Several butterflies have arrived here ahead of schedule
Along with most other migrating birds and animals, butterflies have appeared on the Island much earlier than usual.
To some naturalists, “native” is neither relative nor debatable
Native plants do best here, according to some horticulturalists, but what exactly constitutes a native?
The complexities of dealing with nature on Martha’s Vineyard
Whether it's a hawk killing a chicken or a tick infecting a human, there's a price to be paid for living so close to nature.
Red-tailed hawks have year-round homes on Martha’s Vineyard
Some two dozen families have stopped migrating, content to he here all the time.
Identifying gulls can make even expert birders wince
A couple of gulls from the far north, the Iceland and glaucous, can give birders fits when they try to identify them.
Birds use tails for steerage; birders use them for identification
It's nothing fancy – a clump of long feathers controlled by muscles at their base.
What a warm winter portends for Martha’s Vineyard
At the most obvious level, the mild conditions are working out well for many species that remain active through the winter.
Migrating brant spend the winter in Ocean Park
Far more wild than the Canada Geese that have become year-round residents, brant are only here for a few months.
Some winters, snowy owls appear on Martha’s Vineyard
If they run out of food farther north, snowy owls may be forced to spend the winter here.
What wild creatures eat determines much of their behavior
It's not too much of a stretch to say that an ecological system is nothing more than the sum of the eating that goes on within it.
Turkeys, once native on Martha’s Vineyard, star tomorrow
Their provenance is murky, their lineage jerky, but on Thanksgiving who cares? We love our turkey.
Once rare on Martha’s Vineyard, titmice feel at home here now
Story of how tufted titmice ended up on Martha's Vineyard.
A novel approach to lawns on Martha’s Vineyard
Lawns are hard to create on the Island. Interesting things happen when you let nature take its course.
Predation occurs in many forms in the natural world
The behavior of predators is varied, clever, and fascinating, and the acts of killing and consuming are dramatic.
Manmade changes affect natural world on Martha’s Vineyard
As the Vineyard climate warms, southern species start to appear here more frequently.
The grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids of Martha’s Vineyard
There can be great pleasure in getting to know a whole new universe of critters who share theI Island with us.
The fight to protect Martha’s Vineyard from invasive plants
Plants from away keep trying to get a foothold on the Island, and they're not always welcome.
Conservation moorings minimize impact on harbor bottom
A novel approach to mooring tackle reduces the impact on eelgrass and critters that like to live in it.
Poison ivy challenges Martha’s Vineyard naturalists
Exploring outdoors on the Island often means contact with poison ivy. Respect the vine and the misery it can impart.
Martha’s Vineyard naturalists catalog mid-summer butterflies
Last Sunday, July 17, five liberally sunscreened butterfly enthusiasts took to the field for the 12th annual Vineyard Butterfly Count.