Nature & Science
For many years, the Martha’s Vineyard Garden Club has sent two members to the mainland, to participate in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts’ exhibition, Art in Bloom. This annual April event is a collaboration between garden clubs from throughout New England and professional designers collaborating to produce vibrant floral displays, each one interpreting a different piece of art from the museum’s collection.
Arboretum Intern
The Polly Hill Arboretum announces Justin Free as their 2010 collections management intern. This nine-month internship will offer Mr. Free the opportunity to expand his already substantial knowledge of horticulture. It also will provide him with an in-depth look at curatorial and management practices employed to maintain the arboretum’s diverse living collection.
Fishermen from Martha’s Vineyard, Bar Harbor, Jonesport and Swan’s Island gathered last month for the inaugural meeting of members of the Northeast Coastal Communities Sector.
Over a 6 a.m. breakfast in Stonington, Me., the group elected a governing board and made plans for the opening of this year’s groundfishing season. This historic event heralds the possibility of landing sizeable amounts of groundfish in eastern Maine for the first time in almost 20 years.
The last field trip of the season for Martin County Audubon, how could we miss it? It would be kind of tough when they asked us to present a program introducing it. So I put together a presentation of Warblers on the Move for the Audubon Society of Stuart, Fla. I never could have done it without the use of Lanny McDowell’s fabulous photographs! I added a few of my own and a few of Nancy Price’s — a Stuart naturalist.
The Sustainable Book Club, an Islandwide book group which reads and discusses books that examine our relationship with nature, began in 2008 and, after a hiatus in 2009, is back
The group is an opportunity to initiate community conversations and encourage participants to contemplate their impact on our Island and our planet.
The schedule of books and locations is:
Wednesday, April 21, 5:30 p.m. to discuss Collapse by Jared Diamond, at Vineyard Haven Library
Mussel Talk
New Zealand aquaculturist Kevin Heasman will discuss offshore mussel farming programs as they are run in the southern hemisphere, and the possibility of applying those techniques in Vineyard waters, at the Chilmark library on Wednesday, April 21 at 5:30 p.m.
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.