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The newly overhauled Tisbury School operates entirely on electricity, eliminating the use of fossil fuels. This transition supports Tisbury’s goal of achieving net-zero energy consumption and aligns with Martha’s Vineyard’s broader climate objectives. The school is designed to be “solarready,” with infrastructure in place to support rooftop solar panels. Thanks to cost savings during construction, the project team was able to reintegrate plans for solar panel installation without additional funding. The renovated school features the installation of a 107,000-gallon underground cistern beneath the playground. This system
captures and manages stormwater runoff, helping to mitigate flooding in areas downhill from the school. The renovation includes a highly efficient building envelope, improved insulation, and upgraded windows and doors to minimize energy loss. Additionally, the project emphasizes the use of responsibly sourced construction materials and native landscaping to enhance environmental performance.
The West Tisbury Conservation Commission is looking to restore retired
cranberry bogs back to wetlands. This initiative, supported by a $6 million grant from the Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration, aims to enhance climate resilience, improve water quality, and restore wildlife habitats across the state, including areas in West Tisbury. Additionally, the town has established a Tree Advisory Committee to address the aging tree canopy and the prevalence of invasive species. In 2023, the committee secured over $19,000 to plant 16 new trees and is utilizing digital mapping to inventory and manage the town’s tree population. The West Tisbury School, along with the MV Public Charter School and the Chilmark School, is set to implement a rapid composting program in collaboration with Island Grown Initiative. The initiative involves installing machines capable of processing approximately 90 tons of food waste annually, converting it into nutrientrich soil amendments for on-site gardens and other uses.
Island households, businesses, schools, and towns are looking to solve their food waste woes.
By Lucas Thors
When Catboat Coffee owner Naji Boustany arrives at work in the morning, he gets the coffee brewing, makes sure all the food prep stations are up and running, then walks over to two small, unassuming bins and presses a button to start dehydrating and breaking down all the food scraps the restaurant produced in the past few days. “My wife Meredith is in the waste management business, so once [Island Grown Initiative] stopped accepting compost, we knew we had to have a solution,” Naji told me as he demonstrated the capabilities of his new Mill food recycler (find that here: bluedotliving.com/Mill-Food-Recycler-Article) during a tour of his restaurant. “Right now the Mill accommodates all the food scraps we have at the end of the day.”
Currently, there is no centralized location to which Island
residents or businesses can bring their food scraps (read Bluedot’s previous story on local composting efforts: bit. ly/MV-Composting). Although there is a new, large-scale commercial operation in the works, for the time being, most people are dealing with their food waste on-site, in restaurants, schools, and residential kitchens. Catboat Coffee, in the Tisbury Marketplace, is an early adopter of the Mill food recycler, which turns food waste into a nutrient rich soil amendment that can be used to create compost, worked directly into soil, or turned into feed for livestock such as chickens. With two Mill bins in his restaurant, Naji never has to throw food scraps in the trash. “Egg shells, stems, ends of vegetables, and any other leftover food goes into the bins,” he said.
According to Naji, the Mill bins emit no odor, consume very little energy, and are virtually silent as they process food waste. By the time the bins are ready to be emptied, they’ve reduced the food waste volume by about 80%, so Catboat only needs to empty the bins about once a week in the offseason and once every two days during peak summer. Having grown up and worked with farmers all his life, Naji values a hyperlocal food system, and for this reason, he donates all the material that his Mill bins produce to IGI and North Tabor Farm, where it’s used to feed chickens. “They tell me that the chickens like this food more than regular chicken feed, and because we are putting both meat and vegetable scraps in, it’s a complete nutrient for them,” Naji explained.
Catboat uses a new program offered by Mill that helps restaurants track how much food waste they are producing, how much processed material they are producing, and how many times they open the bin to deposit food waste. So far, Naji’s food recyclers have turned more than 1,200 pounds of food waste into material that can be used right here on the Vineyard, which feels to Naji like part of a long-term solution to food waste on Martha’s Vineyard. “I think every restaurant should do an assessment of how much food waste they make in a day, then they can get in touch with me, come check out the Mill bins and see how they work,” he said. “I think if each business can make their own impact, that could make it much easier to process the entire Island’s food waste.”
which suggested that the facility at the MVRD be an in-vessel system with three rotary drums, with a whopping price tag of almost $10 million. The project was put on the back burner. Though the three rotary drums are considered the “Cadillac of projects” for an organics recovery program on-Island, there are some more affordable options that would still be able to process the entire Island’s compost, according to Bob Spencer, a Vermont consultant who created a solid waste report for the MVC in 2017. Spencer’s own facility in Vermont just significantly expanded composting operations. They now use aerated pile technology developed by a company called AgriLab, which takes hot, moist air from one compost pile and transfers it into an adjacent pile, and they’ve been able to process about 5,000 tons of food waste annually using this technique. Spencer thinks this method could be a viable alternative to in-vessel rotary drums and that it could handle most of the Vineyard’s food waste. Spencer broke down the rough cost savings for the Island if no food waste needed to be sent away: “Let’s take the 6,500 ton per year figure that was in those studies I did in 2017, and let’s say it costs $200 a ton to ship away, which is definitely a lowball,” Spencer said. “That’s $1.3 million a year you wouldn’t have to
spend, and I built my facility for less than a million dollars.”
Meanwhile, Sophie Mazza is currently working on installing EcoRich food recyclers (bit.ly/Eco-Rich) at Island schools. Similar to the Mill bin that Catboat uses, EcoRich recyclers produce a material that is different from traditional finished compost. “It’s a nutrient-rich soil amendment,” Sophie said, adding that the EcoRich recycler is “more than just a dehydrator, but it’s not a monthslong full biological breakdown composting process.” Regardless of when and where a centralized composting operation will take place, Sophie said, schools are a perfect ecosystem in which to incorporate on-site composting. With IGI already offering programming for students, including an EcoRich composter would allow schools to close the food cycle loop in a more direct and efficient way. “Students are already learning to collect their food waste and put it in the compost bin; they are already learning what compost is,” Sophie said.
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The EGP watershed has experienced ~ 35.3% increase in development from 2000 - 2023.
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According to Sophie, the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School will be the first to acquire an EcoRich system, which will be installed before the next school year is underway. Next in line are the Chilmark School, the West Tisbury School, and the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, and phase two of the project will provide systems at the Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, and Tisbury schools.
EcoRich systems come in a range of sizes that can handle between 20 pounds and a ton of food waste per day. Sophie is helping schools conduct waste audits to enable IGI to determine how large each school’s machine needs to be. To account for fluctuations caused by different foods being served for lunch each day, the audits are covering five days of food waste at each school. “When you are using fresh produce, there will be more peels, stems, and more food waste. There is not much food waste on pizza day, for example,” Sophie said.
When the waste material comes out of the machines, its decomposition process has been jumpstarted, but it still needs to sit and become less biologically active before being used. Each school will have a small area where the material can sit for three weeks until it’s ready for use. Schools are planning to use it in their gardens, and, if there is excess, to potentially use it on their playing fields. Additionally, Sophie said schools could incorporate the material into educational programs, using it to learn about plant life cycles, for example, by filling empty milk cartons with the nutrient rich soil amendment combined with potting soil and planting seeds. If schools are still producing more material than they need, partnering with farms would be the next step.
If the Island is going to close the food waste loop locally, Sophie said schools could serve as an example of microcommunities where composting becomes a regular practice. The Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School produces approximately 18,000 pounds of food waste each year, and the West Tisbury School produces about 13,300 pounds. If EcoRich machines were installed at each Island school, hundreds of tons of food waste would be diverted from the landfill each year.
After schools install their machines, the next phase of the initiative may be to put EcoRich machines at each transfer station for homeowner use. This would free up any larger centralized facility to focus on commercial food waste. “I could see these machines being in operation long term, integrated into the flow of the residential dropoff system,” Sophie said. “This network of machines, including schools, when it’s complete, could be saving about double the amount of food waste that the IGI Thimble Farm operation was able to at its peak,” Mazza said.
Thanks to the efforts of several groups and some innovative technology across all scales of food waste management, both centralized and decentralized, the Vineyard is looking ahead to a hyperlocal composting future.
By the Bluedot Team
Editor’s Note: Some of these require off-Island trips. And always try posting still-usable items to the Facebook groups MV Stuff for Sale and MV Free Items or checking to see what our local second-hand stores will accept (see our list of those in our Handbook, page 56). Where we haven’t listed websites below, it’s because they are easily Googleable. We know there’s plenty we haven’t yet covered (we’re working on it!) so please tell us what we’re missing. And if you know of a way to get rid of it, please share it with us at editor@bluedotliving.com. For a more extensive list, visit bluedotliving.com/bluedots-guide-to-getting-rid-of-almost-everything
Sure you can turn to the Facebook group MV Stuff for Sale for your still-has-some-life-left-in-’em fridges, freezers, dehumidifiers, and air conditioners, but for those that have nothing left to give, check out the Environmental Protection Agency’s Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD). Select “Massachusetts” in the RAD Partner Locator to find who partners in your area that will dispose of these appliances in an Earthfriendly way.
Unopened, antifreeze can last forever and opened, it can be used for up to eight years. However, if you need to recycle a bottle of antifreeze, plenty of auto parts shops accept certain car fluids, so ask your local shop!
Martha’s Vineyard Refuse District offers four drop-off locations in Edgartown, West Tisbury, Chilmark and Aquinnah. There is a special container at each of these
Continued on page 59
As a Certified B Corporation for the second year running, Martha’s Vineyard Bank continues working toward positive change. From supporting affordable housing to organizing beach cleanups to using renewable energy for our electricity needs, we’re committed to supporting the community we serve. Our path toward sustainability is ongoing, and we’re just getting started.
