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Don has presented his programs to a wide variety of audiences since 2001, including the Cape Cod National Seashore, the Boston Public Library, the Thoreau Society, the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History, the Eastham Historical Society, and the Thornton Burgess Society, as well as classes from the Orleans Elementary School, Captain Nathan Hill Middle School (Coventry, Conn.), Tahanto Regional High School (Boylston, Mass.), Chatham High School on Cape Cod, Penn State University, Emerson College, and Franklin Pierce University (New Hampshire). Don has led history walks at Cape Cod National Seashore, and taught Cape history courses at the Open University of Wellfleet and Nauset Community Education. 

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See Don's schedule of events here.

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PLEASE NOTE: Now scheduling dates for February 2025, and June through September of 2025. Availability is limited.

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HISTORIC STORMS OF CAPE COD

Cape Cod has always been in the path of deadly hurricanes and ferocious storms. Unwelcome summer visitors include the “Long Island Express” Hurricane of 1938, the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944, the twin Hurricanes Carol and Edna in 1954, and Hurricane Bob in 1991. These storms destroyed countless homes and left several coastal communities under several feet of water. Surging tides carried away houses with residents inside who didn't survive. Fall and winter brought the infamous “Portland Gale,” the benchmark “Blizzard of 1978,” the nor’easter of January 1987, and the infamous “Perfect Storm” of October 1991 which delivered some of the highest tides ever seen on the Outer Cape. Join local author and Harwich Conservation Trust walk leader Don Wilding as he revisits the Cape’s most severe weather events and their devastating impact.

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HENRY BESTON’S CAPE COD: HOW THE OUTERMOST
HOUSE INSPIRED A NATIONAL SEASHORE
Henry Beston’s book, “The Outermost House,” is considered to be one of the great nature books ever written. Learn how Beston’s trail to Cape Cod began at the Battle of Verdun in World War I, how he tapped into the healing power of nature on Cape Cod’s Outer Beach, how “The Outermost House” inspired legislators in Washington to establish the Cape Cod National Seashore, and the influence that Beston and “The Outermost House” had on Rachel Carson, other nature writers, and the American environmental movement. 

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SHIPWRECKS OF CAPE COD: STORIES OF TRAGEDY AND TRIUMPH

From the wreck of the Sparrow-Hawk in 1626 to the grounding of the Eldia in 1984, Cape Cod’s outer beach—often referred to as the “Graveyard of Ships”—saw the demise of more than three thousand vessels along forty miles of shifting shoals. The October Gale of 1841 claimed the lives of fifty-seven sailors from Truro, a devastating toll for a small seaside community. Survivors from the 1896 wreck of the Monte Tabor in Provincetown were arrested for a suspected mutiny. Aboard the Castagna, which stranded off Wellfleet in 1914, several sailors froze to death in the masts, while the crew’s cat survived. Local author Don Wilding revisits these and many other maritime disasters, along with the heroic, and sometimes tragic, rescue efforts of the U.S. Life-Saving Service and Coast Guard.

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STORMS & SHIPWRECKS OF CAPE COD

 This presentation combines elements from the Shipwrecks of Cape Cod and Historic Storms of Cape Cod talks, as well as "Cape Cod and the Portland Gale of 1898."

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WHERE DON'S BEEN ...

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* -- Indicates multiple presentations at venue

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CAPE COD, MASS.

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EASTHAM

Cape Cod National Seashore, Salt Pond Visitors Center. *
Eastham Chamber of Commerce
Eastham Senior Center *
Eastham Historical Society *
Eastham Public Library *
Nauset Fellowship (Universalist / Unitarian) of Chapel in the Pines. *
Eastham 350th Anniversary celebration, 2001.
The Inn at the Oaks (Penn. State University).
Captain’s Quarters (tourist group from Georgia)

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WELLFLEET
Massachusetts Audubon Society’s Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. *
Wellfleet Historical Society (at the Wellfleet Public Library). *
Cape Cod National Seashore, Marconi Beach (for Tahanto Regional High School, Boylston, Mass.).
Open University of Wellfleet (at Wellfleet Preservation Hall). *
Nauset Newcomers (at Wellfleet Cinemas). *

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TRURO
Truro Library, North Truro. *

Payomet Performing Arts Center, North Truro 

Truro Recreation Department (youth program at Truro Community Center), North Truro.

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PROVINCETOWN
Seashore Point. *
Provincetown Public Library. *
Pilgrim Monument & Provincetown Museum (Provincetown 2020 event). 
Pilgrim House.

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ORLEANS
Nauset Heights Association, East Orleans.
Nauset Community Education at Nauset Middle School. *
Cape Cod Hospital Auxiliary (Orleans branch) at Church of the Holy Spirit.
Snow Library. *

Orleans Historical Society. *

Orleans Elementary School (youth program)

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CHATHAM
Atwood House Museum (Chatham Historical Society). *

Chatham Men's Club (at Chatham Community Center).
Chatham High School. *
Eldredge Public Library. *
Chatham Orpheum. *

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BREWSTER
Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. *
Brewster Ladies’ Library. *
Brewster Men’s Club (at Ocean Edge)
Cape Cod Sea Camps. *
Epoch Senior Center. *

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HARWICH
Harwich Council on Aging at Harwich Community Center.
Harwich Conservation Trust at Harwich Community Center. *

Harwich Port Library.
Harwich Historical Society. 
Brooks Free Library. *

Stone Horse Yacht Club.

Chase Library.

