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VCS Annual Meeting
Tuesday, June 28, 5:30 pm
at the Wakeman Conservation Center off of Lambert's Cove Road
At this year's meeting, Jeremy Houser will be giving a presentation on
his research about the local effects of global climate change, so don't
miss it.
Appetizers and wine will be served.
All are welcome. FREE
Fact of the Week
It is now clear that the Earth has entered a period of considerable
climate change, threatening our coastline, ponds, farmland, wildlife
habitats, buildings, and economy. The Vineyard is projected to see a
greater frequency of hurricanes and major storms, a rise in sea level
that threatens low-lying areas (such as the Vineyard Haven waterfront
and much of downtown Edgartown), and a warmer climate that translates
into changing plant and animal species. Our warmer, dryer summers will
likely lead to low water levels in nontidal ponds, further concentrating
nitrogen pollution.
-MV Island Plan
Clicke HERE to read it.
Conservation Calendar
Seashore Discovery
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown.
Meet creatures of the sea including crabs, whelks and scallops. Cost is
$9 or $6 for Mass Audubon members; free for kids under three.
Native Plants and Invasive Species on Martha's Vineyard
Garden Club Monthly Meeting, Tuesday, June 21, at 1:00 p.m. at the Old Mill in West Tisbury.
Members are free, guests $5. For more information, call 508-693-5334.
Otters at the Chilmark Library
Wednesday, June 22, at 5:30 p.m.
Luanne Johnson, wildlife biologist, presents Otters! at the Chilmark Library. Free.
State Beach Exploration
Thursday, June 23, from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. at the Polly Hill Arboretum.
Naturalist Dick Johnson leads an exploration of State Beach and
Sengekontaket Pond. $20 general admission, and $10 for PHA members. For
registration and carpool information, call 508 693 9426.
Used Book Drop-off Day
Oak Bluffs Public Library,
Thursday, July 7, 4:00 pm - 7:00pm.
Drop off your used books for the Library Friends Annual Book Sale. Help
by donating your slightly used books, DVDs, & CDs. This is the
FINAL drop-off day before the big sale,
July 21 - 23.
In Season Recipe
Local Strawberry Shortcake
-
1 quart of Whipporwill Farm strawberries
-
1/2 cup sugar
Cake Batter -
1 1/4 cup flour
-
3/4 cup sugar
-
1/3 cup butter
-
2/3 cup Mermaid Farm milk
-
2 local eggs
-
2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
-
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sweetened Whip Cream -
1 pint heavy whipping cream
-
1/4 cup sugar
Preparation:
Early in the day, prepare the strawberries. Wash and cut or pull tops
off of strawberries. Make at least two slices from from top to bottom of
each strawberry. Put in a covered container. Pour sugar over top, cover
and put in the refrigerator. During the day, shake the container
occasionally.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour 9" square pan. In small
mixer bowl combine all cake ingredients. Beat at medium speed, scraping
bowl often, until well mixed, about 2 minutes. Spread into prepared pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely in pan.
Just prior to serving whip cream and sugar.
Cut cake into nine squares. Slice each square horizontally. Place both
halves on serving plate. Spoon strawberries on cake. Dollop whipped
cream on top and then ladle clear strawberry juice over cream.
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Monday, June 20
Local News
Tread Lightly
Gay Head Cliffs
Orginally printed in the VCS Spring Newsletter.
by GERALDINE BROOKS
For the past three years, I’ve lived on two islands. As my feet traveled
the familiar roads of today’s Martha’s Vineyard, my mind wandered back
in time to Noepe, the island as it was when the first small band of
English settlers arrived here.
I’ve been writing a novel called Caleb’s Crossing, a work of fiction
inspired by the fact that the first Native American graduate of Harvard
in 1665 was an Island Wampanoag named Caleb Cheeshahteaumuck. Facts
about the life of that remarkable young man are sadly scant. In trying
to create an imaginary version of what his life might have been like, I
have had to delve into the history of the island, the written accounts,
but also the story as it has been etched upon the landscape.