From field guides to poetry, there is no shortage of words about the Island’s natural beauty.
By Julia Cooper
Try our libraries or bookstores, or the links to online stores (if you order via one of our links, we may earn a small commission).
By Thomas Dresser
The Wampanoag Tribe of Martha’s Vineyard: Colonization to Recognition celebrates the enduring spirit of the Island’s indigenous people. Tom’s interviews with elders and current members of the tribe breathe life into this thorough exploration of the Wampanoag legacy on Martha’s Vineyard. On Bookshop.org: bit.ly/DresserMV. On Amazon: bit.ly/AMZ-Tribe
By Franz Wright
Franz Wright’s Pulitzer Prize-winning poetry collection Walking to Martha’s Vineyard ties nature's beauty to the complexities of the human condition. Through gratitude and regard for life in all its forms, Wright finds hope that transcends his tendency toward loneliness. Available on Bookshop.org: bluedotliving.com/BS-Walking-ToMV-Article. On Amazon: bluedotliving. com/AMZ-Walking-To-MV-Article
By Nelson Sigelman
Traversing the Island’s fishing seasons, former MV Times editor and fish columnist Nelson Sigelman shares personal anecdotes, practical tips, and colorful stories of local fishermen in Martha’s Vineyard Fish Tales. The book’s subtitle, How to Catch Fish, Rake Clams, and Jig Squid, with Entertaining Tales About the Sometimes Crazy Pursuit of Fish, perfectly captures the charm of this personality-packed how-to guide. On Bookshop.org: bluedotliving.com/BSMV-Fish-Tales-Article. On Amazon: bluedotliving.com/AMZ-MV-FishTales-Article
By Melinda Fager
In Living off the Sea, Melinda Fager captures the unique beauty of Chappaquiddick through writing and photography. Melinda has lived on Chappy for more than 30 years with her husband Jeff, an avid fisherman. Accessible recipes made with what can be caught, foraged, or farmed locally accompany Fager’s photos in this delightfully evocative narrative cookbook. On Amazon: bluedotliving.com/AMZLiving-Off-The-Sea-Article
By David Foster
Packed with gorgeous photographs and maps, David Foster’s A Meeting of Land and Sea explores the powerful natural and cultural forces that have shaped the Martha’s Vineyard we know today. David also looks to the Island’s future, shining a hopeful light on how the local community can continue a legacy of conservation and caring for the land. (See our conversation with David here: bluedotliving.com/ toward-a-wilder-island/.) Find this book on Bookshop.org: bit.ly/BellincampiMV or Amazon: bit.ly/DavidFosterMV
They weren’t starlings but sandpipers. And as my dog and I got closer, the tiny birds took flight, an orchestra rising and falling with an invisible conductor. Was there some imperceptible (to me) leader who caused the others to follow? Was there a word for this apparent magic?
It turns out there is: “Murmuration,” though the term typically applies to starlings. “Murmurations have no leader and follow no plan,” reads an article in The Conversation. “Mathematicians and computer scientists try to create virtual murmurations using rules that birds might follow in a flock — like moving in the same direction as their neighbor, staying close, and not colliding. From these simulations, it seems that each bird must keep track of seven neighbors and adjust based on what they’re doing to keep the murmuration from falling apart in a chaotic mess.”
A large group of birds, usually starlings, that all fly together and change direction together.
vouch for them occurring in sandpipers. The movements happen so quickly and contribute to what scientists call “functional complexity of animal collectives.” Buddhist scientist Neil Theise notes that “Neither we nor our universe is machinelike. A machine doesn’t have the option to change its behavior if its environment changes or becomes overwhelming. Complex systems, including human bodies and human societies, can change their behaviors in the face of the unpredictable. That creativity is the essence of complexity.”
Maria Popova, creator of The Marginalian, believes that Theise aims to link the mystery out there to the mystery of us.
I, for one, prefer the mystery and the magic of murmuration to the science of it.
Want to see what murmuration looks like?
Visit: bit.ly/Murmuration-Vid
The article goes on to note that murmurations have been observed in schools of fish and swarms of honey bees. And I can
It’s no secret that the café at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital is one of the best values on the Island.
Director of Food and Nutrition, Chris Porterfield, and his team provide quality meals for patients, employees, and the public. Meeting the demand for all those meals comes with some waste, but Chris and his team are mindful of their role in protecting the environment.
When possible, leftover food is composted, and some scraps are sent to local farms where it’s used to feed pigs. Meanwhile, the food service crew limits the oil used to prepare meals and recycles cooking oil when it is used. The café uses compostable and biodegradable packaging, its paper products are PFAS-free, and all cardboard, plastic, and cans are also recycled.
At Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, we believe a healthy Island starts with a healthy environment. www.mvhospital.org
– Leslie Garrett
By Julia Cooper Photos courtesy of Second Bloom
Invitations, tablescapes, gowns, color palettes — months of careful thought and planning go into creating the perfect wedding day. For many, decorating with fresh floral arrangements can make a special day even more spectacular. But every choice a couple makes when putting together an event can come with a cost. According to Kate Harrison’s Green Bride Guide the average wedding generates 400 pounds of waste and 63 tons of CO2. With close to 500 weddings taking place annually on Martha’s Vineyard, that all adds up quickly. Is there a way to reduce wedding waste while still enjoying beautiful flowers? Rae Carter, founder of Second Bloom, asked this same question. After witnessing a wedding’s clean-up crew tossing floral arrangements in the trash, Rae leapt into action. Armed with a few buckets and the help of her husband, Rae salvaged as many flowers as she could. “The flowers were stunningly gorgeous,” Rae
– Rae Carter
says. “We just gave them out to whomever we could think of. Then I realized that this was just one small wedding; this must happen thousands of times on the Island.”
And so, Second Bloom was born. In 2023, Rae incorporated Second Bloom as a non-profit and recruited her friends Anne Davey and Ellen Berube to help collect flowers, arrange them, and deliver them across the Island. Working in collaboration with local wedding and event planners, Second Bloom swings into action to bring beautiful florals to new homes after they’ve finished serving their original purpose. “It's such a win-win because when people have special flowers for this special day, they don't want to see them thrown in the trash either,” Rae says. “They're happy to know that somebody else can continue to enjoy the flowers that made their day special.”
Rae and her crew of Second Bloom volunteers collect flowers from events and tie them into new bouquets before rehoming them with organizations across the Island, including the hospital, food pantries, Hospice of MV, Island Elderly Housing, the Red House, the Center for Living, and local senior centers. “The recipients obviously are very happy to receive flowers — I think part of the joy is the unexpectedness, the random act of kindness,” Rae says. “And then for all of us volunteers, we love working with flowers, so we're happy to do that, too.”
Jenna Sylvia, event coordinator and owner of Coastal
Preserving and restoring historic landmarks is a key element of sustainability, reducing the need for new materials, cutting down on waste, and ensuring these structures stand for generations. As we mark our 50th anniversary, Vineyard Preservation Trust remains dedicated to protecting our heritage while promoting a sustainable future.
Get involved through tours, events, or by supporting our work!
vineyardtrust.org
Consider using dried flowers instead of fresh-cut.
Coordination & Power, connected with Rae through the Vineyard grapevine. With CC&P, Jenna plans events and weddings of all shapes and sizes on the Island. CC&P partners with Second Bloom to rehome floral arrangements after they’ve served their purpose at an event. For Jenna’s sustainability- and budget-minded clients, Second Bloom’s free service is a no-brainer. At an event like a wedding, florals have a lifespan of about eight hours. And, especially for the many destination weddings that take place on the Island, it doesn’t make sense for guests to bring the flowers home for themselves. Folks are typically more than happy to pass their flowers along for even more people to enjoy — they view Second Bloom’s services as both an act of kindness for the community and a step toward reducing waste.
“The Vineyard is such a unique and beautiful place, but it’s a fragile ecosystem,” Jenna says.
“It’s important that we can work together as a community to better the environment. Especially with industries like the wedding industry that can have a ton of money behind them, we need to keep sustainability at the front of our minds to protect our little Island in the middle of the ocean.”
Did
• CONNECT with Second Bloom to donate flowers from your next event by reaching out through their website, secondbloommv.com.
• VOLUNTEER to help with flower pick-up, arranging, and distribution by emailing Rae at secondbloommv@gmail.com.
• Have EXTRA VASES on hand? Second Bloom also accepts vase donations! Email Rae at secondbloommv@gmail.com to coordinate a pick-up.
• Second Bloom also accepts monetary DONATIONS, which are tax deductible. Venmo @secondbloommv or mail checks to Second Bloom MV, P.O. Box 2844, Oak Bluffs, MA 02557. Donations help keep Second Bloom stocked with necessary supplies, and supports their dream of expanding into a flower delivery van!
• Shop local and seasonal.
• Use dried flowers instead of fresh-cut.
• Decorate with potted plants, herbs, or other live greenery.
• Repurpose floral arrangements throughout the day if your event takes place at multiple venues.
• Rent plants from local nurseries or landscape companies.
Bloom is looking for volunteers to help pick up flowers from events.
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As demand for renewable energy sources grows across the state, the western part of the Island, once at the end of the electricity pipeline, is at the forefront.
microgrid project is underway at the library, which also serves as an emergency heating and cooling shelter and public source of water for the town. Edgartown is developing a similar microgrid project for its Highway Department campus, while Vineyard Haven plans to install solar panels and battery storage at the Tisbury Senior Center, set to serve as an emergency shelter. And Oak Bluffs has chosen its town hall for solar and battery storage installation.
