Vineyard Conservation Almanac

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In This Issue:

Local News:
Urgent! We have until Monday 8/27/07 to preserve Thimble Farm as the CSA’s home;
Geothermal energy fuels Y debate at MVC

Feature:
U.S. coal plants major health threat, Ontario says

Calendar:
Ed Webster to Share His Tale of Trouble and Triumph on Mt. Everest;
Polly Hill Arboretum offers guided tours daily;
Alpaca Farm Days;
Bird Walk With Susan B. Whiting;
More...

Save The Date:
41st Annual Fall Conference of the New England Environmental Education Alliance

MVTV:
Slow Food Pot Luck Dinner;
Geothermal Heating and Cooling Energy

Announcements:
The Island Grown Initiative (IGI) Website is Launched!;
The Woods Hole Research Center has two positions open

Sustainable Book Club:
Picking up where 'Silent Spring' left off

Environmental Education Update:
Under suspicion

Nature Update:
Shellfish may be next weapon in Sound cleanup

Climate Change Update:
Wainwright sees the effects of warming now;
Hope on Climate Change? Here's Why

LOCAL NEWS

Urgent! We have until Monday 8/27/07 to preserve Thimble Farm as the CSA’s home

Many of you know that Andrew, members of the CSA Advisory Board and other volunteers have been working for years to find a stable, long-term home for the CSA. Andrew has a lease on parts of Thimble Farm that runs until the end of 2007.

Go to the Sustainable section for the rest of the letter

Geothermal energy fuels Y debate at MVC
August 16, 2007
By Janet Hefler
MV Times

The Martha's Vineyard Commission (MVC) wrapped up a public hearing last Thursday night on the YMCA's proposal for building a new facility. The commission members also voted unanimously to accept for consideration a nomination that calls for the expansion of Edgartown's Island Road District to include five additional ancient ways.

http://www.mvtimes.com/news/
2007/08/16/ymca_mvc.php

Feature

U.S. coal plants major health threat, Ontario says
Aug 09, 2007
PETER GORRIE
ENVIRONMENT REPORTER

Cross-border pollution blamed for half toxic air and smog in province

Thousands of Ontario residents would get sick, and many would die, if the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency goes ahead with relaxed new emission rules for coal-fuelled generating stations, the province complained yesterday.

"Air pollution from U.S. ... power plants continues to harm the health, environment and economy of Ontario," Environment Minister Laurel Broten said in a statement, after she and Attorney General Michael Bryant filed comments on the proposed changes to the American federal agency.

http://www.thestar.com/News/
Ontario/article/244612

Energy Tip
Energy Star.
This designation and its now-familiar logo are awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to the most energy-efficient products in more than 50 categories, including electronics, appliances, lighting, and office equipment. Product categories are judged by different efficiency standards; the Energy Star website (see the related links) lists those requirements and all of the models that earned Energy Star status.

Calendar

Ed Webster to Share His Tale of Trouble and Triumph on Mt. Everest

Mon, Aug 20, 2007
Experienced mountain climber, author and photographer Ed Webster will present a vivid account of his five “storm years” on and off Mt. Everest, at the Chilmark Public Library at 7PM His riveting story and slideshow, based on his acclaimed book Snow in the Kingdom: My Storm Years on Everest, will appeal to outdoor enthusiasts and armchair travelers alike. This free event includes a dessert reception and book signing by the author. Donations will be accepted to benefit Mass Audubon’s Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown. Call 508-627-4850 with questions

Polly Hill Arboretum offers guided tours daily

Mon, Aug 20, 2007
2 p.m. Suggested donation of $5 at 809 State Road in West Tisbury.

Alpaca Farm Days

Tues, Aug 21, 2007
11 am-5 pm, Island Alpaca Company, 1 Head of the Pond Rd., Oak Bluffs. Visit and learn about alpaca. Weekly Tues.-Sat., through Aug. 23. 508-693-5554.

Bird Walk With Susan B. Whiting

Tues, Aug 21, 2007
Meets at 8 a.m. at Chilmark Community Center to carpool. Bring binoculars, insect repellent and sun block, and wear a hat, clothing, and footwear appropriate for field birding.

