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Category: Land Use, Natural Resources, and Biodiversity

Spring is the perfect time to get your hands in th

Spring is the perfect time to get your hands in the soil and the Plant Local Martha’s Vineyard initiative is here to help you do just that, with a series of spring pop-ups happening across the Island in May. This collaborative effort, led by The Vineyard Way, BiodiversityWorks, Polly Hill Arboretum, Vineyard Conservation Society, and other conservation-minded partners, aims to promote the use of native plants in Island gardens and landscapes. Native plants not only thrive in our local conditions, they also support pollinators, protect biodiversity, and contribute to climate resilience.

These pop-ups are a great opportunity to learn about the beautiful and ecologically important plant species that are native to Martha’s Vineyard, and to discover how you can incorporate them into your own green spaces. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, stop by one of the events to chat with experts, pick up plant lists, and learn a bit more about native plants. Visit thevineyardway.org/plant-local-mv for more details about the initiative and a complete set of resources and learning materials.

Let’s grow a healthier island, one native plant at a time! 🌱

#climateaction #thevineyardway #climateactionplan #marthasvineyard #mvy #mv #climatechange #climatecrisis #climate #fossilfuels #greenhousegas #mvcommission #plantlocalmv #plantlocal #localplants #nativeplants

🔥 As wildfire risks increase, solutions like bi

🔥 As wildfire risks increase, solutions like biochar are becoming even more important. Biochar helps manage wood waste, enriches soil, and locks carbon away—all while reducing fire hazards. Protecting the Vineyard’s landscapes means thinking creatively and sustainably. Last weekend a group of islanders conducted an Earth Day Biochar Burn Demo. Read the recap and learn more about how we can work with nature, not against it: https://www.mvtimes.com/2025/04/25/burning-mother-nature/

#TheVineyardWay #ClimateAction #Biochar #WildfireResilience

Happy Earth Day, friends! 🌎 We had a great tim

Happy Earth Day, friends! 🌎

We had a great time celebrating at the @mvmuseum over the weekend. A big hooray to the Beach Befrienders of @vineyardconservation and to all the other amazing community partners that made this event so engaging and insightful.

We hope you enjoyed our food forest plant matching game! We are excited about the future of food forests on the island. All a part of building resiliency - it’s the Vineyard Way!

#earthday #thevineyardway #climateaction #mv #marthasvineyard #foodforests #nativeplants

Celebrate Earth Day with The Vineyard Way crew at

Celebrate Earth Day with The Vineyard Way crew at the 3rd Annual Earth Day Festival this Saturday, April 19th, at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum! The event will run from 12-3PM and promises a fun, family-friendly afternoon of sustainability-themed activities, live music, and local vendors committed to protecting our island’s environment.

We’ll be there sharing the magic of food forests with an interactive plant matching game—learn how native species support resilient ecosystems and win some Vineyard Way swag while you’re at it! It’s a great way to get inspired and connect with the community.

Join us as we celebrate the planet, local action, and the values that define The Vineyard Way. We can’t wait to see you there! For more event details, visit mvmuseum.org or read coverage in the MV Times.
https://mvmuseum.org/event/3rd-annual-earth-day-festival/
https://www.mvtimes.com/2025/04/16/earth-day-celebrations-start-saturday/

#climateaction #thevineyardway #climateactionplan #marthasvineyard #mvy #mv #climatechange #climatecrisis #climate #fossilfuels #greenhousegas #mvcommission #earthday #earthdayfestival #nativeplants #foodforests

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) is proud

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission (MVC) is proud to announce that it has received grant funding from the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) Program to support climate resilience planning across the six Island towns.

This new initiative, the MVP 2.0 Project, builds upon the earlier MVP Community Resilience Building workshops conducted several years ago, which identified key climate resilience priorities for each town.

Read more at https://thevineyardway.org/mvp-2-0-project-advancing-climate-resilience-on-marthas-vineyard/

#climateaction #thevineyardway #climateactionplan #marthasvineyard #mvy #mv #climatechange #climatecrisis #climate #fossilfuels #greenhousegas #mvcommission

The year 2024 was the warmest year in a 175-year o

The year 2024 was the warmest year in a 175-year observation period, and the past ten years were individually the ten warmest on record. This is according to a report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

An article in Common Dreams News (www.commondreams.org) quotes WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo:

“While a single year above 1.5 degrees of warming does not indicate that the long-term temperature goals of the Paris agreement are out of reach, it is a wake-up call that we are increasing the risks to our lives, economic and the planet.”

We are just a small island, but we contribute to the global warming and thus the climate crisis. Think about your individual actions and how you can lower, or better yet, eliminate your fossil use. Visit the Vineyard Power website to learn how you can do this, www.vineyardpower.com

#climateaction #thevineyardway #climateactionplan #marthasvineyard #mvy #mv #climatechange #climatecrisis #climate #fossilfuels #greenhousegas #mvcommission

Annual Town Meetings are right around the corner.

Annual Town Meetings are right around the corner. Soon we will be asked to VOTE on the proposed regulations in 5 of our island towns.

If you would like to learn more about the proposed bylaw in Oak Bluffs, this discussion is for you! If you live in another Island town, the Oak Bluffs session is still relevant for you, as the proposed regulations are almost identical from one town to the next.

Mark your calendar, bring your questions and join the conversation as we discuss the proposed regulations. We invite you to forward this Community Climate Discussion information to your neighbors, coworkers, fellow committee members, friends and family.

#climateaction #thevineyardway #climateactionplan #marthasvineyard #mvy #mv #climatechange #climatecrisis #climate #fossilfuels #greenhousegas #mvcommission
This will be a hybrid presentation, conducted in-person with an option for Zoom attendance. https://oakbluffs.zoom.us/j/89284649518?pwd=6qnHl4Da57nQ1Pdx6acJ0BTA51V4Kv.1

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission Climate Change

The Martha’s Vineyard Commission Climate Change Coordinator sent a letter to the editors of our two island news outlets this week. Here is the letter, shared to expand reach and ensure visibility:

To the Editor:

Somebody has to advocate for the natural world, I’ve always believed, since it doesn’t have a voice of its own. The environment can’t vote, attend meetings, write letters, or hire a lawyer to intimidate local regulatory boards.

Now, however, Mother Nature has found her voice. She is screaming for help with every hurricane, wildfire, drought and heat wave. Her message is clear: you are killing me.

Indeed we are, as we continue to emit greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. We conveniently forget that we can’t survive without a functioning natural world.

As the earth heats up, the land, water, air, and every living thing is stressed. When we tamper with nature, we generally make things worse.

Take gas leaf blowers, for instance.

In 2020, according to the Environment American Research and Policy Center, fossil fuel powered lawn equipment emitted more than 30 million tons of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.

Gas blowers pollute the air we need to stay alive. The toxins they emit cause respiratory diseases and have been linked to lymphoma, leukemia and other cancers. This is a concern for all of us, and especially for the machine operators.

The noise pollution is more than wildly annoying; it raises our stress levels and can contribute to hearing loss.

Imagine what leaf blowers do to all the birds, insects, and other wildlife that live and forage in our yards, innocently playing their role in the circle of life. The poor things get blown away, along with their food and the topsoil that protects plants and underground life.

One leaf blower in one yard may not seem like a big deal. It’s the cumulative impact that matters.

In 2021, all the Island towns supported a resolution to reduce the Island’s reliance on fossil fuels. Supporting the leaf blower regulations at Town Meeting is an important step toward achieving this goal.

Your ears will thank you and Mother Nature will, too.

Liz Durkee
MVC Climate Change Coordinator

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