Even those of us that didn't have the $12,000 to protect an acre of waterfront land, or even the $50 to provide home for a periwinkle, could help the Wareham Land Trust (WLT) by buying dinner at Cosi Restaurant on Sunday, March 7.

The WLT "Nosh for Nature" took advantage of the Cosi Benefit Night program which donates 10 percent of an evening's sales to a nonprofit.  The money will be used to pay off the loan for a 2.55-acre parcel of land with 557 feet of coastal frontage on Marks Cove that the trust purchased this December.

The acquisition will add to 112 acres of open space that is already protected by the Wildlands Trust and the WLT and will provide passive recreation opportunities such as hiking, fishing, and kayaking.

The land trust has already raised $84,600 for the project from state and federal grants, and has set a deadline of April 22 to raise the remaining balance of $29,150 before moving on to their next project to conserve a 100 + -acre parcel surrounding Patterson's Brook in West Wareham.

"The quicker we can pay it back, the less interest that we need to expend on the loan," said WLT treasurer Nancy McHale.

McHale said that they hope to begin building a trail network in the spring and that they are working with the Wareham Conservation Commission to plan for a possible kayak launch so that paddlers can access the water.

The event was one of the better attended Benefit Nights, said Cosi general manager Adam Burnett.

"The success is dependent on what the group puts into it, and they certainly got the word out," Burnett said.

At least eight WLT board members and many other volunteers delivered food and information on the trust's activities to the tables.

"It brings me back to boarding school," said Dick Wheeler, a 1948 Hebron Academy graduate who regularly performed dining-hall duty.

"It's wonderful," said WLT board member Kathy Pappalardo.  "It's a great gathering, and we're not washing the dishes, and we're not cooking the food!"