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The Solucar station in Spain harnesses the sun's rays to make power.
Oct. 6, join VCS and the MV Film Society for Switch, a true highlight of our "Green on Screen" collaboration. For info on the film and our screening, see VCS site; to learn even more, visit the Switch Energy Project.
Conservation Calendar
Electronics Disposal Day
Saturday, Sept 29, 9:00 am to 2:00 pm, Oak Bluffs.
Many electronic devices and appliances contain toxic chemicals that can
be harmful if not disposed of properly, not to mention that getting rid
of them at the dump is expensive! Bring your burdensome junk to MV
Community Services (across the street from the high school) this
Saturday. Fees range from $1 - $30 and benefit MVCS. For more info, see website or call 508-693-7900.
Toddler Time
Wednesdays, 10:00 am to noon, Native Earth Teaching Farm, Chilmark.
Wednesday mornings at Native Earth are Toddler Time, where toddlers and
their adults can meet and play in a fun and unfettered environment.
Suggested donation of $5. For more info call 508-645-3304 or see website.
West Tisbury Farmer's Market
Saturdays, 9:00 to noon at the Grange Hall, West Tisbury.
Fresh picked produce from local farms, flowers, delicious baked goods
and prepared foods from Island kitchens and more. For more info, see website.
Seashore Discovery
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, Edg.
Meet creatures of the sea including crabs, whelks and scallops. Cost is
$9 or $6 for Mass Audubon members; free for kids under three. For more
info, call Felix Neck at 508-627-4850.
In Season Recipe
Gazpacho, Fresh from the Vineyard
Gazpacho is often seen as the ideal summer soup, and for good reason -
it's cool, fresh, and light. The thing is, though, tomatoes (the most
important ingredient, by size at least), are precious in early to
mid-summer, but piling up in the fields and pantries in late summer.
Today, let's take a look at VCS Board member Ginny Jones' personal take on this diverse dish from her cookbook Fresh from the Vineyard.
Fresh from the Vineyard, by Virginia Jones, features recipes
that take advantage of our bounty of local produce, meats, and seafood.
Proceeds from sales of the book (see VCS website
for locations) will benefit both VCS and the Island Grown Initiative,
two organizations that – in very different ways – have helped promote
and sustain local agriculture.
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Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Local News
Living Local Harvest Festival Returns September 29th
Click for festival poster
Join VCS at the annual Living Local Harvest Festival, Saturday September
29 at the Ag Hall in West Tisbury for free fun for all ages: fresh
local food, live music (and animals!), interactive educational demos,
and classic harvest fest games and activities. (Skillet toss? Why not.
Pumpkin-launching trebuchet? Of course!) The festival and activities run from 10 am to 3 pm, followed by a harvest potluck from 7 to 10 pm.
The Living Local Harvest Fest was founded by four Island organizations
-- VCS, the MV Agricultural Society, the Vineyard Energy Project, and
Island Grown Initiative -- to promote sustainable living on our Island
by encouraging local food production and local economics, renewable
energy, and resource conservation.
To Protect and Serve: Wetlands on Point, Time to Reciprocate
Wetlands, like these near South
Beach in Katama, help buffer the shore from erosion during powerful
storms, among other ecological benefits. (Photo by William Waterway, click for full size)
Part eight of Liz Durkee's series on the local impacts of global climate change looks at wetlands
-- both the expected impacts to wetlands from climate change, but also
the important ecological functions performed by wetlands, some of which
are crucial contributions to our island's resilience and adaptability to
climate change.
"Like sponges, salt marshes absorb
storm water and thereby protect people, roads, and property from
flooding and storm damage. They slow shoreline erosion, absorb
pollutants, and recharge groundwater supplies."
Other News
Recent Movement of Butterfly Populations
(and media standards?)
The Fiery skipper (Hylephila phyleus), one of the butterflies spending more time up north lately
Butterfly watchers in Massachusetts have been noting more frequent
occurrences of typically more southern species for some time. As
reported by the NBC Nightly News last week, the science behind the story was interesting enough to produce a recent paper in the prestigious journal Nature. You can read more about the study, led by Greg Breed of Harvard Forest, at his project page.
On a side note, one interesting aspect of the TV news segment was noted
by VCS Board member Phil Henderson: Dr. Breed was actually allowed to
answer the reporter's question, "Is this climate change?" with a
cautious affirmative without the producers bringing in a climate skeptic
for a soundbite to "balance" the claim. For the national network news,
this is encouraging progress!
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