The 26th Anniversary Earth Day Beach Clean-Up
April 21, 2018
Protect Wildlife, Beautify Your Island, Celebrate Earth Day, and Kick-Off Spring — All in One Great Family-Friendly Event
After-Party at Sailing Camp Park
More details, and history of this community tradition at the Beach Clean-Up page!
Break Free from Plastic
Join VCS and Plastic Free on MV at these monthly gatherings to learn all sorts of creative new ways to reduce the amount of plastic packaging and harsh chemicals in everyday life. At the Island Cohousing Common House, from 6 - 7 pm, kids are welcome!
April 24: DIY Natural Cleaning Supplies
Chemical-free cleaning
In supermarkets and drugstores there are aisles and aisles full of highly specialized cleaners, decorated with chemical warnings on their labels . . . and all packed in plastic. Learn about inexpensive, easy-to-use natural alternatives which can safely be used in place of commercial household products. Leave with product recipes and your own glass spray bottle of natural all-purpose cleaner!
May 8: Homemade Food Hacks
Make it yourself and skip the packaging
We’ve become so accustomed to grabbing what we need from the supermarket shelves that we’ve forgotten that many packaged foods, such as bread, tortillas, crackers, pasta, granola bars, yogurt and hummus, are all quite easy to make! Along with great taste, when you do it yourself you avoid the plastic packaging – as well as the processing and preservatives.
* * * Past Events * * *
Zero-Waste Wardrobe
Selecting, thrifting, minimizing, mending, and recycling
Exploring Your Sense of Wonder
Family Fun at Featherstone
December's Winter Walk was a family-friendly collaboration with Featherstone Center for the Arts. After a hike through the nearby conservation lands (including a visit to the historic waterworks) we returned to Featherstone for a crafting activity. Coral from FCA guided kids in a print-making project, using seasonal plants to make nature-inspired cards.
Quenames & Quansoo Winter Walk
A hardy band of walkers kicked off the 2017-18 Winter Walks series with a morning walk through the landscape surrounding Quenames Cove and Black Point Pond. The walk was led by naturalist and birder Soo Whiting, whose family has continuously occupied the Quenames farm for more than 200 years.
If you missed it, check out the photos from the walk!
Breaking Up with Plastics
at the
Living Local Harvest Festival
The
annual Living Local Harvest Festival was founded by four Island organizations — VCS, the M.V.
Agricultural Society, Vineyard Energy Project, and Island Grown
Initiative — to promote sustainable living on our island by encouraging
local food production and the local economy, renewable energy, and
resource conservation.
This year's festival featured another event in our ongoing plastics reduction campaign. "Breaking Up with Plastics," with guests Tyson Bottenus (editor, Ocean Watch Magazine) and Clint Richmond (Mass. Sierra Club), our own Samantha Look and Nina Carter Hitchen, and moderator Heather Goldstone of WCAI, discussed plastic pollution and what you can do to help.
This year's festival featured another event in our ongoing plastics reduction campaign. "Breaking Up with Plastics," with guests Tyson Bottenus (editor, Ocean Watch Magazine) and Clint Richmond (Mass. Sierra Club), our own Samantha Look and Nina Carter Hitchen, and moderator Heather Goldstone of WCAI, discussed plastic pollution and what you can do to help.
Global Environmental Threats:
How Medical Models Can Help us Understand Them
On July 26, 2017, Dr. Eric Chivian, founder and former director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at Harvard Medical School, presented a talk on recognizing and addressing global environmental threats. His lecture touched on Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, a topic of great importance to the Island community.
In 1980, Dr. Chivian co-founded the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, recipient of the 1985 Nobel Peace Prize. During the past 26 years, he has worked to involve physicians in the United States and abroad in efforts to increase public understanding of the potential human health consequences of global environmental change, and in 2008 was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. Dr. Chivian is the senior editor and author of Sustaining Life: How Human Health Depends on Biodiversity, named "Best Biology Book of 2008" by Library Journal. He currently directs a new nonprofit, the Program for Preserving the Natural World.
