News and Events for Nantucket Island
Ornamental grasses are a popular part of many Nantucket landscape designs. They add movement and provide drama, all while giving a naturalized look to the landscape. However, many of these ornamental grasses are now being seen as weedy, if not invasive on the island—we need to do all we can to prevent spread into our natural areas and value our native grasslands.
Living on an island surrounded by the sea, there is no escaping the effects of climate change. Others living inland may be able to bury their heads in the sand, but on Nantucket sea level rise, erosion, storm surge, and flooding are all very real impacts that we experience regularly.
The Nantucket Land Bank is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Not a non-profit conservation group and not quite a Town department, the Land Bank is a singular entity. The first of its kind in the United States, the Nantucket Islands Land Bank was conceived by Nantucket’s Planning Commission, adopted by the voters of Nantucket, and established by a special act of the Massachusetts Legislature in 1983. The Land Bank’s revenue is derived from a two percent fee levied on most real estate transfers on the island. This funding is used to acquire and manage land for open space, agriculture, and recreational uses. The Land Bank is governed by a five-member elected commission who oversee the actions of the organization. With these impressive resources, we, as a community, all benefit from the work of the Land Bank.
I’ve been trying to think about how to capture this mid- to late-August feeling. It’s a bit like summer is winding down, but I know that the warm weather and beach days will continue well into September. Maybe it’s that the onslaught of back-to-school advertisements and school emails that has me thinking about fall. It surely isn’t the air. There is no crisp, clear September scent just yet. We’re still in the hazy warm days of August. Is there a name for late summer? How about Still Summer. Like, “hello, it’s still summer.”
Over the past two decades there has been a growing problem on-island as more and more non-native invasive plants (and other species) establish and dominate. Some species new to our region don’t cause harm, establishing in small populations without changing local ecology. However, it is the domineering plants that cause economic, ecological, or harm to human health that are managed. For a place which prides itself on its conservation and biodiversity, protecting these resources is of vital importance.
You may have heard about the recent theft that occurred at Stop and Shop. A man’s wallet was stolen from his cart right in the parking lot. It was front page news! Ok, it wasn’t front page news, but the perpetrator was identified as a frequent culprit of such crimes—a seagull.