Skunk Talk

Tues, Aug 21, 2007
6-7 pm, Wakeman Center, Lambert's Cove Rd., Vineyard Haven. Luanne Johnson discusses her doctoral work on coastal skunks. For ages 12 and up. Free. 508-696-3029.

Starfish and the number five

Tues, Aug 21, 2007
Lecture will be given at the Featherstone Center for the Arts as part of their Tuesday evening lecture series, A talk by Fred Hotchkiss, director of the Marine and Paleobiological Research Institute (MPRInstitute.org), from 7:00 to 8:30 pm. This MPRI lecture is funded in part by a grant from the Martha’s Vineyard Cultural Council in collaboration with the Massachusetts Cultural Council.

British plantsman and horticultural celebrity Roy Lancaster

Tues, Aug 21, 2007
Polly Hill Arboretum, from 5 to 7pm Roy will join the Arboretum’s Tim Boland, Tom Clark, and Steve Spongberg for Wine, Cheese, and Trees; a casual tour of the Arboretum. Don’t miss this opportunity to walk the grounds, sip wine, and “talk trees” with this agreeable and knowledgeable group. Space is limited and reservations are required. $25 per person. 508-693-9426.

Roy Lancaster, will share a lively account of his adventures searching the world for new and exciting plant

Wed, Aug 22, 2007
Polly Hill Arboretum, at 7:30 pm. His interest in plant exploration has taken him around the globe. His keen observation and beautiful images will transport you to the moment of each discovery! $8/5 for PHA members.

Island Plan Forum on Development and Growth

Wed, Aug 22, 2007
If you attend only one Island Plan forum this summer, the Development and Growth Forum is not to be missed at 7:30 p.m. at the new Agricultural Hall The Island Plan is just starting to look at the critical issue of how much, where, and how should the Vineyard grow. The forum will feature presentations by and a panel discussion with four speakers. Jim Athearn, Tom Chase, Henry Stephenson, and guest panelist Kurt Gaertner. Everyone is welcome to what promises to be a thought-provoking and important event for the future of the Vineyard. You can get a copy of the Development and Growth Discussion Paper from the Island Plan website – www.islandplan.org -- at your library, or from the Martha's Vineyard Commission (508) 693-3453.

Mytoi Volunteer Day

Wed, Aug 22, 2007
The Trustees of Reservations, 9 a.m.–12 p.m. A great way to spend the morning! Volunteers needed to prune, weed, and help maintain Chappaquiddick’s Japanese-style garden. Join us at Mytoi on Chappaquiddick anytime throughout the morning. Every extra set of hands is greatly appreciated. Please let us know if you plan to attend; call (508) 627-3599.

Paddle into the Night: Kayak Tour for Adults . . . Under The Cover Of Darkness

Wed, Aug 22, 2007
The Trustees of Reservations, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Cape Poge Wildlife Refuge, Chappaquiddick. Discover the beauty of this special place as the light of day turns to night on the water. Weather permitting. Pre-registration required. Meet at Dike Bridge. $47 for adults, ($38 for members of The Trustees) (508) 693-7662

(Not-So-Creepy) Creatures of the Night – Family Night Hike

Thurs, Aug 23, 2007
The Trustees of Reservations, 6:15 p.m. – 7:45 p.m Long Point Wildlife Refuge, Winter Entrance (Deep Bottom Road), West Tisbury. Family night hikes give proof that our island is home to animals that fly, hoot, and sometimes screech under the cover of darkness! (Best suited for families with children ages 4-8). Pre-registration required; please call (508) 693-7662) Member Child $5. Nonmember Child $10. (Adults free with child’s admission!)

Polly’s Historic Landscape is a history of the Polly Hill Arboretum

Thurs, Aug 23, 2007
State Road in West Tisbury at 10 a.m. Karin Stanley guides particpants from pre-contact Wampanoag woodlands, to an 18th century roadside inn, to its days as a sheep farm in the 1850s, telling stories of the buildings and open fields. Cost is $5, free to members. For details, call 508-693-9426.

Bird Walk with Robert Culbert every Saturday

Sat, Aug 25, 2007
8 to 11 a.m. meets at the high school faculty parking lot. Cost is $25 per person to enjoy bird identification, ecology and behavior. For details, call 508-693-4908.