Annual Meeting of the Board & Membership
The Annual Meeting of the VCS Board and Membership was held Tuesday, June 27, 2017 at the West Tisbury Library. This
year's meeting will feature a very special treat, a presentation
by Jesse Ausubel, Director of Rockefeller University’s Program for the
Human Environment (and long-time VCS science advisor), on the potential
for environmental DNA (aka eDNA, or "naked DNA") to radically transform
the way we understand the wildlife in our water.
Naked
DNA in My Sea Water
. . . including results from Tisbury Great Pond and Look Pond
by Jesse H. Ausubel
Have
you ever wondered who else has been swimming in your favorite body of
water? Thanks to a new sampling technique, the collection and analysis
of environmental DNA, we can now narrow that question down to species --
without having to take a single fish out of the water.
Environmental DNA (eDNA), also known as loose, extracellular, or naked DNA, results from the break-up of cells. It is continually cast off, yet doesn't persist long before breaking down, so the recent presence of many aquatic organisms can be reliably detected by looking for these DNA fragments. Monitoring eDNA could supplement -- or even someday supplant -- traditional sampling methods, many of which can be time-consuming, expensive, and destructive to the very wildlife we seek to better understand.
Environmental DNA (eDNA), also known as loose, extracellular, or naked DNA, results from the break-up of cells. It is continually cast off, yet doesn't persist long before breaking down, so the recent presence of many aquatic organisms can be reliably detected by looking for these DNA fragments. Monitoring eDNA could supplement -- or even someday supplant -- traditional sampling methods, many of which can be time-consuming, expensive, and destructive to the very wildlife we seek to better understand.
Nature as Inspiration
The 3rd Annual Environmental Film Festival
May 25 - 28, 2017
The
"Nature as Inspiration" environmental film festival returns this
Memorial Day weekend, marking the third year of the collaborative effort
by VCS and the MV Film Society to share inspirational and
thought-provoking film screenings, discussions, and art with the Island
community.
The festival kicks off Thursday, the 25th with an opening reception at 6:30 PM, followed by The Bullish Farmer, a feature-length documentary on sustainable agriculture. John Ubaldo, the film’s subject/protagonist, and co-directors Ken Marsolais and Nancy Vick will be with us for the opening reception, and will be joined by local farmers for a panel discussion after the film. The festival closes Sunday with the 7:30 screening of Tomorrow, an optimistic look at how we can address the most challenging issues of our time, followed by a presentation and discussion led by local leaders in waste reduction efforts.
In between will be a diversity of feature films and shorts, wonderful guest speakers, food and music, the first public showing of the 2017 Art of Conservation winners (see story below), and a great children's program including a reusable bag decorating activity and a free screening of Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax. Read all the details at the MV Film Society!
The festival kicks off Thursday, the 25th with an opening reception at 6:30 PM, followed by The Bullish Farmer, a feature-length documentary on sustainable agriculture. John Ubaldo, the film’s subject/protagonist, and co-directors Ken Marsolais and Nancy Vick will be with us for the opening reception, and will be joined by local farmers for a panel discussion after the film. The festival closes Sunday with the 7:30 screening of Tomorrow, an optimistic look at how we can address the most challenging issues of our time, followed by a presentation and discussion led by local leaders in waste reduction efforts.
In between will be a diversity of feature films and shorts, wonderful guest speakers, food and music, the first public showing of the 2017 Art of Conservation winners (see story below), and a great children's program including a reusable bag decorating activity and a free screening of Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax. Read all the details at the MV Film Society!
The Art of Conservation
Opening Show and Awards Presentation
May 27, 3:00 pm
Join
us for a special event honoring our Island’s talented young artists:
the awards ceremony and opening presentation of The Art of Conservation
at 3:00 on Saturday, May 27 at the MV Film Center. The annual art
contest, first launched by VCS in 2014, encourages local high school
students to reflect on the value of nature, what it means to them, and
to express themselves through a variety of media, including painting,
drawing, photography, sculpture, and digital design. We see this as an
opportunity to deepen the sense of place among our young adults and
connect them to local environmental issues.