Microgrid projects include solar facilities, battery backup, and the wiring together of multiple buildings, whereas ordinary solar and battery storage projects provide energy storage and power to a single building. These initiatives will offer backup electricity during power outages and help reduce everyday peak demand on the grid — lessening dependence on fossil fuel-powered generators. Projects in West Tisbury and Vineyard Haven are expected to be completed by the end of this year, while projects in Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, and Oak Bluffs are slated for 2026.
“It’ll be the first time something like this has been done on the Island,” said Richard Andre, president and director of Vineyard Power, referring to the municipal microgrids. Vineyard Power, a nonprofit organization, is helping Island towns transition to clean energy using funding from a Community Benefit Agreement with Vineyard Wind. (The organization also offers energy assessments and coaching for homeowners, landlords, and renters.)
These initiatives are part of an ongoing effort to help the Island achieve its goal of 100% renewable energy by 2040 — a commitment shared by all six towns. Various sectors are working to do their part. The Martha’s Vineyard Hospital is
planning to install additional solar panels and electric vehicle (EV) chargers at its new workforce housing, currently under construction. The Tisbury School, which opened its all-electric building last year, is equipped with four EV chargers. The Vineyard Transit Authority continues to electrify its bus fleet, supported by solar carports and a large battery storage system.
There are also large-scale solar projects on the way.
Edgartown is planning a 4-megawatt solar array atop the closed Meshacket Road landfill, and Oak Bluffs received approval from Eversource to interconnect a new 1-megawatt solar array at its landfill site.
In its 2024 Getting to 100% Renewable report (bit. ly/MVC_EnergyReport), the Martha’s Vineyard Commission noted that achieving 100% renewable “means moving away from burning fossil fuels by transitioning to all-electric and providing our needed power from renewable sources. This requires a major shift in the way we heat our homes and hot water, how we get around, and where our energy comes from… In achieving this goal, we have cleaner air, healthier people, and a more equitable and prosperous community for everyone.”
Some renewable power will come from Island solar arrays — there are now over 1,500 solar arrays on the Island, generating about 10 percent of its power, according to the MVC report. More will come from offshore wind — “Vineyard Wind I alone will provide enough to power all the homes of Cape Cod, the Vineyard, Nantucket, and parts of Plymouth County,” the MVC report said. The timeline for Vineyard Wind I remains unclear at the moment due to unpredictability in permitting at the federal level.
And some will come from a cleaner, greener electrical grid.
“It’s not the same grid it was 100 years ago” Martha’s Vineyard doesn’t have any power plants, and most of its electricity arrives from the mainland via undersea cables. As the Island transitions to all-electric systems, demand for electricity will increase significantly, and the grid is being updated to meet that demand.
Eversource is currently installing a new undersea cable and replacing an old one, with both cables expected to be in service by spring 2026. Both cables run through Falmouth, cross the Vineyard Sound, and come ashore on the Island in West Chop and East Chop. Once this work has been completed, the Island will effectively have two new cables, for a total of five. The replaced cable runs to West Chop, along with two other cables, and the new cable runs to East Chop, near Eastville Beach, along with one other cable. Eversource says that the new cables will be capable of providing 140% of the utility’s projected electricity needs for the Island by 2050. The company is also building a new substation near the hospital. Once these upgrades are online, Eversource plans to decommission its five diesel-powered generators on the Island.
“It’s going to help tremendously,” said Richard Andre, noting that electricity demand is projected to double in the next 15 years. “As we decarbonize, the grid’s changing … it’s not the same grid it was 100
years ago.” Eversource is also upgrading transmission infrastructure — putting up new poles and wires and clearing trees around them to reduce interference.
The Steamship Authority, while unavailable for comment for this article, has 10 vessels that are responsible for 14% of the Island’s transportation emissions, according to the MVC’s Getting to 100% Renewable report. The Conservation Law Foundation has confirmed that Massachusetts’ decarbonization requirements apply across all sectors — meaning that the Steamship will need to follow suit. The company has stated that its next newly-built vessel will “at least be a hybrid,” and has budgeted $375,000 to design a hybrid vessel. Its Woods Hole Terminal Building, currently under construction, is designed to be net zero, powered by solar and geothermal heating and cooling systems. The SSA is also looking to add electric buses to its fleet.
Steamship general manager Robert Davis recently said the ferry line has been in contact with Seattle-based Elliott Bay Design Group, which conducted a 2022 study that stated the Vineyard route was viable for electric ferries. Other ferry systems around the world are already making the shift. Denmark’s E-Ferry Ellen, in service since 2019,
For homeowners, one of the most important first steps toward energy efficiency is ensuring proper insulation and switching to electric appliances, heating, and hot water systems. Then, adding solar panels or driving electric vehicles are also key options. Battery storage — still an emerging technology— allows homeowners to store energy and reduce demand on the grid during peak hours (typically between 3 and 7 pm), cutting fossil fuel use, and providing backup during outages.
South Mountain Company is one of the Islandbased companies that does both solar and battery installations, and Rob Meyers, director of energy technology, said two shifts in the battery storage sector have made it more accessible to homeowners. “Battery costs have fallen by about 70 percent over the past decade,” he said. The second shift is the ability to install batteries outdoors, something introduced over the last year. “Battery manufacturers have updated their technology so that they have either onboard
HVAC systems or are able to withstand our colder climate.” That’s significant, he said, because older systems often required costly fire-rated rooms in basements. “Having the flexibility to install them outdoors makes it a much more desirable option.”
Even if you’re not on the Island year-round, you can still help the community reach its renewable energy goals. A lot of summer homes consume more electricity, and many people don’t fully shut them down during the winter. Installing solar panels on a second home and using “net metering” — where excess power is sent back to the grid — can help. Energy credits can be donated to a nonprofit, a food pantry, or a neighbor through a Schedule Z form (bit.ly/ EversourceNetMetering). “The state and the utility companies have made that a fairly easy process,” Richard Andre said. “It’s a way to give back — to contribute to the Island’s goals.”
Two new state programs are making clean energy even more attractive:
• SMART 3.0, a production-based incentive launching later this year, will pay homeowners for every kilowatt-hour of solar energy generated, whether used on-site or sent back to the grid. “It’s a 10-year program and homeowners get direct income through it,” Rob Meyers said. While the exact payout rate is still unknown, solar installers like South Mountain will handle enrollment.
• Connected Solutions is a voluntary program that allows the utility to occasionally draw power from a homeowner’s battery during peak demand times. “So when the use is the highest, they’ll pull a little juice from your battery, and it’s a way to reduce the amount of peak power plants that they have to turn on, and for homeowners to earn money to stabilize the grid,” Rob said.
Looking ahead, one event Islanders might want to mark on their calendars is SunDay, Sept. 21, 2025 — a global day of action celebrating solar and wind power and the transition away from fossil fuels. Organizers encourage communities across the world to rally, build, and raise awareness for clean energy efforts. Learn more at sunday.earth.
• Car charging stations on Martha’s Vineyard: bit.ly/carchargingMV
• How to purchase green energy through Cape Light Compact: capelightcompact.org/clcgreen/
• Mass Save energy-savings opportunities: masssave.com
For a list of even more energy resources, visit Edgartown’s Energy Committee website (scroll to the bottom of the webpage: bit.ly/energycommitteelinks.)
For as long as I’ve been fishing on the Vineyard, I’ve always used waders to extend my casting range and get as far out into the water as possible, closer to the action. But when my alarm went off on a mild Friday morning with a reminder that read “meet Nina to dig for gold,” I knew those beat-up old waders would serve an additional purpose.
The Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group (MVSG) wants people to know about the joys of shellfish. They hold public outreach campaigns throughout the year — seminars, family events,
By Lucas Thors Photos by Randi Baird
and celebrations of shellfish culture like the Bivalve Ball — to get the word out about how shellfish clean our waters and enrich our economy. (The Bivalve Ball was in April, but check mvshellfishgroup.org for more events and to get on the list for next year.) The group invited me out to Lagoon Pond to experience for myself how easy and enjoyable harvesting shellfish can be.
Despite being a fisherman for years, I never got into harvesting shellfish. I figured adopting another sustenance hobby would be too involved and expensive. But after being out on the Lagoon with a rake and a floating
basket, I immediately made the decision to secure my license, intent on treating my family and friends to some delicious meals.
Emma Green-Beach, executive director of the MVSG, told me she has been shellfishing in Sengekontacket Pond with her family since she was small enough to fit into a clamming basket. “My uncle would have the rope with the basket in the inner tube, and my dad would have me in his inner tube floating close behind,” Emma said. “The only thing I remember my father feeding me was shellfish.” For Emma and other MVSG members, shellfishing is all
After many times flipping my rake only to find an empty basket, I started to focus more on using my senses to locate the clams.
noise when the tines make contact with a clam — if it’s a rock it will sound more solid and tinny.
After searching around for a clear spot, I began to dig. It’s surprising how much of a whole-body workout raking for clams is (another benefit of shellfishing). After many times flipping my rake only to find an empty basket, I started to focus more on using my senses to locate the clams. If you really try and pay attention to when the teeth of your rake make contact with something under the bottom, you’re much more likely to strike gold. The clams I found were often buried deep beneath, and I had to wedge my rake underneath them in order to pull them into the rake basket. After a particularly confident flip of my rake, I finally had three or four hardshelled clams.
I could immediately tell the clams were large enough to legally harvest. But, in order to build muscle memory and good habits, I attempted to fit every clam into the gauge hinge first. Much to my excitement, none of the clams went through the gauge, meaning they were all more than one inch thick and two inches long. The noise those clams made after dropping them into my floating basket was gratifying, and my mind started going to what sides I would cook to accompany my linguine and clam sauce.