When the English arrived here, there were probably more than 3,000
Wampanoag Indians living – and living well – on the Island. (Early
English writings invariably note how tall and healthy the indigenous
people appear.) By all accounts, they lived lightly, divided into
several bands of varying size. In summer, they camped near the shore,
feasting on shellfish, hunting waterfowl, building fish traps woven of
supple withes. They gardened with hoes formed from clamshells; raised
squash, corn and beans in companion-plantings that suppressed weeds and
minimally disturbed the soil. They gathered a bounty of native berries,
from fat strawberries in spring to blueberries in summer and the crimson
gems of cranberries in fall.
Click HERE to read the full story.
Ocean Acidification
South Shore Surf
This Fall, the Vineyard Conservation Society was awarded a generous
grant from the Edey Foundation to look at risks to natural resource
conservation on Martha’s Vineyard as a result of global climate change,
and identify adaptation strategies worth advocating for. Jeremy Houser
was hired to conduct that year long study. Some of his findings will be
released for the first time ever at the VCS annual meeting, dont miss
it.
An interesting bit from the report:
Everyone knows the ocean provides great benefits to our island – from
fishing and shellfishing, to tourism dollars, to the mild climate that
we all enjoy. But oceans provide another relatively invisible service to
the world at large. By absorbing large amounts of the excess CO₂
produced by our reliance on fossil fuels, the world's oceans act as a
buffer to climate change, greatly reducing the warming we would have
seen to date had all of that CO₂ remained in the atmosphere.
Unfortunately, taking one for the team has come with a cost that is only
beginning to be understood: the dissolved CO₂ produces carbonic acid
that is gradually lowering the pH of the water.
This process – known as ocean acidification – will impact any marine
organisms that are sensitive to pH (that is, most of them). Perhaps the
most strongly affected are shellfish, who find it much more difficult to
build their calcium carbonate shells as pH declines. It is a new area
of research, but the studies are now coming quickly. For example,
scientists found that clams, scallops, and oysters grew more slowly when
CO₂ concentrations were raised to levels expected later this century;
further, 50% fewer quahog and scallop larvae survived. Another study
compared current conditions to those of the past, and found that quahogs
and scallops grew faster, had thicker shells, and greater survival in
pre-industrial CO₂ levels than in today's. Unfortunately, these lab
studies may underestimate the effect of growth rate and shell thickness
on mortality in the wild due to predation. The science is becoming
increasingly clear that ocean acidification will have a very large
impact of shellfish populations and the future course of the fishery.
VCS Recyling Initiative- Our Marine Environment and the Games we Play
Menemsha Stripers
Martha’s Vineyard is a resort community for 16 weeks a year and the
activities that define that type of setting generate a unique waste
management situation. It is fast paced and consumer driven.
Vacationers don’t always bring their best habits from home and often
forget that recycling continues when they are on vacation. (A message
to those who rent their homes to vacationers; post reminders about
recycling and retain a waste hauling company which will keep
recyclables separate). We covered some of our fast food and
convenience store situations in a previous report but this segment is
more about our water dependent recreational opportunities here and what
we can do to minimize the impacts of the waste generated during these
activities. Fishing is one such activity. Bad fishermen can make a
real mess with litter and bait boxes and bottles often greet beach
goers in the morning. Not that it’s an excuse for careless handing of
one’s waste but many fishing spots lack recycling containers or even
trash receptacles. More of both would probably help. As towns deal
with increased costs to provide services this is one of the areas they
often cut. Edgartown no longer provides collection containers at
Wilson’s Landing resulting in one of the most heavily littered boat
launch ramps on the island. Litter often attracts illegal disposal;
seems that some people don’t need much of an excuse to toss their waste
to the side of the road.
To read the full article click HERE.
Other News
The Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15: Know which fruits and veggies you should always buy organic
The Environmental Working Group has released their 2011 Shopper's Guide
to Pesticides in Produce. The guide lists the 12 conventionally grown
crops with the highest amount of pesticide residues making it to the
produce aisle shelf, as well as 15 cleaner foods where buying organic
may be less important. With ever-rising food prices, it's a great
resource for budget-conscious shoppers who want to avoid pesticides
while enjoying the overall health benefits of eating lots of fresh
fruits and vegetables.
Click HERE for the Guide. |