The theme of this year’s contest was “Discovery”: a call to seek out what you hadn’t noticed or experienced before on our island. In an interesting twist, both first-place winners this year were sculptures: a castoff tire overlaid with a weaving of recycled fibers by Grace Kenney and an origami work by David Sweitzer took the top honors, along with a $100 cash prize. In addition, Special Distinctions were awarded to Pandora Bassett, Cameron Moore, Kayla Oliver, Lexus Pate, Olivia Schroeder, and Emma Searle for their photography entries; all will receive gift certificates to local businesses.
The art will be on display in the Film Center’s Feldman Family Artspace throughout the weekend’s Nature as Inspiration festival (see story above). After the opening reception at 3:00 on Saturday, there will be a brief awards ceremony before the screening of Reefs at Risk, followed by the feature-length A Plastic Ocean at 4:00.
Special thanks to all who have helped make The Art of Conservation happen, in particular MVRHS art teacher Chris Baer and local photographer David Welch, who together did tremendous work inspiring, motivating, and guiding the students, and this year’s excellent judges Mollie Doyle, Ben Scott, and Liz Witham.
For a preview of the winners, and to read descriptions of the works in the artists’ own words, check out the Art of Conservation pages. You can also view works from previous years’ contests, including “Water,” “Waste,” and the more open-ended 2014 original.
The theme of this year’s contest was “Discovery”: a call to seek out what you hadn’t noticed or experienced before on our island. In an interesting twist, both first-place winners this year were sculptures: a castoff tire overlaid with a weaving of recycled fibers by Grace Kenney and an origami work by David Sweitzer took the top honors, along with a $100 cash prize. In addition, Special Distinctions were awarded to Pandora Bassett, Cameron Moore, Kayla Oliver, Lexus Pate, Olivia Schroeder, and Emma Searle for their photography entries; all will receive gift certificates to local businesses.
The art will be on display in the Film Center’s Feldman Family Artspace throughout the weekend’s Nature as Inspiration festival (see story above). After the opening reception at 3:00 on Saturday, there will be a brief awards ceremony before the screening of Reefs at Risk, followed by the feature-length A Plastic Ocean at 4:00.
Special thanks to all who have helped make The Art of Conservation happen, in particular MVRHS art teacher Chris Baer and local photographer David Welch, who together did tremendous work inspiring, motivating, and guiding the students, and this year’s excellent judges Mollie Doyle, Ben Scott, and Liz Witham.
For a preview of the winners, and to read descriptions of the works in the artists’ own words, check out the Art of Conservation pages. You can also view works from previous years’ contests, including “Water,” “Waste,” and the more open-ended 2014 original.
The 25th Anniversary Earth Day Beach Clean-Up
April 22, 2017
See the photos from this year's clean-up!
Read more about this community tradition at the Beach Clean-Up page!
This year's beaches:
Aquinnah: Lobsterville, Philbin, Tribal Beaches
Chilmark: Squibnocket, Menemsha, Lucy Vincent
Edgartown: Fuller Street, Lighthouse Beach, South Beach (Left &
Right Fork), State Beach (Bend in the Road)
Oak Bluffs: Eastville Point, State Beach (Little Bridge),
Town Beach (SSA to Inkwell)
Tisbury: Meet at Owen Park or the town landing on the Lagoon; volunteer leaders will then send people on to the nearby beaches, including Grove Ave Beach, Hines Point, the Lake Street landing,
Tashmoo opening, Owen Little Way, and the VH
harbor.
West Tisbury: Cedar Tree Neck, Lambert’s Cove
Special thanks to our sponsors:
M.V. Savings Bank | Harbor View Hotel
Josh and Angela Aronie | Cronig’s Market | Dippin' Donuts | Lucky Hank’s
Scottish Bakehouse | Sharky's | The Trustees | Tyson Foods | Vineyard Grocer
and our volunteer group leaders:
Church of Latter Day Saints, Cub Scout Packs 90 & 93, Friends of Sengekontacket, Girl Scout Jrs. Troop 69246 and Brownie Troop 66207, Harbor View Hotel, Lagoon Pond Association, MV Savings Bank, MV Surfcasters, MVY Radio, Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation, Squibnocket Association, Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby, Town of Chilmark, Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah), Brian and Caroline Giles, Bruce Golden, Bill Randol
Tisbury Waterways,
Postponed: Winter Walk at Frances Newhall Woods Preserve
Update: following postponement due to weather, we are looking into rescheduling if possible. Stay tuned!Join VCS for a return to the ever-changingFrances Newhall Woods Preserve. Located across the towns of West Tisbury and Chilmark, the 512-acre property provides one of the largest intact ecosystems on our island, including at least eight distinct natural communities, ten different soil types, and more than 200 plant and animal species.
