Save the Date
VCS Annual Meeting
Envisioning the Next Half Century
June 23, 5:00 to 7:00 pm
Please join us for great food and
engaging conversation at the Ag Hall in West Tisbury. As we celebrate
fifty years of work protecting the land, water, and quality of life on
our Island, special guests John Abrams and Marc Rosenbaum will help
spark a broader discussion about what it means to live sustainably for
the next fifty years. Free for VCS members, $10 per person for the
public.
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Quote of the Week
"La ferveur du public, compétent en matière de protection de la nature, nous a impressionnés et ravis."
(The fervor of the public, competent in matters of protection of nature, impressed and delighted us.)
--Filmmaker Jacques Perrin, following his trip to Martha's Vineyard for the Nature as Inspiration festival
Conservation Calendar
Arboretum Volunteer Day
Thursday, June 4, 9:00 am to noon, West Tisbury.
Through October, the Polly Hill Arboretum hosts a volunteer day the
first Thursday of the month. Dress appropriately and bring gloves –
necessary tools will be provided. More info at website, but please call ahead if interested, (508) 693-9426.
Cross-Island Hike
Saturday, June 6, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Each year since 1993, the land bank has
observed National Trails Day by conducting a day-long hike across the
island to expose people to the network of trails that connect the many
conservation lands and public properties. This year's hike extends 20 miles from Chilmark Pond Preserve to Pecoy Point Preserve. More at Land Bank website.
Pricing Carbon: Legislation that Works
Saturday, June 6, 10:30 am, West Tisbury.
A bill currently pending before the state legislature, “An Act Combating
Climate Change,” proposes to reduce greenhouse gases by putting a price
on carbon. How would the bill work? Will it actually reduce carbon
pollution? How will it affect consumers? The League of Women Voters is
holding a panel discussion to address these questions at the West
Tisbury Library; for more, see press release.
Snakes of Martha's Vineyard
Wednesday, June 10 at 5:00 pm, Chilmark.
Biologists from BiodiversityWorks explain why
snakes are special and how you can help with their survey work in this
presentation at the Chilmark Library.
Shorebird Tracking
Saturday, June 13, 9:00 to 10:00 am, State Beach.
Walk the beach with a Felix Neck shorebird biologist to record field
data, search for birds and nests, and identify bird and mammal tracks in
the sand. Meet at the State Beach access trail on the Oak Bluffs side
of Big Bridge. All ages, free, for more info call (508) 627-4850.
The Farmers' Market is Back!
Saturdays, 9:00 to noon, West Tisbury.
The Farmers' Market returns this weekend: fresh picked produce from
local farms, flowers, delicious baked goods and prepared foods from
Island kitchens and more. Outside of the Grange Hall in West Tisbury.
For more info, see website. |
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Local News
A Packed House for First Annual Environmental Film Festival
Left
to Right: Jesse Ausubel, Olli Barbe, Jacques Perrin, and Henry de
Cazotte (French Ministry of Foreign Affiars). Jesse was a consultant and
Barbe the production manager for the Perrin-directed Oceans. See slideshow for more photos.
 The
first annual VCS environmental film festival was a rousing success!
Hosted and co-sponsored by the MV Film Society, the Nature as
Inspiration festival featured six screenings of the amazing nature films
of Jacques Perrin. Many thanks to event organizer Jesse Ausubel for
bringing Jacques and his team to the Vineyard, and to Richard Paradise,
whose expertise and hospitality made the festival a joy for all. Special
recognition also goes to Jesse for his adept moderation of the
excellent Q&A sessions with the filmmakers and local naturalists,
artists, and scientists that followed the films.
The Nature as Inspiration festival is part of a broader initiative from
VCS called “Connect, Reflect, Protect.” In our 50th anniversary year,
VCS is seeking to spark environmental awareness and reflection on the
importance of connecting our Island community to the natural world that
supports us. With several sellouts and packed houses all weekend – many
times packed largely with young folks – there is no doubt that we are
one big step further along the path of the Connect, Reflect, Protect
outreach initiative.
Thanks to the Richard Lounsbery Foundation, whose grant made this festival possible.
The Art of Conservation:
Winners Announced!
Those are thick envelopes! Thanks to our
sponsors, first prize winners took home $100 cash, with special
distinctions receiving gift certificates from Mocha Mott's, Espresso
Love, Nat’s Nook, Fella’s, Rocco’s & the MV Film Society
The MV Film Center pulled double duty during the film festival, serving
as the site of the opening exhibition and awards show for the second
annual Art of Conservation high school art contest. This year, a new
category was added to the original four (painting, drawing, photography,
and sculpture) to encompass the diversity of other art forms students
could contribute, e.g., collage, video, graphic design, animation,
architecture, etc.
First place in painting went to Katherine Reid, first in drawing to Lucy
Thompson, first in photography to Jessica Haynes, first in sculpture to
Iris Albert, and a first place for digital media was awarded to Curtis
Fisher. Special distinctions were awarded to Margaret Joba-Woodruff
(painting); Sean O’Malley, Olin Gannon, Tiki Green, and Susanna Becchio
(sculpture); and Olivia Smith, Caroline Roddy, Kayla Oliver, Elijah
Laikin, and Pearl Vercruysse (photography).
Winning artworks are showing through this Sunday (June 7) in the Feldman
Family Artspace in the lobby of the Film Center (at Tisbury
Marketplace). If you miss this showing, catch it at Mocha Mott's in Oak
Bluffs for all of July. For a preview, check out the first place winners
right now!
Other News
Clean Up Your Emissions and Save with Rebates and Incentives
Two organizations, Mass Save and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center,
have a variety of programs that can help save big money while upgrading
your home’s heating, cooling, lighting, and other energy-intensive
systems. MassCEC offers rebates for heating and cooling, such as ground source and air source heat pumps, among other programs. For another example, MassCEC will rebate $1,250 to $2,250 when changing out an old woodstove for a more energy efficient and cleaner one (but note the deadline is June 19).
Mass Save appears to emphasize rebates for Energy Star appliances and electronics, though they also offer incentives on heating and cooling systems and other home improvements. For example, there is a current rebate offer for up to $2,000 toward insulation improvements.
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