Among contemporary cultural topics, the advent of artificial intelligence has generated strong opinions while continuing to be poorly understood. Artificial intelligence is here and it’s not going away. There’s likely not a field or profession that won’t somehow be impacted by artificial intelligence over the next decade. While art and culture have long been the domain of the human experience, artificial intelligence is increasingly gaining a foothold in these disciplines. At what point does imagery become art? Is it art, or is it theft? What does this mean for art and artists?

Through a grant from the Mass Cultural Council, the Waquoit Bay Fish Company is bringing the wonders of Mashpee's natural world into the local classroom. Using nature journals, students are using their senses to observe the world in their backyard through writing, drawing, and other creative expressions. This program fosters a deep connection between students and their environment, sparking curiosity, scientific inquiry, and a sense of community. It also integrates Mashpee's unique history and cultural heritage, teaching students about the importance of protecting their local natural resources. Ultimately, nature journaling is a transformative experience that equips students with the tools to appreciate and protect the natural world around them.

Several months ago, I entered the EforAll Cape Cod Business Accelerator Program. The Accelerator is a free, one-year program that provides immersive business training, mentorship and access to an extended professional network. It provides all of the building blocks for self-belief. The workshop and classes were safe harbor where vulnerability wasn’t a weakness, but shared scars of the entrepreneurial journey. EforAll became more than just mentors, business models, and spreadsheets; it was a community, a hand outstretched amidst the maze of self-doubt.

I entered the program lacking confidence, but together we built and navigated the uncharted waters of market research, and braved the waves of weekly progress check-ins. We fine-tuned our visions and our goals, but we moved forward - together. And in the end we emerged self confident entrepreneurs. EforAll wasn't just a program; it was a rite of passage. It was a testament of the boundless power of human potential. The power of self-belief.

Beneath the quiet dawn of a December day, I joined other oystermen in Popponesett Bay, raking the mud for the winter bounty. Our unspoken camaraderie reflected a deep bond to the sea, a bond woven through generations by this time-honored Cape Cod tradition. More than mere harvest, it's a celebration of nature's rhythm, where the cooling winter waters heighten the unparalleled flavor of the oyster. This seasonal ebb and flow of the ocean’s gifts continues throughout the year, from the spring's surge of fish to summer's shellfish symphony and autumn's sweet bay scallops. Each bite, a connection to the land, the people, and the sea and a reminder of the timelessness of the relationship.

Eating local seafood isn’t just a culinary experience, it's a journey to the heart of a place. It is a celebration of the region's unique flavors, and a testament to the interconnectedness of people and their environment. Each bite of fresh, locally caught seafood, acquaints us with the place where it was harvested. We can taste the distinct minerals of the waters where the animal thrived, the briny tang of the local prey it consumed. The flavors of local seafood are deeply intertwined with the stories of the people who harvest it. We can hear their voices in the stories behind the dishes, their knowledge of the sea and its rhythms passed down through generations. In each mouthful of local seafood, we connect not just with the place where it was caught, but with the people who depend on it for their livelihoods, and the environment that sustains it all. It's a reminder that we are not separate from nature and place, but an integral part of it.