Tough footing: Walks at the Woods Preserve often traverse areas where shrubby vegetation, mowed or burned, stiffly pokes up from the ground. So wear strong-soled shoes or boots, and we suggest leaving dogs at home – in previous years, sore paws have led some to be carried out by their human companions!
VCS has offered guided walks on the Woods Preserve since its protection in 1991, when the owners, Edwin Newhall Woods and Jeanne Woods donated a permanent Conservation Restriction (CR) to the Nature Conservancy (TNC). Upon the Woods’ death, the land was bequeathed to TNC and the CR was conveyed to VCS.
The walk will last one to two hours, followed by cider and cookies. Please dress for the weather, and keep any dogs on leashes. Parking is off North Rd. about one mile from the West Tisbury end; look for VCS signs and flags on the south side of the road. For additional info, please contact our office.
Film: A Plastic Ocean
January 19
The MV Film Society hosts another film collaboration with VCS, co-sponsored by Norton Point, maker of sunglasses using recovered ocean plastics. In A Plastic Ocean, an international team of adventurers, researchers, and ocean ambassadors go on a mission around the globe to uncover the shocking truth about what is truly lurking beneath the surface of our seemingly pristine ocean.
The screening is at 7:30 pm, Thursday, Jan. 19. Tickets are $15 ($12 members, $7 children). Purchase tickets (and more info) at MV Film Society.
Winter Walks Return with Trips to Flat Point Farm & Morning Glory Farm
Our first winter walk of the 2016-17 season was a visit to Flat Point Farm. This beautiful piece of farmland, located directly on the Tisbury Great Pond, was saved from residential development just a few years ago through the combined efforts of the landowner, neighbors, the Land Bank, and VCS. Today, the farm raises beef and lamb, egg-laying chickens, and dairy goats, who provide milk for making cheese and artisanal soaps. The second walk was a wintry stroll through the farm fields of Morning Glory and the conservation lands beyond. The walk was led by long-time owner and operator of the farm (and new VCS president) Jim Athearn. The relationship between VCS and the Athearns dates to the early 1980s partnership (also including the town, the state, the Land Bank, and the previous owners) that succeeded in preserving the 
land on which the farm now sits, guaranteeing its farming future in perpetuity. Click here to read more about the conservation history of this iconic Island farm.
land on which the farm now sits, guaranteeing its farming future in perpetuity. Click here to read more about the conservation history of this iconic Island farm. VCS has been sponsoring free guided walks for thirty years; they are traditionally from 1:00 to 3:00 pm on the second Sunday of the month from November through March.
Photos and stories from our past Winter Walks!
October 1: Living Local Harvest Festival
As always, the festival brought together great local food, music, animals, games and activities for kids of all ages, and educational presentations and demos on a variety of sustainability issues, this year including local recycling and “The Life of Trash,” renewable energy, and a composting workshop roundtable. In addition Cape Light Compact offered an opportunity to turn in old dehumidifiers and room air conditioners.
The Living Local Harvest Festival, an annual celebration of Island community spirit that has now grown into a major event and community treasure, was originally founded by four Island non-profits, the MV Ag. Society, Vineyard Energy Project, Island Grown Initiative, and VCS, to promote sustainable living on our island by encouraging local food production and the local economy, renewable energy, and resource conservation.Conservator Appreciation Event
In 2016, our annual summer “Thank You” event for VCS Conservators was held at the Chilmark home of Dave and Karen Davis. The Davis home is a beautiful example of smart design that fits into the surrounding landscape rather than dominating it, and features modern technology to maximize energy efficiency. VCS Conservators are donors who give $1,000 or more per year, as well as those who have donated land and conservation restrictions.
At right: Peaches ripen on the trees of Jesse Ausubel's home orchard, the site of a previous Conservator Event.
