Nature & Science
The ringed planet Saturn appears high in the southeastern sky an hour after sunset. The planet shines brilliantly in the zodiacal constellation Virgo, not far from the bright star Spica. Saturn is the easiest of planets to spot, as it shows up in our night sky and not in the morning sky as the other visible planets.
Take a Hike
National Trails Day with The Trustees of Reservations on Martha’s Vineyard gets under way in June with activities planned throughout the Island.
Explore Norton Point, Cape Pogue and Menemsha Hills during the month and take part in events including hikes, guided walks, trail steward training and volunteer opportunities.
The outdoor action gets under way on Saturday, June 4 from 2:30 to 4 p.m. with a Norton Point Beach cleanup. This event is free and all ages are invited to help out.
Is there a better place for a garden party on the Island — or anywhere for that matter — than the Old Mill in West Tisbury? Ponder the question while perusing plants you can buy for your own garden, sipping lemonade and nibbling a cookie when the Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club hosts its annual plant sale and open house at the Old Mill on Memorial Day weekend, Saturday and Sunday, May 28 and 29, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There’s been a lot of talk about breaches on the Island: in the great ponds, at Norton Point, and at the Cape Pogue gut, for example. But this column is about a different kind: Dutchman’s breeches.
It was twilight as the deck crew dropped the lines onto the wharf at Tauranga, New Zealand. We had stowed our bags in our cabins, cleared customs and had a lifeboat drill. The 46 bird-watching passengers were chomping at the bit, anxious to get out on deck to see what birds were about. The only species we saw with the fading light were pied shag (cormorant) and white-fronted terns. On the other hand, we were delighted to watch a full moon rise out of the sea and beam a path over the waters.
The Global Conservation Alliance, founded in 2008 by West Tisbury avian photographer Lanny McDowell, Norman Famous and Porter Turnbull to address the red knot’s declines, has won support from outdoor clothing and gear retailer Patagonia.
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.