As we continued to rake and fill our baskets, MVSG education and outreach coordinator Nina Montanile told me about some of the organization’s programs. She was particularly excited about the youth groups and 4-H programs that bring kids and their families out to go shellfishing and learn more about the marine ecosystem. “Shellfish really are the fabric of the Vineyard. People have historically relied on [shellfishing] to feed their families, and to earn a living,” she explained. “We want all generations who grow up here and come here to respect the environment, and cherish what it provides.”
Danielle said this year the MVSG will host the ninth annual Family
A quahog that fits through a 1-inch gauge for the shell thickness or hinge width is considered seed and below legal harvest size.
A proper shucker always holds the clam with the hinge wedged in the palm.
A freshly shucked quahog can be eaten right out of the shell, but all shellfish should be landed before they are shucked.
Always be sure to have the proper gear with you when going out shellfishing.
Shellfish Day (which usually takes place in June), where she and other shellfish educators are able to take unlicensed families out and show them the ropes during the free event. Danielle said kids are always enthusiastic when they find their first clam, and often ask her about what type of shellfish it is and whether they can take it home. “I think our kids’ programs are some of the coolest initiatives we’re involved in right now, because starting them young really provides a unique perspective on how connected everything is that lives in our water, and how much we rely on shellfish as a community,” she said.
After only about an hour or so, I had collected (and been generously given) more than enough clams to make dinner for my family and my girlfriend. The one thing I forgot to bring to our shellfishing excursion was a cooler with ice, so Montanile lent me a reusable shopping bag with some ice in it to transport my catch back to my refrigerator. I can’t wait to go down to one of the local tackle shops and buy my rake and floating basket, purchase my Edgartown license (bit.ly/Edgartown-Shellfish-License), and start shellfishing.
MVSG recently received two grants that helped them purchase shellfish harvesting gear and equipment for staff to give lessons on topics from shucking to harvesting. The Edey Foundation, a locally-based funder, supported youth and volunteer programs in 20232024, accompanied by a 2024-2025 NOAA eeBLUE Aquaculture Literacy (bit.ly/NOAA-AquacultureGrant) mini-grant to involve and expose more of the community to the benefits of public and private aquaculture with hands-on learning experiences.
Lots more information about shellfish at mvshellfishgroup.org
“Shellfish really are the fabric of the Vineyard. People have historically relied on [shellfishing] to feed their families, and to earn a living.” – Nina Montanile, MVSG education and outreach coordinator
To: Bluedot Living
From: Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group
Subject: How to Harvest Shellfish (and Get a Permit) on Martha’s Vineyard
1. You need a clam rake, floating basket, gauge, and water shoes or waders. Most can be sourced at local tackle shops or even checked out from the Oak Bluffs Public Library! Bay scallops are a winter harvest and require a dip net and a peepsite, or snorkel/dive gear.
2. Purchase an annual resident permit from your town hall or a non-resident permit from another town. Short-term non-resident permits can be purchased in most towns as well. Residential family and individual permits range from $0 (for seniors) to $50 for an annual, all-inclusive permit. Non-resident permits range from $50 to $400 for an annual, all-inclusive permit (not including scallops in some towns). See their websites or call town halls for details.
3. See the map (below) for landing areas, check for area closures, and plan on harvesting during low-tide.
4. Put shellfish in a cooler on ice immediately after harvesting and leaving the water. Keep oysters and quahogs in your fridge, laid flat for up to a week. Bay scallops should be shucked the same day as harvest.
5. Shuck and eat raw, or cook them! If you’re afraid to shuck, steaming or heating the shellfish will cause their shell to open. If it doesn’t open after cooking, discard that piece, do not eat.
The Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group has worked to restore and enhance public
shellfish beds since 1976. We believe that eating and harvesting shellfish is essential to the Island’s cultural fabric. We spawn all wild broodstock and operate three hatcheries to produce ~30 million shellfish seed each year. As a 501(c)3 we work closely with all six Island towns to restore habitat and protect the Island’s unique marine resources.
Shellfish are healthy – full of zinc and protein. Shellfish filter excess nutrients out of the water, and help improve water quality. Shellfish and aquaculture growing gear create vital habitat for other marine species. For more information or to donate, visit mvshellfishgroup.org.
Recipe by Nina Montanile
You’ve had a refreshing (and rewarding) day clamming. Wondering what to do with your haul? Try these couldn’t-be-fresher Quahog Cakes. Depending how quickly you toss them back, they should serve 4–6. Or one.
12–20 small clams, shucked on a half shell with liquid
or
2 6.5-oz cans clams, drained, reserve 1 cup liquid
and
2–4 Tbsps butter or oil
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 cup red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
6–8 slices of breaada, cubed or torn into small pieces (adjust for preferred texture)
1/2 cup (more or less) grated Parmesan
1 tsp fresh chopped Italian parsley
1 tsp fresh chopped dill
1 tsp fresh chopped sage Fresh chopped thyme, to taste (optional)
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp garlic powder Old Bay seasoning, to taste (optional)
1–2 eggs, beaten
2 Tbsps lemon juice
1. If using fresh clams, chop them into small pieces.
2. In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and bell pepper. Sauté until soft, about 10 minutes. Add in the garlic, stir, and remove from heat.
3. In a mixing bowl, add the bread, clams (and reserved juice if using canned), cheese, herbs, seasonings, and beaten egg. Mix with a spoon or your hands. Let sit
for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to allow the bread to soak up liquid.
4. Add the sautéed veggies to the bowl and mix in. Then, mold the mixture into small patties, using 1 tablespoon of the
mixture per patty. Mixture should be firm enough to form into balls. If loose, add more bread.
5. Add the rest of the butter to a skillet over medium heat. Once melted, add a few patties to the pan and cook for 3–5 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove and place on towels to absorb excess oil. Serve with your favorite sauce or salsa.
• Make it your own! You can bake, fry, grill, or steam your shellfish.
• Don’t feel like shucking? You can open up shellfish with heat.
• Always keep fresh shellfish chilled or on ice until cooking or eating.
As part of the MVSG's Seashore Explorer 4H group, Odin Sheffer shucks clams for the clam cakes.
Mignonette is a light and bright vinegar-based sauce — simple to whip up and perfect for accompanying oysters. Recipe from Eat Cool: Good Food for Hot Days by Vanessa Seder of Portland, Maine. Check out her other recipes on Instagram @vanessa_seder_eats. Makes about 1 cup mignonette
INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup minced seedless cucumber with skin on 1/4 cup minced radish
2 Tbsps minced shallot
1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 cups ice cubes
12 fresh raw oysters, shucked
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place the cucumber, radish, shallot, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Can be made up to 1 day ahead of time.
2. To serve, place the ice in a food processor and pulse a few times until slightly crushed. Spread the ice out on a large tray or oyster plate and place the oysters. Serve immediately with a ramekin of the sauce, a small spoon, and a few oyster forks.
Makes 36 oysters
For the mignonette:
1 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp raw sugar
2-3 finely chopped shallots
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Lots of fresh cracked black pepper (6 turns of a pepper mill)
For the butter:
1 stick of butter at room temperature
1/4 cup honey or agave syrup
Zest of 1 orange
Pinch of salt
1. 36 fresh oysters, shucked
2. In a small bowl, mix together the ingredients for the mignonette and set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whip the butter with the honey, orange zest, and salt. Top each shucked oyster with a generous ½ teaspoon of the butter mixture, then place the oysters on a hot grill and cook until the butter has melted and the oysters start bubbling, about 3 minutes.
4. Spoon a little of the mignonette onto each cooked oyster, and serve.
Local clams dug from Island water sources are available year-round. Littlenecks are the smallest clams; next in size are cherrystones, and then quahogs or chowder clams. It helps local fishermen to buy all three sizes! This recipe is great as a first course, appetizer with drinks, or a simple dinner. In addition to developing recipes for Maine seafood producers, Vanessa is the author of Eat Cool and Secret Sauces.
Serves: 2 to 4
INGREDIENTS
24 littleneck clams, approximately 2 to 4 pounds
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp. fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves, inely chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 Tbsp. capers in brine, drained but not rinsed
1/4cup cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
Freshly ground black pepper
Grilled sliced sourdough bread, for serving
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Scrub and rinse the clams. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
2. Cover a serving platter in rock salt and set aside. The salt prevents the clams from shifting on the platter when served.
3. In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring constantly
Recipe by Vanessa Seder
until fragrant and the shallot has become translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the alcohol subsides and is reduced by half, 2 to 4 minutes.
4. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the parsley, oregano, thyme, and capers. Whisk in the butter a bit at a time until just melted and incorporated, and season to taste with pepper. Keep the sauce warm until ready to serve.
5. Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium heat. Place the clams directly on the grill. Cover and cook the clams without turning them. As soon as the clams pop open, about 8 to 10 minutes, transfer them carefully with tongs to the platter with the rock salt. Use the tongs to pry off the top shells. Spoon some of the sauce over each clam and serve with the grilled bread. Serve immediately.
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The Lagoon Pond Association is protecting one of the Island’s most threatened water resources.
By Lucas Thors
courtesy Lagoon Pond Association
Lagoon Pond is in hot water (pun intended). Excess nitrogen and climate change are threatening the Island's water bodies, including Lagoon Pond, which are a vital part of the Vineyard’s ecological and economic fabric.
The Lagoon Pond Association (LPA) is working to protect and enhance the health of the lagoon by educating the public, collaborating with other conservation organizations, and offering opportunities for Vineyarders to help — whether by contributing financially, by serving as citizen scientists who conduct
water quality monitoring, or simply by making changes to anything in their own lives that might have an impact on pond health.
“We are always looking to help the pond, in both the short term and the long term,” President of the LPA, Sherry Countryman, told Bluedot Living. To illustrate the problems the Lagoon faces and how people can help, the LPA hosts interactive exhibits and seminars each year. Last year’s exhibit focused on invasive species like Codium fragile (native to the Pacific, considered the world’s most invasive seaweed), green
crabs, and tunicates (filter-feeding invertebrates). “We had these jars with specimens of each species, and we went around to Harborfest and Tivoli Day and the Earth Day celebration at the MV Museum and really tried to educate people,” Countryman said.