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DENNIS
Cape Cod Museum of Art. 
Dennis Public Library, Dennisport. *
South Dennis Free Library, South Dennis.
Dennis Memorial Library. 

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YARMOUTH
Mayflower Retirement Community, West Yarmouth.
Historical Society of Old Yarmouth at Old Yarmouth Inn.
South Yarmouth Public Library.
Cultural Center of Cape Cod (for the Cape Cod Film Society).
Thirwood Place, South Yarmouth. *

Crazy Rooster Pub & Grill (tour group from Florida)

 

BARNSTABLE
Alliance to Protect Nantucket Sound

Cape Cod Community College, West Barnstable.
Cape Cod Writers’ Center (at the Cape Cod Maritime Museum).
Cape Cod Maritime Museum. *
Tales of Cape Cod. *
Barnstable Senior Center. *
Cotuit Library, Cotuit. *

Centerville Public Library
Osterville Free Library, Osterville. *
Sturgis Library. *
Hyannis Public Library. *

Alberto's Ristorante (tour group).

Osterville Men's Club.

United States Power Squadrons, District 34 (Southern New England), Hyannis. 

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MASHPEE
Mashpee Public Library.

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SANDWICH
Thornton W. Burgess Society (Green Briar Center). *
Sandwich Council on Aging.
Sandwich Glass Museum (Talk of the Town Series). *

Sandwich Public Library / Sandwich Town Archives. *

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​BOURNE
Bourne Newcomers & Neighbors.

Bourne Historical Society *

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FALMOUTH
Woods Hole Biological Laboratory.
Falmouth Public Library. *
Encore of Falmouth Newcomers (at First Congregational Church of Falmouth). *

Falmouth Newcomers (at First Congregational Church of Falmouth). *

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MASSACHUSETTS (OFF-CAPE)

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ABINGTON
Abington Public Library.

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ATHOL
Athol Public Library.

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BOSTON
Emerson College.
Boston Public Library. *

South Boston Historical Society.

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BOYLSTON
Tahanto Regional High School. 

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BRIDGEWATER
Bridgewater Public Library.

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BROOKLINE
Brookline Adult Education.

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CAMBRIDGE
Cambridge Center for Adult Education.

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COHASSET
Paul Pratt Memorial Library.

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CONCORD
Thoreau Society (72nd Annual Gathering, 2013).

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DOVER
Dover Town Library.

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FAIRHAVEN

Millicent Library

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FOXBORO
Foxborough Historical Society. *

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FRAMINGHAM
Framingham Public Library. *
Carmel Terrace.

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FRANKLIN
Franklin Public Library.

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HINGHAM
Hingham Public Library.

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HOLLISTON
Holliston Public Library.

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​HOPEDALE
Bancroft Memorial Library.

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HUDSON
Hudson Public Library.

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MARSHFIELD
Ventress Memorial Library.

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MANSFIELD
Mansfield Council on Aging.
Mansfield Public Library. *

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MATTAPOISETT
Mattapoisett Free Public Library. 

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MAYNARD
Maynard Public Library.

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MIDDLEBORO
Mitchell Memorial Club (for the Massachusetts Beach Buggy Association).

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MILFORD
Milford Town Library. *
Cornerstone at Milford.

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NATICK
Morse Institute Library.

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NEWBURYPORT
Newburyport Film Festival, The Screening Room Theater (rough cut screening of film, 2014).

 

NEWTON
Newton Free Library. *

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NORFOLK
Norfolk Public Library.
 
NORTH ATTLEBORO
North Attleboro Historical Society.

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NORTHBORO
Northboro Free Library.

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NORTON
Norton Public Library.
Norton Institute for Continuing Education (Wheaton College).

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PLYMOUTH
Plymouth Public Library.

Plymouth Harbormaster's Office.

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QUINCY
Thomas Crane Public Library. *

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RAYNHAM
Raynham Historical Society.

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SALEM
Hawthorne Hotel (2003 annual meeting of Annie’s Book Stop owners ).
Salem Athenaeum.

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SCITUATE

Scituate Historical Society.

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SHARON
Sharon Adult Center (at the Community Center).

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SOMERSET
Somerset Public Library.
 
SOUTHBORO
Southboro Public Library.

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STOW
Randall Library.

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UXBRIDGE
Uxbridge Free Library.

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WALPOLE
Walpole Public Library. *

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WEBSTER
Corbin Public Library.

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WELLESLEY
Wellesley Free Library.

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WEST BRIDGEWATER

Old Bridgewater Historical Society.

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​WESTFIELD
Westfield Athenaeum.

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WESTON
Weston Senior Citizens Club.

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WINCHESTER
Winchester Public Library.

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​MAINE

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DAMARISCOTTA
Damariscotta Lake Watershed Association.

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NOBLEBORO
National Literary Landmark dedication for Henry Beston’s Chimney Farm at Nobleboro Grange.

 

NEW HAMPSHIRE

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HOPKINTON
Hopkinton Public Library.

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​RHODE ISLAND

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​EAST PROVIDENCE
Weaver Memorial Library.

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NORTH KINGSTOWN
North Kingstown Free Library.

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BOOKSTORE AND OTHER SIGNING EVENTS

Barnes & Noble, Cape Cod Mall, Hyannis

Titcomb's Bookshop, Sandwich

Market Street Bookshop, Mashpee

Brewster Bookstore, Brewster

Yellow Umbrella Books, Chatham

Where the Sidewalk Ends, Chatham

Murphy's General Store, Harwich Port

Falmouth Art Market *

Eastham Windmill Weekend *

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