VCS Annual Meeting
Capacity Campaign Launched, and the Photography of Neal Rantoul
The business portion of the meeting was followed by a presentation of Island photography by Neal Rantoul. Recently retired (following 30 years as head of the Northeastern University Photo Program), Neal is a life-long Vineyard resident who now devotes his efforts full-time to making new work and bringing earlier work to a national and international audience.
Neal’s photography boldly illustrates how the Island is continually changing – due to both the unpredictable power of nature, as seen in our dynamic shoreline, and the rapid pace of development and other human impacts. In describing his work earlier this spring, Neal draws an analogy to photographer Eugene Atget’s work documenting the industrialization of Paris at the turn of the 20th century: “I felt in the late 80s and early 90s a sense of urgency about the Vineyard. Such rapid growth and building. I felt that areas unbuilt should be photographed so there would be a record.”
Nature as Inspiration
The 2nd Annual Environmental Film Festival
The Earth Day Beach Clean-Up
Read more about this community tradition at the Beach Clean-Up page!
Winter Walks: Scenes from the Edgartown Harbor
Winter Walks: Preserving Local Farming at the Allen Sheep Farm
Winter Walks: Preserving Local Farming at the Allen Sheep Farm
The second walk of the season was a visit to the iconic Allen Farm on South Road in Chilmark. The view from the farm out over the south shore is one of the most spectacular on the Island.
Allen farm has seen animal grazing and human habitation for hundreds of years, all under Allen family stewardship; today, owners Clarissa Allen and Mitchell Posin carry on that tradition. Twenty-five years ago, 22.5 acres were preserved through an agreement among the owners, VCS, the Town of Chilmark, Mass DPW, and the Land Bank. Twenty years ago, VCS facilitated an additional gift of a Conservation Restriction (CR) on an abutting parcel of 5.3 acres. In recent years, the farm installed a wind turbine on the north side of the property under a state program where green energy projects are fast-tracked for farms and schools.
Read more about our other walks, or just check out the photos!
Living Local with the Vineyard Conservation Society
At this year’s Living Local Harvest Festival, VCS unveiled a bold plan to pursue the passage of a plastic bag ban in all six Island towns. Our goal is to put the new bylaw before voters at the 2016 Town Meetings. This would not mean an end to all plastic bags (the ban targets only those thin bags with integrated handles typically given out at the point-of-sale), but it is a meaningful step toward less land and marine pollution, and will help reduce the amount of plastic in our waste stream. Read more about what VCS is proposing and why. The broader purpose
of this year’s VCS Living Local program was to engage the community, especially our young people, in thinking about our consumption
habits and resource conservation. If you missed it -- and your
chance to decorate your own reusable canvas tote -- check out the photos above (or click here).
Fresh Paint: The VCS 50th Birthday Celebration
In honor of the 50th anniversary of VCS, thirteen Island artists (see list below) created works in support of, and inspired by, the conservation efforts of the Vineyard's only local environmental advocacy and land protection organization.
Many thanks to all who attended our 50th Birthday Party and everyone who helped make it happen, including our wonderful auctioneers, musicians, volunteers, staff, and sponsors.
An extra special thank you goes out to our participating artists. They not only donated their art to support VCS, but many also invited the public to view them at work!
At this year’s Living Local Harvest Festival, VCS unveiled a bold plan to pursue the passage of a plastic bag ban in all six Island towns. Our goal is to put the new bylaw before voters at the 2016 Town Meetings. This would not mean an end to all plastic bags (the ban targets only those thin bags with integrated handles typically given out at the point-of-sale), but it is a meaningful step toward less land and marine pollution, and will help reduce the amount of plastic in our waste stream. Read more about what VCS is proposing and why.
Many thanks to all who attended our 50th Birthday Party and everyone who helped make it happen, including our wonderful auctioneers, musicians, volunteers, staff, and sponsors.
An extra special thank you goes out to our participating artists. They not only donated their art to support VCS, but many also invited the public to view them at work!
