Our Purpose
Mission & Values
Why we exist, what we fund, and the principles that guide every decision.
Our Mission
To advocate for the Pamet River — and to fund actions that conserve, restore, and celebrate Truro's natural resources, from the river to our Town beaches.
Friends of Pamet River is a grant-making charity. We raise money from supporters and donors across the Truro community, then issue grants to projects that directly benefit the Pamet River and Truro's coastal environment. We are advocates and funders — connecting great ideas with the resources to make them real.
Founded in 2026, we believe that a small community acting together can accomplish extraordinary things. The Pamet River has sustained this land for 13,000 years. It is our turn to sustain the river.
Where Your Dollars Go
Four Grant Focus Areas
Our work begins with the river itself — and extends to any idea that helps protect, restore, and celebrate Truro's natural resources.
Advocacy for the Pamet
Our first priority. The Pamet's problems have been studied for 40 years and the path to restoring it is well understood — what it needs is a community that insists on seeing it through. We educate our neighbors, promote the Town's Pamet River Restoration Project, and keep the river's health at the center of public attention. About the Restoration Project →
Shellfish Propagation
Supporting the Truro Shellfish Department's seeding of oysters, quahogs, and clams in Pamet Harbor and along Truro's beaches — because healthy shellfish beds filter the water, stabilize sediment, and sustain a centuries-old harvest. See our work →
Defending Our Shellfish & Salt Marsh
Funding remediation of the crabs eating the foundation of this system. The invasive European green crab preys on young shellfish and shreds eelgrass and marsh roots as it digs. The native purple marsh crab — its numbers exploding now that poor tidal flow has pushed striped bass, one of its normal predators, downstream toward the harbor and the bay — grazes down the cordgrass that holds the salt marsh together, and is a leading cause of marsh loss on the outer Cape. Green crabs → Purple crabs →
Septic & Cesspool Upgrade Assistance
Septic-derived nitrogen is the largest controllable source of pollution reaching the Pamet — and the cost of upgrading is what stops most homeowners. We connect residents to Barnstable County's low-interest loan program and want to fund assistance toward upgrade costs for income-eligible Truro residents. See the resources →
How We Work
Our Values
Science-Grounded
Every grant decision is informed by data — water quality measurements, species surveys, and peer-reviewed research. We fund what the evidence says will work.
Community-Led
This organization belongs to Truro. We listen to residents, fishermen, artists, and business owners. The best conservation ideas come from the people who know this place best.
Long-Term Thinking
The Pamet River is 13,000 years old. We plan in decades, not quarters. Our grants build lasting infrastructure, not temporary fixes — so the river thrives long after we're gone.
Help us protect the Pamet
Your support and donations fuel every grant we make. Join a founding group who believe this river is worth fighting for.
