After 36 years at the helm of the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, director Bob Prescott has announced he'll be stepping down.
However, Prescott intends to remain involved in many of the sanctuary's education and science programs that he created and built over his tenure.
A search for a successor will begin soon, a process that is expected to include input from the Wellfleet Bay community.
Bob Prescott's statement:
I’d like to announce a new beginning for me.
In September, I will be accepting a new position at Wellfleet Bay—the first-ever Sanctuary Director Emeritus. I hope to remain active at the sanctuary for as long as I can. I plan to continue teaching Field School as well as teaching in local schools, volunteering, continuing to do turtle research, and attending events.
Now is the right time for new leadership. Not only have the sanctuary’s programs and facilities grown exponentially, Wellfleet Bay is also well positioned to continue to carry out its important mission.
The highlights over the years have been numerous. And while we have green buildings, wonderful new exhibits, done lots of good science, and restored populations of rare species, this is a people business. We have developed an unbelievably dedicated group of volunteers that are engaged in so many roles.
The volunteers, past and present, are at the heart of Wellfleet Bay and it’s just amazing to see how this program has developed and grown since we started it. It’s really the volunteers and staff that have created what you see when you visit. We’ve worked on so many projects— from horseshoe crabs, to osprey poles, terrapins, and sea turtles. Volunteers helped and inspired all along the way.
We continue the Mass Audubon tradition of summer day camp, now in its 60th year in Wellfleet and its 8th year in Chatham. We added school programs so we could connect local students to the nature that is all around them. I think that’s the program I’m most proud of.
I can’t thank Mass Audubon enough for all the wonderful opportunities I’ve had over my career.
Hard to believe it will be 37 years when I finally switch over to my new role as Sanctuary Director Emeritus! As Dr. Seuss said, "Don’t cry because it's over—smile because it happened."
So, I’m not really leaving. And most importantly, I want to make sure there is a smooth transition from Wellfleet Bay’s second Sanctuary Director to Wellfleet Bay’s third Sanctuary Director. Like all of you, I want to see Wellfleet Bay grow and thrive and see what the next chapter looks like.