Valentine Estabrook • Lowely Finnerty • Nancy Kingsley • Kanta Lipsky
Thaw Malin • Marjorie Mason • Harry Seymour • Tiffiney Shoquist
Jeanne Staples • Liz Taft • Wendy Weldon • Allen Whiting • Rez Williams
Artists Painting en Plein Air to Support VCS
Seven of our Fresh Paint artists – Valentine Estabrook, Kanta Lipsky, Marjorie
Mason, Tiffiney Shoquist, Jeanne Staples, Liz Taft, and Allen Whiting – invited the public to come watch them create
their newest work live, on location. Their technique, known in
the artistic community as painting en
plein air, can be used to capture the immediacy and power of the natural
world where things are constantly changing, or alternately, to communicate the
peace and serenity in a particular moment. To all of our wonderful artists,
VCS Annual Meeting: Envisioning the Next Half Century
A special 50th anniversary annual meeting was held at the Ag Hall in West Tisbury (a community treasure VCS had a hand in preserving). We briefly recognized the fifty years of work to protect the land, water, and
quality of life on our Island, but spent most of the evening dedicated to a broader discussion about what it means to live
sustainably for the next fifty years. Special thanks to speakers John Abrams and Marc
Rosenbaum who helped facilitate an engaging conservation discussion.
Nature as Inspiration: The Films of Jacques Perrin
an environmental film
festival
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.
Film Screening: The Island President
VCS in collaboration with the Center for Biological Diversity and the MV Film Society co-hosted a screening of the Oscar- and Emmy-winning documentary film The Island President, the story of Maldives president Mohamed Nasheed’s efforts to raise awareness around climate change issues and protect his island nation from the rising seas. Frostpaw the polar bear, CBD’s climate change mascot, spoke with guests as a special treat!
The screening was part of CBD’s effort to draw President Obama’s attention toward climate change issues during his visit to the Island, and part of their broader campaign in opposition to Federal approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.
Conservator Appreciation Event
"In the Orchard"
The annual appreciation event for our most generous donors was held at the home of Jesse Ausubel, Director of the Program for the Human Environment at Rockefeller University. (Jesse is also a VCS Board alum and currently our Science Advisor.)
For more information on becoming a Conservator, please contact Signe Benjamin at (508) 693-9588 or via email.Beyond Bees with Paul Goldstein
At the 2013 Annual Meeting of the VCS Board and Membership, guest speaker Paul Goldstein of the Smithsonian Institution presented “Beyond bees: What insect and pollinator diversity tells us about conservation on the Cape and Islands,” a discussion of some of the Island’s unique creatures and habitats. For anyone who missed the meeting, check out the video of Dr. Goldstein’s here.
The original high-res versions can be found at our climate change page. Depicting areas inundated at both 1 meter (yellow) and 2 meters (red) of sea level rise, the maps paint a stark picture of valuable land and critical infrastructure lost outright in the not-too-distant future. What the maps do not reveal is the much broader area subject to flooding due to storm surges and the ongoing effects of coastal erosion.
Special thanks to Chris Seidel at the MVC for creating the map projections, and to Dan Martino of MV Productions for producing both videos.
How
can humankind manage to balance our needs for basic shelter and the
experience of living in a natural, biotic world? Can it even be done in
an urban area, with high population density, or in a rapidly developing
rural area such as our island? In March of 2013, VCS and the M.V. Film Society presented the new film Biophilic Design, which seeks to answer these questions and more.
We were joined at the screening by Executive Producer Stephen Kellert, who is the co-originator (along with E.O. Wilson) and a primary developer of the Biophilia Hypothesis, a broader theory describing the interactions between humans and nature that draws on biology, psychology, anthropology, sociology, and other disciplines. The concepts of biophilia form the underpinnings of Professor Kellert's study of architecture and design presented in the film.
In an effort to dig a little deeper into the world of biophilia, VCS staffer Jeremy Houser recently conducted an interview with Dr. Kellert. Check out the interview to learn more about biophilia in general, Dr. Kellert's efforts to develop a code of ethics drawing on biophilic theory, and even why we are (perhaps unreasonably) afraid of spiders.