This year’s exhibit is focused on urine diversion, a topic (as Countryman notes) that can make people uncomfortable, but which is crucial to consider when working to protect the Lagoon from such threats as invasive plants and algae blooms. The main threat to the pond’s health, Countryman explained, is nearby
septic systems that leach nitrogen into the watershed. The excess nutrients cause eutrophication (bit.ly/What-IsEutrophication), which leads to excessive plant and algae growth that eventually chokes out native aquatic flora and fauna.
Most of the nitrogen that seeps from septics comes from urine, which is why this year’s exhibit highlights ways to divert it. Innovative Alternative (IA) septics can filter out a significant amount of nitrogen that would otherwise be released into the Lagoon, but those systems are often too expensive for homeowners. Countryman said that diverting urine away from septic systems should be the first priority, as it’s the simplest, most cost-effective way to reduce (and potentially eliminate) the majority of nitrogen leaching.
The LPA will feature several urinediverting toilets in this year’s exhibit, so attendees can see how they work and become more comfortable with the idea of alternative toilet systems. “Our goal is to try and get these technologies into the public lexicon — let’s turn this into a conversation that people aren’t afraid to have, and people don’t immediately
“I think the more information people have about [Lagoon Pond] and why it’s important, and the more they hear about different ways local organizations are working to protect it, they will be more inclined to do their own small part.”
– Sherry Countryman, president of the Lagoon Pond Association
jump to ‘that’s gross,’” Countryman said. “These technologies are continuing to improve, and they’re much cheaper solutions than these IA septics. On top of that, there are ways to take the urine and use it to create fertilizer.”
The association is also hosting several biodiversity-related activities to help people learn more about all the species found in the pond’s ecosystem. Last year, LPA members used a seine net at low tide and collected and catalogued all the flora and fauna they could. This year, the LPA is inviting the public to get involved: each month during the summer will
feature a different event, and more unique opportunities to learn more about what the LPA is working to protect.
To raise awareness and Islandwide support, the LPA regularly partners with other local organizations that share the goal of conserving the Island’s waterways, and this season, it kicked off a speaker series in April with a conversation about Codium (also known as dead man’s fingers algae), presented in collaboration with the Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group. Andrew Karlinski, biologist for the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) Natural Resources Department, spoke about a Codium removal pilot program he created for the tribe. After that, in July, people can hear from town officials about how the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection regulations are affecting the way homeowners deal with septics, and what it will take to remove nitrogen from wastewater. Subsequent speaker series events will take place in September and January.
The LPA is also working with Martha’s Vineyard Commission cartographer and Graphic Information Systems coordinator Chris Seidel to create and distribute a map of the pond to boaters, commercial fishermen, and aquaculturists. Right now, they’re working on creating a QR code scanner to install at the drawbridge that captains can scan as they enter the Lagoon to see an underwater layout of the area. The map will indicate mooring fields, aquaculture farms, shellfish propagation areas, eel
Marcello Meyer leads a recent workshop at Slough Farm.
Marcello Meyer helps landscapers and homeowners create more sustainable yards.
By Britt Bowker Photos by Randi Baird
Marcello Meyer is a longtime landscaper on Martha’s Vineyard, known for his work at Landscope, where he’s spent the last 16 years. During his time there, Marcello has often shared his expertise with colleagues and homeowners, offering informal lessons on the importance of native plantings, sustainable landscapes, and environmentally conscious lawn care. Now, he’s taking that work a step further with a newly created nonprofit dedicated to educating the community about the importance of protecting lawns and reducing the harmful effects of nitrogen and other chemicals on Island ponds and groundwater. Founded last summer, Marcello’s Deep Roots MV offers eco-friendly landscaping services, educational workshops, and low-carbon-emissions
lawn mowing — all aimed at fostering a more sustainable approach to land care.
A software engineer by trade, Marcello arrived in the U.S. from Brazil 26 years ago. “When I came to the Vineyard, I fell in love,” Marcello says, reflecting on “this beautiful place” that inspired him to contribute more to sustainable landscape preservation. Carlos Montoya (bit.ly/Carlos-Montoya), founder of Native Plant Associates, became one of Marcello’s mentors. “He taught me how to do the identification, how to collect the seeds, how to propagate the seeds — what he does is old school, manual,” Marcello says. “No heavy machinery involved — very particular.”
That approach remains central to Marcello’s philosophy as
“I’m here to improve your work, the quality of your work, and also your quality of life. If you don’t apply pesticides, fungicides, synthetics, you’re going to live longer.”
– Marcello Meyer, Deep Roots MV
a landscaper. He’s committed to educating people wherever and whenever he can about the importance of native plantings. “If you have the right native plants, then you attract beneficial insects, and then you attract birds, and then you attract snakes — it’s all connected,” Marcello says.
Deep Roots MV’s workshops (in both English and Portuguese) educate people about sustainable landscapes. In March, Marcello partnered with the Vineyard Conservation Society to offer a workshop about sustainable lawn care. He also recently collaborated with Polly Hill Arboretum on a series of lectures for the Brazilian landscaping community, and with the Vineyard Agriculture Society to do presentations for farmers. He
also hosted workshops with the Slough Farm Foundation on sustainable landscaping, and he hopes to extend his efforts by offering workshops at the high school to reach younger audiences. Marcello also teamed up with the Boards of Health of Martha’s Vineyard to host a series of lectures on best practices for fertilizer and pesticide application, breaking down the rules and regulations. (Marcello reminds us that to apply pesticides to a property, one must be a state-licensed pesticide applicator, and it should only be done as a last resort, after soil testing or trying other natural methods. He has been a licensed pesticide applicator for 15 years.)
Through his workshops and networks, Marcello also helps his Portuguese- and English-speaking colleagues navigate regulations. “My goal is to have the landscapers use my organization as a resource,” he says. “I tell them, ‘If you change to a sustainable lawn, you spend less money on chemicals, synthetics, and you can use that money to increase the service you're giving to a client.’”
A common concern he hears from landscapers is that switching clients to sustainable lawns might mean they’ll lose business since these lawns are often considered “maintenance free.” That’s a misconception, Marcello says. “They require the same maintenance — even more maintenance, even more care, because you’re not using chemicals. You have to understand how the soil works, how to work with the soil and integrate that into your services.” He adds that he doesn’t
view his organization as competition for landscapers. “I’m here to improve your work, the quality of your work, and also your quality of life. If you don’t apply pesticides, fungicides, synthetics, you’re going to live longer.”
A big part of Marcello’s mission is reaching homeowners. “If a homeowner has a question about how to change his lawn from synthetic, pesticide, fungicide, excess nitrogen application — I go to the property and evaluate what they have: The irrigation they have, how they water the lawn, how they water the plants and how often. And I help them understand how much water is needed to preserve water, how to minimize the use of chemicals, and how to use native plants.” He also provides free soil tests for homeowners, sending samples to labs and offering detailed reports on what actions to take.
Deep Roots MV is “almost like a family business,” Marcello says. His daughter designed the logo, and his wife has supported him from the start. The mission is rooted in the belief that “we’re all connected,” Marcello says. “From the homeowners to the farmer, we all live on this rock and we drink pretty much the same water. If everybody does what they’re supposed to do, to preserve the waterways, to preserve nature, we all have a better chance.”
To learn more about Deep Roots MV and its workshops and services, or to make a donation, visit deeprootsmv.org.
Plant Local guides are available in English and Portuguese.
To: Bluedot Living
From: Liz Durkee, The Martha’s Vineyard Commission
Subject: Plant Local!
Climate change and development are stressing the Island’s natural environment. One thing you can do to make a positive difference is to plant local.
Native plants are more resilient than non-native plants to extreme weather such as heat, droughts, and heavier rainfall. They require less water and maintenance. They have adapted to the Island’s soils. They play a critical role in providing food and habitat for wildlife. They’re beautiful!
Plant Local MV is a collaborative campaign to educate the public on the value of native plants. It includes an attractive and informative booklet, Plant Local Martha’s Vineyard — A Nature-based Landscaping Guide, and brochures for landscapers and homeowners in both English and Portuguese.
“The intent of these publications,” notes Timothy Boland, Executive Director the Polly Hill Arboretum, “is to assist gardeners in making successful and impactful decisions about using native plants in their home landscapes.”
BiodiversityWorks, the Vineyard Conservation Society, and the Polly Hill Arboretum developed the materials through a grant awarded to the Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC). The grant project, Fostering Resilient Ecosystems, was funded by the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Program.
The project complements related work being done by these organizations.
Polly Hill offers a plant selection guide at pollyhillarboretum.org.
The Arboretum also hosts classes and workshops on landscaping with native plants, meadow making, and
maintenance. The Arboretum hosts an online native plug sale and sells native plants at the Arboretum’s Visitor Center, open every day (9:30 am to 4:00 pm) from late May to mid-October.
“BiodiversityWorks' Natural Neighbors program has been working to help private landowners transform their yards into steppingstones of habitat across the Island to increase connectivity between parcels of conservation land.” – Luanne Johnson, Wildlife Biologist and Director of BiodiversityWorks, biodiversityworksmv.org
The Vineyard Conservation Society advocates for smaller, more natural lawns: “Our landscaping choices and the sense of stewardship that we hold for the Island are critically important. VCS has been working on this through our Vineyard Lawns Initiative which
advocates for smaller lawns that are chemical and fertilizer free. This is a healthier choice for the land and water as well as our own bodies, and is a natural complement to native plantings, which are a great replacement for lawn space.” – Samantha Look, Executive Director, Vineyard Conservation Society, vineyardconservation.org
The initiative is part of the Vineyard Climate Action Plan, The Vineyard Way , a detailed plan with long-term goals for the Island to achieve by 2040, including maintaining and promoting habitat health, connectivity, and resiliency. The plan development was guided by the Martha’s Vineyard Commission, mvcommission.org.
