This year’s Climate Action Week, which will take place from May 8 to 14, will involve a wide variety of events, presentations, and tours, with the aim of highlighting local efforts of mitigating climate change–related impacts to the Island, in addition to informing the community about the ways in which Vineyard residents can contribute to preserving and sustainably maintaining its ecological and environmental health.
From learning ways to utilize and recognize local plants to sustainable disposal of electronics that are no longer used, Climate Action Week will encompass accessibility to Islandwide resources. Events include informational presentations that will inform the community on realistic ways to decrease their impacts on the Island and its surrounding waters. Some of the highlights of the week are as follows:
Tuesday, May 10: Norton Point Dune Restoration Tour (5 pm) Near intersection of Katama Road and Atlantic Drive
Trustees’ coastal ecologist Russ Hopping will discuss the processes of the dune restoration project for South Beach and Norton Point Beach. In 2021, Edgartown received a grant totaling nearly a quarter-million dollars from the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management for the restoration, protection, and stabilization of the area’s coast.
Shifting Shorelines, Lasting Impact (5:30 pm) M.V. Museum
M.V. Museum research librarian Bow Van Riper will offer a brief history of the past 200 years, highlighting the juxtaposition between “human ambition” and the changes of the Island’s shorelines.
Food Waste Reduction and Redirection (6:30 pm) Camp Jabberwocky, 200 Greenwood Ave., Vineyard Haven
Island Grown Initiative will hold a discussion about how to utilize wasted food in order to benefit the Island community.
Wednesday, May 11: Natural Neighbors (4 pm) Featherstone Center for the Arts
From a collaboration among BiodiversityWorks, the Village and Wilderness Project, and the Martha’s Vineyard Vision Fellowship, the Natural Neighbors program aims to work with the community in order to help understand, identify, and manage any naturally occurring flora and fauna in one’s area. Natural Neighbors “will help you develop a stewardship plan compatible with your time and resources.”
Thursday, May 12: Cook the Vineyard: Tips and Techniques for Climate-Friendly Cooking (5:30 – 7 pm) FARM Institute, 14 Aero Ave., Edgartown
Up-Island schools head chef Jenny DeVivo, and “Cook the Vineyard” editor Susie Middleton will offer an informative class to better help those who seek to establish more environmentally sustainable cooking habits, in addition to providing samples, useful handouts, and recipes.
Saturday, May 14: Electronics Disposal Day (9 am – 2 pm) Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School
M.V. Community Services and MVRHS student government will be taking electronics that need to be disposed of, such as household and kitchen appliances, computers, scanners, and printers, and lamps for a small fee. All proceeds will go to MVCS and the high school.
Community Celebration (10 am – 2 pm) Grange, 1067 State Road, West Tisbury
The Climate Action Plan committee will wrap up the week by acknowledging the efforts of the Island community in its collective aim to address climate change–related issues. The event will consist of an aquaculture and raw bar, giveaways, art and children’s activities, a Martha’s Vineyard Film Festival screening, and information on and presentation by the M.V. Climate Action Plan.
Electric Vehicle Fleet (10 am) Edgartown School
The Island Climate Action Network and Vineyard Power invites all electric vehicle owners to join the EV Fleet in a drive from Edgartown School to the Grange Hall, in support of the efforts to reduce fossil fuels on Martha’s Vineyard.
