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Quote of the Week
"In every outthrust headland, in every curving beach, in every grain of sand there is the story of the earth."
-- Rachel Carson”
Conservation Calendar
Owl Night at Felix Neck
Saturday, March 7, 5:30 to 7:00 pm, Edgartown
Join Felix Neck for the Big Moon Owl Prowl, featuring a full-moon-lit
walk and other educational activities. $5, free for members. For more
info, call (508) 627-4850.
Winter Walking at the Arboretum
Saturday, March 14, 10:00 am, West Tisbury
Join Polly Hill staff to explore the Arboretum grounds in the
off-season. Winter is when bark patterns and architectural structure
become evident as deciduous trees lose their leaves, the conifers stand
out with their many textures and shades of green, and even some fruits
and flowers appear. Tours run for a little over an hour. Meet at the
Visitor Center and dress for the weather. Free.
Sustainability Seminar Series
Saturdays, Mar. 7 - Apr. 11, 1:00 to 3:00 pm, Edgartown
Northeastern University faculty lead a five-week series of seminars
focusing on our oceans and sustainability issues. Offered through
ACEMV, and held at the MV Regional High School library. Registration is
$139, call 508 693-9222 or see website for more info.
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Monday, March 2, 2015
Local News
VCS Through the Decades: 2000s
A Winter Walk at Mermaid Farm
Mermaid's dairy products are known to most who travel Middle Road, but how many have seen where it's all made?
As we continue our walk through the decades of conservation on Martha’s Vineyard, this Sunday (March 8th) we draw ever closer to the present day with a visit to Mermaid Farm.
The iconic working farm, whose farm stand is well-known to travelers of
Middle Road and indispensible to fans of local dairy products, is part
of a 60+ acre property straddling the Chilmark/West Tisbury line.
Bringing permanent protection to this vital resource was a true success
story, but a complicated one, involving time, cooperation, and
incredible persistence.
During the walk, we’ll discuss this complex conservation story, but also
the history of the farm itself. For example, did you know that the
residence that today fronts Middle Road was once located across the road
(at present-day Brookside Farm), along the Tiasquam River? There it was
used as a “fulling mill”
– a traditional use of water power to clean wool and process it into
cloth. Fulling mills were common in the early English settlement period,
making it possible to keep the production of cloth and textile goods
close to the farms.
At Mermaid Farm that spirit of self-reliance and sustainability lives on
today. Please join us this Sunday for our final VCS walk and a unique
tour of the farm itself – we have our fingers crossed for spring lambs!
Due to the lingering snow, please RSVP via email so we can better plan for parking.
All VCS Winter Walks are free, start at 1:00 and are about 2 hours
long, followed by cider and cookies. Walks are regularly scheduled for
the second Sunday of the month.
Fifty Tips for Protecting Our Island's Environment
Have you been spending any of these housebound winter days cleaning out
closets and drawers? Or maybe looking to add something fun to your
wardrobe? Consider your local consignment shop as an adventuresome place
to recycle clothes and household goods; even
purchasing an interesting "gently-used" item can help the recycling
process along! The Vineyard is blessed with two fine consignment stores:
the Chicken Alley Thrift Shop in Vineyard Haven, which benefits MV
Community Services, and the Second Hand Store in Edgartown, which
benefits the Boys' and Girls' Club. Friendly faces will greet you, and
whether you’re donating, consigning, or purchasing something you'll feel
really good about keeping those valuable resources local!
As we celebrate our fiftieth year of protecting our Island
environment, VCS plans to share fifty tips to help all of us work more
effectively toward that goal. Special thanks to Linda Jones for her work on this feature.
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