“All the Island’s natural resources are stressed by climate change and human activity. Restoring native habitats is healing. It’s something we can all do to make a positive difference.” – Liz Durkee, Climate Change Coordinator, MV Commission said.
The Plant Local MV booklet is available at the West Tisbury, Chilmark, Vineyard Haven and Oak Bluffs libraries, on the Vineyard Climate Action Plan website, thevineyardway.org/ category/plant-local-mv and the MVC website, mvcommission. org. Or use the QR code below.
Have fun, create beauty, and help fight the climate crisis!
From: Suzan Bellincampi, Mass Audubon Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary
Subject: Osprey are Bingeworthy Birds
Ospreys are seasonal residents, arriving on Martha’s Vineyard in April and leaving in August. Their routes vary, some go fast, some go slow, but no matter, the successful ones will reach their winter homes in Central and South America. Researchers have tagged Island birds, and their studies give insight into their travels and trials. The arrival of the first Island osprey in the spring is cause for celebration and now, a watch party.
While ospreys are winging their way north, staff at Mass Audubon have been repairing and updating one pair’s nesting platform at Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary.
Thanks to funding from the Couch Family Foundation (and a lift from Island Timber), a camera has been installed that will provide a birds-eye view to see and hear these bird’s seasonal antics. It will be hard for Osprey observers not to binge watch as these fish hawks mate, lay eggs, and raise their young in real time. Watch the live camera here: bit.ly/OspreyCamMV.
This species suffered from the effects of the chemical DDT which thinned their eggshells and reduced their
nesting success and overall population. After the banning of DDT in the United States, osprey populations rebounded, though their numbers remained low on Martha’s Vineyard.
It was back in the early 1960s when Mass Audubon’s first Sanctuary Director Gus Ben David began to ponder the scarcity of breeding ospreys on Martha’s Vineyard. Ospreys had been starting to nest on the Island on utility poles and trees, but those locales were dangerous to the birds due to live wires or trees that couldn’t hold the weight of those large, heavy nests. When the nesting platform program began, there were only two nesting pairs of ospreys on the Island. Today, more than 100 pairs successfully breed every year, thanks to the ubiquitous poles erected and monitored.
To: Bluedot Living
From: Emily Reddington, Executive Director, Great Pond Foundation
Subject:
Living Waters, Thriving Island
Change is a natural and inevitable part of life. Our power lies in how we respond to change. Living in a place where nature is at our doorstep is a privilege. If we want to preserve and sustain the life in our waters, making sure that future generations experience the profound beauty and abundance of these vital waters, we need to alter the trajectory of change and prioritize water and watersheds.
We know the challenges facing our ponds, estuaries, and waterways: nutrient pollution and the pressures of a changing climate. What is less clear is what we can do locally to trigger the inflection point that tips our waters back from impairment to a course of restoration.
The actions our community takes in the next decade will have a profound impact on the fate of the Island’s living waters . The land upon which we stand, grow our food, and build our homes is interconnected with the health of our waters. The rate of development is astounding. It is also unsustainable if our terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems are to remain intact and functional.
Science and conservation are racing against the clock to save nature; documenting the sources of impairment and preserving native landscapes and waterways. Policy and permitting seem to be lagging behind. Time is of the essence, as the more we do now, the better the outcome of restoration efforts. We need to be nimble, coordinated, informed, and proactive in our response to the crisis facing our waters. We need to be the voice of water, the voice of the ecosystem.
If enough community members speak up and advocate for the fate of our waters at planning board meetings, at conservation hearings, and at annual town meetings, there will be ripples in decision making that spread out like a safety net for our waters. For each change proposed, please consider 1) how it may impact water and watersheds and 2) if those changes fulfill critical needs of the community, as development will always have an environmental consequence.
• L eaving nature intact
• Adding a vegetative buffer between the pond and landscaped areas
• P utting nature back (adding native plants to the landscape)
• Reducing or eliminating fertilizer
• Connecting to sewer
• Instal ling nitrogen reducing septic systems
• Removing intact nature
• Creating impervious surfaces (paving, pool, roofs)
• Producing nitrogen runoff from wastewater
• Producing nitrogen runoff from fertilizer
• Adding pollutants from landscape (herbicides, drugs, heavy metals)
• Creating run-off or erosion
We all have a part to play in the protection of our waters. As a small organization, Great Pond Foundation (GPF) must be very thoughtful about how to have the most positive impact
on the Island’s waters. Over the past several years, in collaboration with the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, we have been measuring the concentration of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) entering ponds via groundwater, identifying its source (wastewater vs. agriculture), and locating high-concentration nitrogen plumes.
When we find nitrogen hot spots, we identify the best places to deploy mitigation technologies and maximize nitrogen reduction.
GPF’s work models a path forward for ponds across the Island: monitoring the health of our ponds, identifying concentrated nutrient plumes (source of impairment), and working with pond communities to incorporate recent data into management and remediation activities. Living waters are the heart of the Island’s spirit and economy. The focus of our Foundation’s work is keeping the life in our waters, because with living waters the Island thrives.
To learn more about Great Pond Foundation (including getting involved or contributing): greatpondfoundation.org
Recycle, compost, volunteer, write your rep, buy secondhand.
See this online at bit.ly/MV-HANDBOOK. See our How to Get Rid of Anything Guide at: bit.ly/GET-RID
LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES
Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization that empowers communities to spread a love of reading through neighborhood book exchanges. At mail-box sized kiosks maintained by the community, passersby are encouraged to take a book, or leave a book. There are eight Little Free Libraries on Martha’s Vineyard, including one on Chappaquiddick. Find a Little Free Library near you by visiting bit.ly/little-free-library-mv.
AQUINNAH PUBLIC LIBRARY
1 Church Street, Aquinnah; aquinnahlibrary.org; 508-645-2314
Tuesday, Thursday 12 pm – 6 pm; Saturday 11 am – 4 pm
CHILMARK PUBLIC LIBRARY
522 South Road, Chilmark; chilmarkma.gov/chilmark-library; 508-645-3360
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday 10:30 am – 5 pm; Wednesday 10:30 am – 6 pm; Friday 10:30 am – 1:30 pm
LIBRARY OF THINGS
Patrons of the Chilmark Public Library can check out a wide variety of items from their Library of Things. These items include power tools, kitchen equipment, memory care kits, starfinder kits, gardening kits, birdwatching kits, board games, lawn games, musical instruments, knitting kits, and audio/video kits. Visit bit. ly/chilmarklib-things for a full list of items.
EDGARTOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY
26 West Tisbury Road, Edgartown; edgartownlibrary.org; 508-627-4221
Monday, Thursday – Saturday 10 am – 5 pm; Tuesday, Wednesday 10 am – 6 pm
LIBRARY OF THINGS
Patrons of the Edgartown Public Library can check out a wide variety of items from their Library of Things. These items include Chromebooks, wi-fi hotspots, Nintendo Switch, a slow cooker, guitars and ukuleles, and Pilestone colorblind glasses. Visit bit.ly/edglibthings for a full list of items.
INFO SESSIONS WITH VINEYARD POWER
Vineyard Power tables at the library to discuss options for home energy with patrons. They can help individuals get a no-cost home energy assessment, rebates for energy-efficient home heating appliances, assistance in adopting renewable energy resources, and other incentives available as our Island transitions away from fossil fuels. Patrons can bring their latest electric bill or account number to sign up for an assessment.
The Edgartown Public Library regularly hosts talks on the natural history of the Cape and Islands as well as educational sessions where patrons can learn about local environmental initiatives and practical sustainability skills. View the full event calendar at bit.ly/edg-lib-events.
OAK BLUFFS PUBLIC LIBRARY
56R School St, Oak Bluffs; oakbluffslibrary.org; 508-693-9433
Off Season: Tuesday, Thursday 10 am – 6 pm; Wednesday 8 am – 5 pm; Friday 10 am – 5 pm; Saturday 10 am – 4 pm
Summer (June – August): Tuesday 10 am – 6 pm; Wednesday 8 am – 5 pm; Thursday 10 am – 8 pm; Friday 10 am – 5 pm; Saturday 10 am – 4 pm
LIBRARY OF THINGS
Patrons of the Oak Bluffs Public Library can check out a wide variety of items from their Library of Things. These items include board games, a puzzle saver table, birding backpacks, wi-fi hotspots, fishing and clamming equipment, lawn games, beach supplies, radon detector, sensory equipment for children, musical instruments, workout equipment, sewing machines, DVD players, metal detectors, induction cooktops and food dehydrators, home repair and bike repair kits, and knitting and crochet kits. In 2025, they plan to add
gardening tools and a soil test kit. Visit bit.ly/oblib-things for a full list of items.
With donations from local gardeners and businesses, the Oak Bluffs Public Library recently implemented a seed lending library. Patrons can “borrow” seeds from the library and they can save seeds as they harvest their bounty to “return” their loan to the library.
Each September, the Oak Bluffs Public Library celebrates Maritime Month to honor local mariner Gordon Goodwin whose family donated a memorial fund to the Library Friends of Oak Bluffs with the request to add maritime collections and programming in the library. Events during Maritime Month have included learning to shuck oysters and recycle their shells with MV Shellfish Group, beach clean ups, and learning about how shellfish conservation has evolved on the Island over the last 50 years.