Cornapalooza

Sat, Aug 25, 2007
An all-ages event at the FARM Institute with music, dancing, theatre, a seven-acre corn maze, fortune-telling, face painting, games, food and more from noon to 8 p.m. on Aero avenue in Katama. For details, call 508-627-7007.

Birding with Allan Keith focusses on Vineyard shorebirds

Sat, Aug 25, 2007
9 a.m. to noon. Meet at Polly Hill Arboretum, and then carpool to a location of Allan’s choice. Cost is $24, or $20 for members. Preregistration required at 508-693-9426.

Guided Tours of Polly Hill Arboretum

Sat, Aug 25, 2007
State Road in West Tisbury are free at 2 p.m. daily. For details, call 508-693-9426.

Explore the Shore family nature program

Sat, Aug 25, 2007
2 p.m. is free with admission to Long Point Wildlife Refuge. The Trustees of Reservations For details, call 508-693-7662.

Marine Discovery Snorkel is for kids aged four to eight

Sat, Aug 25, 2007
With a guardian to explore Cape Pogue Wildlife Refuge on Chappaquiddick with nets, masks and snorkels, on a first-come, first served basis between 2 and 3:30 p.m. Cost is $7 or $5 for Trustees members. For details, call 508-693-7662.

Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary events for the week

Mon Aug 20, Guided Kayak Tour, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm Join a naturalist on an exciting kayak adventure. Pre-registration required, please call (508) 627-4850.

Mon Aug 20, Down by the Shore, 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm Meet amazing creatures of the sea including crabs, whelks, and scallops!

Tues Aug 21, Creature Feature: Turtles, 10:00 am - 11:00 am
This program offers young naturalists a close-up look at native animals of Martha’s Vineyard.

Tues Aug 21, Kayak Quest, Between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm schedule your 2.5 hr Kayak Quest Enjoy Sengekontacket at your own pace on this self-guided tour.

Tues Aug 21, Marine Discovery Tour, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Cruise from Oak Bluffs Harbor with Captain John and a Mass Audubon naturalist to explore the waters of Vineyard Sound. Pre-registration required, please call (508) 627-4850.

Wed Aug 22, Wild Wednesday – Mollusks, 10:00 am – 11:00 am Come and meet the natives!

Wed Aug 22, Guided Kayak Tour 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Join a naturalist on an exciting kayak adventure. Pre-registration required, please call (508) 627-4850.

Thurs Aug 23, Down by the Shore, 10:00 am – 11:30 am Meet amazing creatures of the sea including crabs, whelks, and scallops!

Thurs Aug 23, Kayak Quest, Between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm schedule your 2.5 hr Kayak Quest. Enjoy Sengekontacket at your own pace on this self-guided tour. materials are all included.

Fri Aug 24, Kayak Quest, Between 10:30 am and 2:30 pm schedule your 2.5 hr Kayak Quest Enjoy Sengekontacket at your own pace on this self-guided tour.

Sat Aug 25, Felix Neck Trek – Wildflowers with Susie Bowman, 10:00 am – 11:00 am
Join us as we explore the forest, pond, field, marsh, and seashore habitats of Felix Neck.

Save The Date

41st Annual Fall Conference of the New England Environmental Education Alliance
Sign Up Now!
Date: September 14-16, 2007
Location: Camp Matoaka, Smithfield, Maine
Keynotes include Alisa Gravitz of Co-op America, and Author & Educator Tom Wessels.
Register Now: click here to go to the conference web site, see the complete line-up of more than 41 workshops, and register quickly and easily online!

New England Environmental Education Alliance
8 Morris Avenue, Building One
Saco, Maine 04072 ~ www.neeea.org

MVTV

Island Plan Forums

Mon. Aug 20, Slow Food Pot Luck Dinner, 9 PM Channel 13
Tues. Aug 21, Geothermal Heating and Cooling Energy, 2 PM and 9 PM Channel 13

Announcements

The Island Grown Initiative (IGI) Website is Launched!

