Nature & Science
Large numbers of Portuguese man-of-wars were found washed up on the south shore of the Vineyard this week, prompting The Trustees of Reservations to post notices at Norton Point beach in Edgartown.
Over the next year, a million tiny pioneers will arrive at Sengekontacket Pond. Simply by growing from the size of a pencil eraser to a full three inches, a million oysters are the key part of a project launched by Oak Bluffs and Edgartown to cultivate the shellfish in Sengekontacket, which has been found to have nitrogen levels well above acceptable limits.
Part of the Tisbury Great Pond is about to become an oyster reef, thanks to a project sponsored by The Nature Conservancy and the towns of Chilmark and West Tisbury.
The propagation projects calls for putting down 100 cubic yards of sea clam shells as culch and then planting 250,000 juvenile oysters.
The sound of bleating echoed across the water.
“Do you hear them?” Kristen Fauteux said standing at the edge of Daggett Pond at Cedar Tree Neck Sanctuary.
The still June morning had just settled over the pond on Wednesday as three pygmy goats made their maiden voyage from the head of the pond to its eastern edge, a small wake trailing behind their raft.
Dredging in Vineyard Haven harbor will be postponed until after Labor Day due to broken equipment. The project was scheduled to begin last week and be completed before July. Tisbury town administrator John (Jay) Grande reported at Tuesday’s selectmen’s meeting that the contractor, Barnstable County, had to repair their dredge, causing work to be pushed back.
“It certainly comes as a big bombshell to everyone to learn five days before they were supposed to start that the dredge won’t be operating,” dredge committee member Nevin Sayre said.
The West Tisbury selectmen voted this week to approve a request for proposals (RFP) for a study of the Mill Brook watershed. Drafted by the town conservation commission, the RFP seeks consultants qualified “to prepare and deliver a study of the watershed of Mill Brook,” which includes Mill Pond as well as Fisher Pond, Crocker Pond, and Priester’s Pond and several tributaries.
The RFP limits the cost of the proposed study to $15,000, the amount approved by voters at the annual town meeting in April.
Almanac
A comprehensive guide to weather and tides on the Island.
Vineyard Gardener
I guess this past week weather-wise is called a January thaw. We did not really experience it the last several years as December was unseasonably warm.
Farm & Field
Beige and brown and tan and black, with horns spiraled or semicircular or in undulating waves, a legion of goats marched up the hill toward us, bleating in anticipation of fresh grass and leaves.