The Oak Bluffs Climate & Energy Advisory Committee regularly hosts Community Climate Discussions on a variety of different topics relating to sustainability. The library also hosts a foraging workshop every summer with Alexis Nikole Nelson, known online as The Black Forager. Find the library’s calendar of events at oakbluffslibrary.org/events.
200 Main Street, Vineyard Haven; vhlibrary.org; 508-696-4211
Monday, Saturday 10 am – 5 pm; Tuesday – Thursday 10 am – 6 pm; Friday 1 pm – 5 pm
042 State Road, West Tisbury; westtisburylibrary.org; 508-693-3366
Monday – Wednesday 10 am – 6 pm; Thursday 9 am – 6 pm; Friday 10 am – 5 pm; Saturday 9 am – 5 pm; Sunday 12 pm – 4 pm
The West Tisbury Public Library’s “Freedge” (free fridge) is located in the main lobby and is open to all. Everyone is welcome to drop off fresh, uncut produce or unexpired canned goods, and everyone is welcome to take what they’d like whenever the library is open. Generous contributions from IGI, Slough Farms, the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust, and
the Good Shepherd Parish also help to keep the fridge, freezer, and pantry stocked.
Patrons of the West Tisbury Public Library can check out a wide variety of items from their Library of Things. These items include lawn games, board games, instruments, a bicycle tool kit, and light therapy lamps, DVD/Blu-Ray/streaming video players, Kindle, Nintendo Switch, portable boom boxes and CD players, Chromebooks and laptops with Microsoft Office, wi-fi hotspots, tire inflators and car battery chargers, paper shredders and scanners, adventure backpacks, social media influencer kits, home energy detective kits, homework kits, mindfulness kits, microscopes, cassette and record player convertors, and art kits. Visit bit.ly/ wtlib-things for a full list of items.
A collaborative project of the West Tisbury Library, Island Grown Schools, Polly Hill Arboretum, Whippoorwill Farm, and local home gardeners, the Seed Library brings the knowledge of how to save seeds back to our Island community while creating a central space where seeds can be freely shared. For more info on events, follow their Facebook page at bit.ly/mv-seed-library.
The West Tisbury Library provides copies of books and access to audiobooks for the Climate Book Club. Members gather monthly at the library to discuss both fiction and non-fiction titles that explore the many dimensions of the climate crisis. For more information, contact Nicola Blake at nblake64@gmail.com.
From garden planning, to biochar workshops, to seedling swaps, the West Tisbury Public Library has an events calendar packed with eco-programming and more: bit.ly/wtlib-events.
All permits can be obtained online at massfishhunt. mass.gov (Dukes County is Zone 13). These permits include freshwater fishing, saltwater fishing and lobster, hunting and trapping, and sporting. You can also apply for an antlerless deer permit. For
information on seasons and limits, visit bit.ly/hunt-fish-2025.
Many Land Bank properties allow hunting with a permit. Find the permit application as well as the hunting policies for land bank properties at mvlandbank.com/properties/hunting.
Archery hunting of deer is allowed on these Sheriff’s Meadow properties with a permit: Brookside Ridge Preserve, Phillips Preserve, Cedar Tree Neck Sanctuary, Middle Road Sanctuary, and Quansoo Farm. For a permit application, email rogers@sheriffsmeadow.org.
Hunting is allowed in designated areas of the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest. Learn more about the regulations for hunting in state parks here: bit.ly/stateforest-hunting.
See additional Massachusetts Wildlife Management Areas open to hunting here: bit.ly/MA-WMAs.
MassWildlife’s Hunters Share the Harvest program makes it possible for hunters to donate their venison to Massachusetts residents in need. The program also supports conservation efforts by utilizing hunting as a tool for deer population management. According to MassWildlife, free range, organic venison is a healthy source of lean protein with a low carbon footprint that provides more than 4.4 million meals of venison to hunters and families across Massachusetts each year. Learn more about the Hunters Share the Harvest program at bit.ly/hunters-share-the-harvest.
The MV Hunt Club works with local landowners to increase the amount of land available to archery deer hunters. Ultimately, their goal in establishing greater land access for hunters is to better manage the Island’s deer (and tick!) population. They work in collaboration with IGI, the Nature Conservancy, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, the MV Tick Program, among others. The MV Hunt Club also provides educational opportunities for hunters, both in person and online. Learn more about the MV Hunt Club at mvhuntclub.org.
Recreational shellfishing permits are available for each town on the Island. As pricing, seasons, limits, and
area designations vary considerably and are updated regularly, we recommend consulting the town websites for the most up-to-date information. For additional resources, visit mvshellfishgroup.org.
Aquinnah bit.ly/aquinnah-shellfish
Chilmark chilmarkma.gov/shellfish-department Edgartown edgartown-ma.us/departments/shellfish
Oak Bluffs bit.ly/OB-shellfish
Tisbury bit.ly/tisbury-shellfish
West Tisbury westtisbury-ma.gov/shellfish-advisorycommittee
There are many wild-growing native plants to forage on Martha’s Vineyard. Connect with fellow foragers online at facebook.com/groups/VineyardForagers.
Rebecca Gilbert of Native Earth Teaching Farm in Chilmark is an expert on Vineyard foraging. Visit nativeearthteachingfarm.org to learn more about her book dedicated to local edible plants, and find info on her foraging walks and classes. See more about her book on page 16.
POLLY HILL ARBORETUM GROUNDS VOLUNTEERS
Starting in June, volunteers are welcome to work with staff at the 70-acre West Tisbury public garden on activities like planting, pruning, weeding, and mulching. To learn more about volunteering opportunities, email info@pollyhillarboretum.org.
GLEAN WITH ISLAND GROWN INITIATIVE
Island Grown Initiative works to build a regenerative and equitable food system on Martha’s Vineyard. Volunteers can help IGI harvest fresh local produce for Islanders in need. No experience needed. Gleaning takes about two hours and volunteers may keep a share of the harvest for themselves. To sign up, go to igimvg.org/volunteer.php.
People come to the Community Greenhouse of MV in Oak Bluffs to gather and grow food and plants and learn together. There are a range of year-round volunteer opportunities for all mobilities and levels of expertise. Volunteers can work inside and outside to help with weeding, pruning, seeding, planting, and beautifying plants; members can also pick fresh
produce. For updated information, visit marthasvineyardgreenhouse.org.
A variety of native plants are available at nurseries around the Island. Polly Hill Arboretum sells plants from Island sources Memorial Day through Columbus Day. You can also consult their plant selection guide at plantfinder.pollyhillarboretum.org. See hevineyardway.org/plant-local-mv and Field Notes about Planting Local on pages 49 and 50.
Deep Roots MV provides affordable general landscaping services that focus on sustainable practices. They also offer educational seminars and hands-on training to professionals and homeowners alike with the goal of supporting the conservation of the Island’s biodiverse habitats. Visit deeprootsmv.org to learn more. See story on page 46.
According to the Green Burial Council, “Green burial is a way of caring for the dead with minimal environmental impact that furthers legitimate ecological aims such as the conservation of natural resources, reduction of carbon emissions, protection of worker health, and the restoration and/or preservation of habitat.”
Typically, this entails using a casket made of biodegradable materials (soft wood, cardboard, wicker) or a shroud of natural fabric. Additionally, a green grave is free of embalming chemicals, hardwoods, metals, plastics, or nonbiodegradable items.
Green burials are permitted in Oak Bluffs, Chilmark, and West Tisbury. For more green burial resources, visit bit.ly/MV-green-burials.
Federal law allows for both sea burial and the spreading of ashes at sea.
When scattering cremated remains, they must be released at least 3 nautical miles from land, and the EPA must be notified within 30 days of the event. If a container is used, it must be made of natural materials that will easily decompose in the ocean.
For a sea burial, in addition to being at least 3 nautical miles from land, the water depth must be a minimum of 100 fathoms (600 feet) deep. If a casket or shroud is used, no plastic is permitted. Careful steps should be taken to ensure the body sinks quickly and naturally to the ocean floor.
Flowers and wreaths may also be included in the sea burial, provided all materials are biodegradable and will decompose naturally in the ocean.
ACT TWO SECOND HAND STORE
66 Main Street, Vineyard Haven; acttwosecondhandstore.org; 508-338-2124
CHICKEN ALLEY THRIFT SHOP
38 Lagoon Pond Road, Vineyard Haven; chickenalley.org
ISLAND VINTAGE & DESIGNER APPAREL
43B Main Street, Vineyard Haven; shopislandvintage.com; 401-829-7148
SECOND TREASURES MV
8 Uncas Avenue, Oak Bluffs; secondtreasuresmv.com; 850-293-4345
THE 'DUMPTIQUE'
West Tisbury Transfer Station
Accepts donations of clean clothing, shoes and boots, books, and small household items (no furniture or appliances).
PYEWACKET’S
135 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven; 508-696-7766
A large selection of vintage goods. Specializing in all things antique, unique, esoteric, and familiar.
MV FREE ITEMS AND MV STUFF FOR SALE
These Facebook groups are great to connect with folks in the community to find new homes for all kinds of items. Visit bit.ly/mvfreeitems and bit.ly/mvstuffforsale.
MV CLOTHES TO GO
United Methodist Church of Martha’s Vineyard; 89 William Street, Vineyard Haven; 508-693-4424; Instagram: @mvclothestogo
What did we miss?
Email us at editor@bluedotliving.com
ISLAND FOOD PANTRY
114 Dukes County Ave, Oak Bluffs igimv.org/about-island-food-pantry; info@islandfoodpantry.org; 508-296-8384
Monday 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm; Wednesday 1:00 pm – 6:00 pm; Saturday 10:00 am – 12:45 pm
Senior Hours: Friday 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
GOOD SHEPARD PARISH FOOD PANTRY
55 School Street, Oak Bluffs goodshepherdmv.com/outreach-programs; sarah@goodshepherdmv.com
EDGARTOWN COUNCIL ON AGING FOOD PANTRY
10 Daggett Avenue, Edgartown
Got something to say about pending legislation? Call your elected officials.
