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| This week in conservation March 31 - April 6, 2008 |
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| Calendar | ||||||||
| Tisbury Town Meeting | ||||||||
Tues, April 1, Tisbury Town Meeting, 7:30 PM, Tisbury School Gym. |
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| Beach Clean-Up | ||||||||
 Fri, April 4, Beach Clean-Up 3-4 pm, Eastville Beach, Oak Bluffs. Organized by Tisbury School PTO. Monthly through June. Refreshments. |
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| Nature Craft | ||||||||
 Sat, April 5, Nature Craft 10-11 am, Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary, Edgartown. Felix Neck co-sponsors with The Trustees of Reservations. Bluebird nest boxes. Pre-register: $10 per family. 508-693-7662. |
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| Healthy Eating Lecture | ||||||||
 Sat, April 5, Healthy Eating Lecture 3 pm, Oak Bluffs library. Health effects of sugar with Ramona Black. Nutritious snacks, recipes. 508-693-9433. |
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| Potluck Supper | ||||||||
| Sat, April 5, Potluck Supper 6 pm, Agricultural Hall, West Tisbury. Annual Spring potluck supper and social. | ||||||||
| Nutrition Lecture | ||||||||
| Sat, April 5, Nutrition Lecture 7-8 pm, Natural Food Barn, Vineyard Haven. With Lisa Vunk. Superfoods. Weekly through May 3. Free. 508-471-3707. | ||||||||
| Save The Date | ||||||||
| TWO MESSAGES FOR FARMERS FROM THE MASS. FARM TO SCHOOL PROJECT | ||||||||
 ARE YOU INTERESTED IN SELLING YOUR PRODUCTS TO SCHOOLS THROUGH A DISTRIBUTOR?We are holding a statewide meeting for school food buyers. Co-hosted by Tufts Dining Services and The Food Project, it is on Thursday, April 10, 2008, from 10:30am to 2:45pm at the Tufts Medford campus. In addition to promoting direct farm to school sales, a major focus of the meeting will be how can colleges and schools purchase locally grown foods through a conventional distributor. You may register for this free event by sending your name, farm name, address, phone number, and email address to adrianne.schaefer@gmail.com or by contacting us at 413-253-3844. Lunch will be provided to those who pre-register, no later than April 2. |
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| An Invitational Oyster Tasting Event | ||||||||
| Mon, April 7, at 7 PM Westin Hotel in Providence, RI This is the National Shellfisheries Association’s 100th Anniversary. That evening, our judges will start tasting oysters and filling out score sheets. This tasting will compare 20 varieties of Eastern or American oysters (including two from MV, Sweet Petites and Katama Bay Oysters,) from all three coasts, with judges being flown in from all over to avoid a local New England bias. There will be a limited number of tickets available for serious oyster-loving public. For more information contact Bob Rheault at 401-783-3360 or bob@moonstoneoysters.com |
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| The Farm Institute | ||||||||
 Program Calendar—Spring ProgramsSpring After-School Program: Tuesdays-Wednesdays & Thursdays Grades: 1-5 When: Pick a day 4/1 - 5/29 (except 4/21-23) Time: 3:30pm to 5:30pm Fee: $120** (eight 2-hour sessions) Transportation via taxi available on/from: - Tuesdays: Tisbury & Edgartown - Wednesdays: Charter & Chilmark from Charter - Thursdays: Oak Bluffs, W. Tisbury & Edgartown Farmers-in-Training (FIT): Ages: 10 & up, with qualifying experience When: Fridays 4/4 - 6/13 (except 4/25) Time: 3:15pm to 5:30pm Fee: $150 (ten 2-hour sessions) FIT students are accepted based on level of experience and commitment. Call to find out whether FIT is right for your child. Saturday Afternoon Work: Ages: 5 & up When: Saturdays 4/5 - 5/31 (except 4/19 & 4/26) Time: 12:30pm to 3:30pm Fee: $155 (seven 3-hour sessions) Needs more details or want to sign up? Call Melinda at (508) 627-7007 ext. 106. http://www.farminstitute.org/programs/progspring.html |
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| Wind Update | ||||||||
| Towns see big savings in wind |
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 Many a town administrator would like to be in Adm. Rick Gurnon's shoes. Gurnon, the president of Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Buzzards Bay, estimates his school saved $250,000 over the past year in electric bills because of power generated by a 660-kilowatt, 242-foot wind turbine installed in June 2006. And that's with a relatively low average wind speed last year, he said.http://capecodonline.com/apps/ pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080325/ NEWS/803250315/-1/NEWS01 |
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| Climate Change Update | ||||||||
| The 45th Parallel Warming Where We Live |
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| Nature Update | ||||||||
| Antarctic ice shelf 'hanging by a thread |
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| Provide Food, Water, Shelter and Birds Will Come Visit |
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 Birds can be attracted to just about anywhere, even to a small yard in a densely developed area. Three things need to be kept in mind when planning to attract birds: shelter, food and water. http://www.mvgazette.com/article.php?15913 |
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| Sustainability Update | ||||||||
| Bus to Run on Burger Grease as School Mulls Ban on Cars |
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| Are We Ready to Track Carbon Footprints? |
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| Before I unveil my plan to combat global warming using mood rings and glowing lapel pins, let me explain the scientific rationale. Everyone talks about the future weather, but so far nobody has done much about it, not even the many people and politicians convinced that climate change will be a serious problem. This situation comes as no surprise to the behavioral researchers who have been studying the human brain’s penchant for making dumb choices. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/25/ science/25tier.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin |
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Have ideas for content for the Almanac? Please send them along to: |
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Curtailing the worst impacts of global climate change will require deployment of an arsenal of renewable energy technologies, including wind. But to succeed, much more needs to be done to address the demand-reduction side of electricity use.
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) -- New England is not on track to meet its targets for global warming pollution reductions - a commitment made back in 2001, according to a report issued by a coalition of environmental groups. 
Small New Hampshire city takes on a global warming challenge Environmental awareness exploded in the last year as scientists issued dire reports about manmade global warming. Yet even when people adopt eco-friendly habits - whether driving less or composting more - research shows they don't sustain them for long.
A thin strip of ice, just 6 kilometres wide, is all that is holding back the collapse of a huge ice shelf in Antarctica, according to glaciologists.
A ban on cars. A moratorium on fossil fuels. A bus that runs on cafeteria burger grease.