Latest news
Bracing for a nor’easter
Updated Sept. 23. Ahead of predictions for an early season nor’easter that is expected to pound New England, Islanders and transportation services are bracing for the possibility of heavy wind…
Local departments practice oil spill response
Local firefighters and harbormasters, in coordination with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), practiced oil spill containment tactics last Wednesday in Lagoon Pond next to Safe Harbor Marina. The drill tested a booming tactic used to contain oil if a spill ever occurred in Island waters. MassDEP framed the training scenario as a spill…
Fond farewell, Shenandoah
The sun set as Islanders gathered for a potluck at the Black Dog Wharf docks in Vineyard Haven to honor Shenandoah, a one-of-a-kind, 108-foot wooden topsail schooner, where thousands of the Island’s youth have embarked on week-long adventures to be educated in hands-on maritime work. At the potluck on Saturday evening, with Shenandoah docked along…
An emergent model of food and health
As more Islanders than ever seek food assistance, several local organizations have risen up to meet the demand in new ways. These emergent collaborative efforts have put the Vineyard on the map as a model for food systems that contribute to better health outcomes, according to experts in the field. The model is called “Food…
ticks, tick-borne conditions & hunting
Island steps up its processing capacity as hunting season nears
Updated Sept. 17. As an expanded hunting season approaches, an offensive aimed at managing the deer herd is bracing and hoping that the Island harvests and processes more venison. New plans for the bold initiative, which is led by Tick Free MV and the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society, were announced…
State denies Chilmark’s attempt to regulate tick sprays
As tick sprays become more commonplace on the Island and their ecological effects remain understudied, health officials in the town of Chilmark drafted regulations to put guardrails on all-natural blends of the product. But the state won’t let them make it official. Chilmark board of health agent Anna McCaffrey sent…
A cloud of uncertainty
Updated August 28. Three operators of an all-natural tick spray company donned khaki insect-shield pants and tucked the bottom hems into their socks. They wore shirts with their company name, ohDEER, like they do five or more days a week, readied their equipment, and pulled into a winding driveway in…
Editor’s pick: Wind coverage
Chasing shadows offshore
Island’s benefits agreement with Vineyard Wind made public
Winds of history
Chilmark eyes wind agreement
Have an idea?
Contact the environment and energy reporter Hayley Duffy
Sustainability of the Island
How much more can the Island handle?
A 1.5-mile drive on Edgartown–Vineyard Haven Road took 40 minutes. It felt impossible to send a text or get a call through. Parking at State Beach was haphazard and unattainable. Want a quick cup of coffee? Forget it. These inconveniences and disruptions didn’t overshadow the patriotic spirit of the annual parades or obscure the bursts…
Increasingly fragile supply chain keeps Island afloat
The supply chain for Martha’s Vineyard is a casual system based on informal coordination and institutional knowledge, almost totally dependent on marine transportation. That casual network is not a shock to those who live here, but the vulnerabilities are anything but casual. In fact, parts of the Island are considered “highly vulnerable,” according to a…
Sign up for The Minute
Stay up to the minute every day on Island news with The Minute newsletter.
