Two Vineyard institutions, the Vineyard Gazette and The Nature Conservancy (TNC), have announced a new partnership to advance an innovative approach to the Island’s environmental challenges. A new section on the Gazette website (mvgazette.com/nature-conservancy) will introduce Gazette readers to the principles and techniques of TNC’s Vineyard Habitat Network, which pairs TNC know-how with the energy and resources of conservation-minded Islanders.

Launched in 2011, the Habitat Network is free to participants and involves no obligations. The network’s purpose is to offer scientifically-informed advice on landscaping, property management and methods to encourage wildlife populations. The goal is to change developed areas from ecological liabilities into habitat that helps sustain the Island’s diverse wildlife.

“I’ve always admired the Gazette’s commitment to covering wildlife and ecology on the Vineyard,” said TNC restoration ecologist Matt Pelikan, one

of the Habitat Network’s developers. “So when we decided we needed to reach a wider audience with Habitat Network materials, the Gazette was the first partner we considered.”

Said Gazette Publisher Jane Seagrave, “The Gazette has long been interested in promoting the long-term environmental health of the Island, and believes the highly-local information and advice provided by TNC’s Habitat Network will be of great value to our readers.”

Short essays on themes related to the Habitat Network will be provided periodically by TNC, appearing in the Nature and Science section of the Gazette website. The material will complement the newspaper’s existing coverage of nature and science, which includes the popular Bird News and All Outdoors columns and frequent news and feature articles on wildlife and environmental issues. Readers can navigate to the Vineyard Habitat Network web page (nature.org/vineyard) for additional tips or more information about The Nature Conservancy’s Habitat Network program.