization local to us, working in a subject of personal interest to many family members."

We are so appreciative of the Combined Change donation and support of the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team’s Mission to make the world a little better place for everyone through education and conservation.

"We are a private foundation whose mission is to foster community-based conservation of landscapes and seascapes and the bio-cultural diversity found in these places. We recognize that the natural and cultural values of landscapes and seascapes are inextricably linked, and that indigenous and local communities play a fundamental role in their stewardship."

Last year New England BioLabs Foundation provided us with a grant that specifically targeted our animals, to help us take care of them. We are fortunate that they care about the welfare of the creatures and the environment that they live in. The assistance they provided increased our outreach by allowing us to focus on our programs, vernal pond certifications, and other conservation efforts. Their continued support over the years has made our little neck-of-the-woods a better place. 

Many of our volunteers and contributors are either employed by Applied Materials or are family members and have been invaluable supporters of the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team.

Applied Materials Foundation provided us grant monies to replace old equipment, restock necessary items and regenerate our activities. Thanks to your support we have a clean fresh look! 

"Applied Materials and its Foundation are committed to making a positive social contribution in communities where our employees work and to the world around us. We prioritize the needs of neighborhoods near our facilities where our investments can enhance educational outcomes for underserved students, contribute to a vibrant, innovative arts sector, provide basic services to those less fortunate, and promote environmental stewardship."

Thank you for your grant and the support Cape Ann Savings Bank provides to all the nonprofit organizations in our community. It is this support that allows us to do the incredible things we do to help make this place so special. Our work continues and your contribution helps us pursue our mission.

We are pleased that more than one thousand of our volunteers and participants also come from Cape Ann, many of which bank locally at Cape Ann Savings Bank. Supporting local business goes hand in hand with supporting nonprofit organizations such as ours.