Last week, the Aquinnah library hosted events in honor of Earth Week. I attended the Climate Resiliency Panel hosted by Sakiko Isomichi, climate resiliency planner for the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. As we have experienced already, climate change is bringing wild weather patterns and coastal flooding in new and unpredictable ways. The first section of the presentation was a discussion about emergency response to those changes.
The second part of the program was a presentation by Rich Couse, program director of BiodiversityWorks, who spoke about planting for climate resilience. He opened by talking about how nature can be our great ally, if only we embrace the Vineyard’s natural character and grow plants that were here before European immigration. BioDiversityWorks has lists and publications available to help you do that.
When I asked him what one thing he most wanted me to say this week, it was to warn people to be careful with cleanup: Leave those leaves, and don’t cut those old plants to less than 12 inches, as these are places where the tiniest creatures burrow and nest. We can go ahead with cleanup after the days are 50°. Our ecosystem needs these insects and tiny creatures to thrive.
Author Tom Dresser has a new book out that fits the theme. It is called “Historic Storms of Martha’s Vineyard.” It is a book that covers storms as far back as 1635, and is a good reminder that we don’t want to encourage these events if we can do something to avoid them, or at least prepare for them. Tom will be at the Aquinnah library on Thursday, April 30, at 3 pm to talk about the book. He is an entertaining and knowledgeable speaker. Attend if you can.
On Friday, May 1, there is a call for a national day of economic disruption. It is a time to use our pocketbooks to protest a culture that puts billionaires before babies, before workers, before science, before peace, before our planet. In other parts of the country there will be demonstrations and marches and boycotts organized by unionists, students, ordinary folks. Here on the Vineyard, it is a quieter protest. People are simply asked to stay away from the marketplace in whatever way is best for them. For some it may be no work. For others, no school. For others, no shopping. The idea is to hurt the billionaires where it matters most to them — their money pile.
I don’t usually write about things happening down-Island, but this one includes our own Molly Purves. She will be appearing as part of the Comedy Variety Show at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse in Vineyard Haven on Thursday, May 7. The show is part of the “No Bones” comedy festival put on by Circuit Arts, and promises to be a romping good time. The show starts at 7:30 pm. It’s a pay-what-you-can event, with a suggested ticket price of $20. For tickets, go to bit.ly/CA_VarietyShow.
Ruth Folchman wants you to know that there will not be a Mindfulness and Meditation gathering on Thursday, April 30, as she will be off-Island. She’ll be back for the May 7 session. It meets at 8 am, and all are welcome.
Keep your eye on activities up on the Cliffs. This week we expect the new VTA bus shelter will be moved from Tim Laursen’s work barn for final assembly on the already installed brick floor pad. A week or so later, Tim will be starting to add the bent steel roof superstructure and cedar-shingle-finished top.
Lots of great birthdays this week. On May 1, it’s Ella Mahoney’s day. On May 2, Maysel Vanderhoop White. On May 5th, Isaac Vanderhoop, and on May 6, we celebrate Alex Taylor.