Rising Seas, Raising Awareness
As
a bonus, prior to the meeting former VCS board member Phil Henderson
gave an encore of his “Rising Seas” presentation, a look at local
impacts of rising sea levels (video here). Phil discussed a variety of issues relating to climate change and sea
level rise, but the most attention grabbing element was a series of maps
specifically outlining what areas of our island will be submerged in the future. So attention grabbing, in fact, that the Gazette’s coverage of the meeting included small reproductions of the maps on their website.
The original high-res versions can be found at our climate change page. Depicting areas inundated at both 1 meter (yellow) and 2 meters (red) of sea level rise, the maps paint a stark picture of valuable land and critical infrastructure lost outright in the not-too-distant future. What the maps do not reveal is the much broader area subject to flooding due to storm surges and the ongoing effects of coastal erosion.
Special thanks to Chris Seidel at the MVC for creating the map projections, and to Dan Martino of MV Productions for producing both videos.
Biophilic Design: The Architecture of Life
We were joined at the screening by Executive Producer Stephen Kellert, who is the co-originator (along with E.O. Wilson) and a primary developer of the Biophilia Hypothesis, a broader theory describing the interactions between humans and nature that draws on biology, psychology, anthropology, sociology, and other disciplines. The concepts of biophilia form the underpinnings of Professor Kellert's study of architecture and design presented in the film.
In an effort to dig a little deeper into the world of biophilia, VCS staffer Jeremy Houser recently conducted an interview with Dr. Kellert. Check out the interview to learn more about biophilia in general, Dr. Kellert's efforts to develop a code of ethics drawing on biophilic theory, and even why we are (perhaps unreasonably) afraid of spiders.
Climate Change: Building and Island Understanding
For the last several years, VCS has made climate change awareness and education an organizational priority. This summer, we hosted renowned environmentalists William and Margot Moomaw for a very special presentation at the Grange Hall. The Moomaws shared their insight into both the global context of one of the most pressing issues of our time and the possibilities and benefits of taking action locally to live deliberately and live better.
Video of the presentation is available from Martha's Vineyard Productions.
William Moomaw is Professor of International Environmental Policy at Tufts University, and the founding Director of the Tufts Climate Initiative. He has authored work for the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Margot Moomaw is a graduate of the Harvard School of Public Health and has worked in the healthcare field for more than twenty-five years. She is now a green design consultant, offering expertise on actions homeowners can take to live better, more sustainable lives.
Green on Screen Film Series
Our collaboration with the Martha’s Vineyard Film Society -- Green on Screen -- has truly taken flight over the past year. Screenings of films examining a variety of important environmental issues have become regular events at the new M.V. Film Center, recently opened to great acclaim by MVFS founder Richard Paradise.
Where possible, experts with inside knowledge of the film have been in attendance to lead informal discussion sessions after the showing, most notably Jesse Ausubel, who served as a science consultant on Switch, a film about the diverse methods of global energy production, and Stephen Kellert who presented his own film Biophilic Design. Other films, including Green Fire (the story of the great environmentalist Aldo Leopold), Dive (an exploration of food waste and “dumpster diving”), and Last Call at the Oasis (an expose of the global water crisis), featured discussions facilitated by VCS board and staff. Our screening of Chasing Ice, the story of a photographer’s effort to document the disappearance of the Earth’s glaciers, brought a third partner into the collaboration, the local chapter of the global climate advocacy organization 350.org.
Watch for announcements of new Green on Screen films at the VCS website, in our Conservation Almanac, and in the local papers' events calendars.
Where possible, experts with inside knowledge of the film have been in attendance to lead informal discussion sessions after the showing, most notably Jesse Ausubel, who served as a science consultant on Switch, a film about the diverse methods of global energy production, and Stephen Kellert who presented his own film Biophilic Design. Other films, including Green Fire (the story of the great environmentalist Aldo Leopold), Dive (an exploration of food waste and “dumpster diving”), and Last Call at the Oasis (an expose of the global water crisis), featured discussions facilitated by VCS board and staff. Our screening of Chasing Ice, the story of a photographer’s effort to document the disappearance of the Earth’s glaciers, brought a third partner into the collaboration, the local chapter of the global climate advocacy organization 350.org.
Watch for announcements of new Green on Screen films at the VCS website, in our Conservation Almanac, and in the local papers' events calendars.