A powerful spring storm that inundated the entire East Coast pounded the Vineyard south shore with heavy seas this week, marrying with extreme tide
To protect a large group of coastal birds nesting on Norton Point Beach, The Trustees of Reservations have closed the stretch of barrier beach betw
Bringing Back Norton Point
Trustees of Reservations Assume Management of Barrier Beach; Shorebird Protection Increases but Fishing Access Preserved
By IAN FEIN
Stretching from Metcalf's Hole to Mattakesett Creek, bordered by the calm surface of Katama Bay and the rough waves of the Atlantic Ocean, Norton Point Beach is a spectacular place - offering popular spots for shellfishermen and surfcasters, prime habitat for rare shorebirds, and a vital access route for people going to and from Chappaquiddick.
Norton Point Closed to Vehicles to Protect Piping Plover Chicks
By JAMES KINSELLA
Over the past four days, public and private officials have closed sections of Norton Point and East Beach to four-wheel-drive vehicles to protect newly hatched piping plover chicks and nests with eggs yet to hatch.
In Massachusetts, the piping plover is a threatened species. After hatching, the chicks take about 30 days before they fly, making them vulnerable to the tires of four-wheel-drive vehicles driving along a beach.