IGI now has a website which is up and running and full of interesting news and upcoming events.
http://www.islandgrown.org/

The Island Grown Initiative is a non-profit grassroots organization working to support local food and farming on Martha’s Vineyard. IGI works to increase both the supply of locally-grown foods and the demand for these foods by providing infrastructure and support to our farmers and by providing information to consumers about the importance of buying local.

Check out our farm map!

Illustration courtesy of The Martha's Vineyard Commission

Buy the freshest produce directly from local farmers at their farms. Pick up a copy of IGI’s Local Farm Map, which shows the location of each of the 28 farms on the island and details what they grow.

The Woods Hole Research Center has two positions open

Executive Assistant - reporting to director/president and director administration/finance for research institute. Responsible for wide range of complex administrative, operational, and governance tasks, management of executive offices and interaction with wide variety of people. Position requires broad range of administrative and interpersonal skills; ability to exercise judgment, initiative, discretion, independence; excellent written and oral communication. Email cover letter, resume, and contact information for 3 references to jobsearch@whrc.org. Application deadline: September 15, 2007. Complete job description at http://whrc.org/about_us/jobs.htm.

Staff Accountant - part-time (20-24 hrs), detail-oriented for accounts payable systems. Minimum 2 years experience with Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, and general accounting software. Salary range $17,000-$21,000 with benefits. Email cover letter, resume, and contact information for 3 references, by September 15, 2007, to jobsearch@whrc.org. Complete job description at http://whrc.org/about_us/jobs.htm.

Sustainable Book Club

Picking up where 'Silent Spring' left off
By Moises Velasquez-Manoff
August 14, 2007
Christian Science Monitor

By now, the litany of human-driven environmental problems is probably beginning to sound depressingly familiar. Coral reefs are bleaching, forests and the wildlife they host are disappearing, and humanity, which has doubled in numbers since the 1960s, is stressing Earth's resources. Scientists predict that global warming will only exacerbate these problems. Many worry about imminent ecosystem meltdowns. Civilization is inextricably linked to the natural world and as Jared Diamond and others have pointed out, in the past, ecological shifts have coincided with the collapse of entire civilizations.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/
0814/p17s01-bogn.html

Environmental Education Update

Under Suspicion
By Carey Goldberg, Globe Staff
August 13, 2007
Boston Globe

Researchers now believe that autism can be caused by genes in combination with environmental triggers. The question is, what are those triggers?

Nancy Duley wants desperately to know why her daughter Kira, happy and healthy in her first year of life, then "slipped away into her own little world" -- the isolation of autism. To that end, when Duley was recently pregnant with her third child, she eagerly gave blood samples to researchers, and kept batches of urine samples in her freezer for them to collect.

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/
health_science/articles/2007/08/13/under_suspicion/

Nature Update

Shellfish may be next weapon in Sound cleanup
By Tim Stelloh, Staff Writer
August 6 2007
Stamford Advocate

A federal scientist in Milford wants to add a tool to cleanup efforts in Long Island Sound - shellfish farms.

Shellfish could counteract the effects of excessive nitrogen, such as hypoxia, which creates dead zones, said Gary Wikfors, a fish biologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and a member of the management committee for the Environmental Protection Agency's Long Island Sound Study.

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/local/
scn-sa-mussels3aug06,0,908466.story?coll=stam-news-local-headlines

Climate Change Update

Wainwright sees the effects of warming now
By ALEX deMARBAN
ademarban@adn.com
August 17, 2007

Villagers say walrus hunt has suffered significantly

The Arctic sea ice in Northwest Alaska is usually within 30 miles of Wainwright in August. Today it's more than 300 miles away, much farther than it's ever been.

Wainwright hunters have usually bagged more than 100 walruses by this time in the season. They've bagged fewer than 20 this year.

http://www.adn.com/front/story/
9227255p-9143118c.html

Hope on Climate Change? Here's Why
By Michael Gerson
Wednesday, August 15, 2007;
Page A11

In the field of environmentalism -- where brows tend to be frozen in furrow and despair is a professional credential -- Gregg Easterbrook of the Brookings Institution is notable for his optimism. And one cause of his sunniness is smog in Los Angeles.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/
content/article/2007/08/14/AR2007081401327.html

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