STATE GOVERNOR Maura Healey 617-725-4005; Instagram/X: @MassGovernor
STATE SENATOR Julian Andre Cyr 617-722-1570; Julian.Cyr@masenate.gov; Instagram/X: @JulianCyr
STATE REPRESENTATIVE Dylan A. Fernandes 617-722-2230; dylan.fernandes@mahouse.gov; Instagram: @dylan1fernandes, X: @RepDylan
FEDERAL SENATORS Ed Markey
Boston Office: 617-565-8519, Springfield Office: 413-785-4601, DC Office: 202-224-2742; Instagram: @EdMarkey, X: @SenMarkey
Elizabeth Warren
Boston Office: 617-565-3170, Springfield Office: 413-788-2690, DC Office: 202-224-4543; Instagram: @ElizabethWarren, X: @SenWarren
REPRESENTATIVE William R. Keating
Cape & Islands Office: 508-771-6868, DC Office: 202-225-3111; Instagram: @RepKeating, X: @USRepKeating
Continued from page 15
facilities where residents can leave their rechargeable batteries. The facilities then transfer battery waste to Fall River to be recycled. The great news — dropping off your used rechargeable batteries won’t cost you a dime!
We are huge fans of Little Free Libraries, where you can drop off or pick up your latest read. But if it’s time to purge your personal library and it requires more space than a little house on a pole offers, then try:
• Chicken Alley will take some books (call for guidelines)
• Your local library (call ahead; there might be special dates or guidelines)
It can take over 200 years for textiles to decompose in the landfill. Instead of sentencing your old bras to that slow death, give them a new life by sending them to The Bra Recyclers. This organization accepts old bras and donates them to women in need, including survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking, women who
are homeless or living in poverty, and women struggling with medical expenses, such as breast cancer survivors. Bra Recyclers sends usable bras to these women, and will recycle unusable bras — so feel free to donate your bra even if it isn’t in pristine condition.
Planet Aid and I Support the Girls also accept new and/or gently used undergarments to provide to folks in need.
Subset and SuperCircle collaborated to create a recycling program for old undergarments that can earn you up to $25 off of your next purchase with Subset. Gather at least five laundered undergarments in any condition that you are ready to part ways with, pack them in a box or container from home, and use the free shipping label provided by Subset to send them off. You will receive $25 in credit for your next purchase and your old undies will earn a second life as furniture padding, insulation, and more.
For more, visit bluedotliving.com/how-to-get-ridof-almost-anything-on-mv/
At the barren bottom, nothing grows at all, and the Squibnocket winds stir the white sand like a wooden spoon stirs flour in the bottom of a mixing bowl.
the Squibnocket winds stir the white sand like a wooden spoon stirs flour in the bottom of a mixing bowl.
The trail passes through forest. Beside the trail grow white oaks, black oaks, scrub oaks, cherries, and even birches. In the understory grow young American hollies. Here and there, you pass highbush blueberries, old and gnarled, with fibrous brown bark and branches proffering delectable fruit, come July. At the bottom of the hill the trail reaches a stream. Beside the stream stands a grand red maple. A marvel of nature, this red maple is split in two places. On one side, half the tree has fallen into the wetland, yet this massive limb still grows, and vigorous young branches sport the characteristic red flowers of spring. On the other side, the tree is cloven cleanly in two, yet still alive and growing.
The trail crosses a short stretch of boardwalks that are covered with a pervious surface, so that light and water can reach the ground below. Once the path has reached firm upland soil, the boardwalks end, and the path winds up a hill, and reaches a grass road. Here the path forks. Today’s journey follows the left fork.
Bearing left, walk along a grassy woods road. The road passes two stone walls, between which grow a dense grove of beetlebungs. To the left, inkberries flank a vast wetland. Pass white-barked birches, wind-toppled yet still surviving. Soon, the ground turns to deep, sugary sand. The trail rises over a crest, and then…
And then a grand Squibnocket vista unfolds. The trail crosses into a rolling, heaving, wind-sculpted world of dunes
and heather. The boardwalk lifts the walker above the heather, so that the fragile heathland below is not trampled underfoot. From this point on, the trail is a world of wonder: Lily Pond, and Squibnocket Pond beyond that, and a mess of distant dunes, towering and falling. In the other direction, the barrens and heathlands rise to the height of Zack’s Cliffs. And directly in front lies a broad beach, and the crashing surf of the Atlantic Ocean, and the uninhabited Nomans Land in the distance. Welcome to Squibnocket Pond Reservation.
The TrailsMV app can help you find great walks all over the Island: sheriffsmeadow.org/trailsmv-app/
“I feel like everyone can do a little bit to keep the environment clean, and I’m just doing my little bit to help out. And changing one small behavior like putting a trash bag in your car could make a big difference — you don’t need to throw it out the window.”
– Luke Oldershaw
to symbolically adopt roadways where her family lives in Southborough. So she reached out to the state to see what she could do. “We were really surprised to learn that MassDOT didn’t have an existing bike path adoption program,” Michelle said. For Michelle and Luke, they were happy to go out to the bike path by themselves and fill a few trash bags, but Michelle said she wanted more resources and support, and liked the idea of being part of a structured program. She said MassDOT was pleased with the idea, and wanted to help in any way they could.
A short time later, the first AdoptA-Bike-Path program in the state was launched as a pilot initiative on the Vineyard in 2022. MassDOT was able to provide Michelle, Luke, and other volunteers with the same resources they provide their AdoptA-Highway volunteers: trash bags, sterile gloves, safety vests, and video
training for new participants. “They even said they would come and collect all the trash bags after each cleanup, so we don’t have to pay to dispose of the trash we pick up,” Michelle said. To make it official, the state was able to modify their Adopt-A-Highway road signs to read “Adopt-A-BikePath,” and the West Tisbury Road segment of path tidied by Michelle and Luke was dubbed “MV Litter Free.”
After the program was created on-Island, Michelle agreed to commit two years to upkeeping the MV Litter Free bike route, and MassDOT requested that the team conduct monthly cleanups from the months of April through November. So far, Michelle said, it’s been a breeze keeping up with their obligation of cleaning the approximately 2.2-mile stretch of bike path that runs from Cannonball Park up West Tisbury Road. Michelle and Luke have enlisted
friends and family members to help out during the cleanups, and the group has expanded. “We participated in the Climate Action Fair in the spring of 2023, we had a table with our trash grabbers so kids could mess around with them — we had a signup sheet there and we got five additional volunteers who have helped us over the past two years,” Michelle said.
For the gang of intrepid stewards, whenever a driver, biker, or runner stops to ask what they’re doing on the roadside, it’s an opportunity to raise awareness. People see the group with their reflective vests, trash grabbers, and trash bags, and often honk or wave in appreciation, and some will stop to chat. “We had one family who pulled over and handed us gift cards to Espresso Love as a token of their thanks,” Michelle said. “Lots of people stop to ask what group we are a part of, and that gives us an opportunity
Michelle and Luke Oldershaw with their Adopt-A-Bike-Path sign along West Tisbury Road.
Massachusetts has a new roadside cleanup initiative, and it’s all thanks to one mother and son team.
By Lucas Thors
Martha’s Vineyard’s AdoptA-Bike-Path program was created after two seasonal residents, Michelle Oldershaw and her son Luke Oldershaw, began to notice litter piling up along their favorite bike route.
The organized effort to keep Vineyard bike paths clear of trash started as an offshoot of the state Adopt-A-Highway program. In the highway maintenance program, individuals or groups can “adopt” sections of roads or highways that they then regularly clean. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) currently has 134 Adopt-A-Highway groups across the state, along with 172 Sponsor-A-Highway segments.
According to Michelle, she and Luke adopted the stretch of bike path that runs past Morning Glory Farm toward the intersection of West Tisbury Road and Airport Road. “It started the summer [of 2022] when Luke was 12 — he had phased out of most of the Island summer camps, but wasn’t quite old enough to start working yet,” Michelle said. “We were looking for things we could do so we could spend some time together.” The mother and son team enjoyed biking along the scenic paths that serpentine the Vineyard, particularly along the West Tisbury road route. They would regularly encounter roadside litter during their excursions, and would pick up what they could and bring it back home on their bikes to discard properly. “Sometimes there would be a ton of stuff, or larger stuff that we would have to circle back for. We saw a strong potential need, and that got us thinking,” Michelle said.
Michelle had heard of other groups on the Island that were organizing beach cleanups and some that had taken on the responsibility of cleaning public woodland walking trails. She also was aware of the Adopt-AHighway program that MassDOT offered, and had heard about efforts
Continued on page 62
508.696.9999 West Tisbury
508.645.2628 Chilmark
Nestled along the tranquil shoreline of Tisbury Great Pond and surrounded by a breathtaking natural environment of water, sand and sky, this is an unparalleled beach house experience on the south shore of Chilmark. The fivebedroom home consists of a three-bedroom main house connected by walkways to a two-bedroom guest wing with studio space above, all with spectacular waterviews including from the ground floor. The yard surrounding the house is a meadow like setting with an easy grassy path out to the sandy pond shoreline. Abutting conservation land on two sides. This is a rare offering with the combination of water frontage on the pond, proximity to the ocean, and conforming acreage and panoramic views. Exclusively offered at $5,475,000.
An Independent Firm Specializing in Choice Properties for 50 Years 504 State Road, West Tisbury MA 02575 Beetlebung Corner, Chilmark MA 02535 www.tealaneassociates.com
