The Vineyard Conservation Society’s Island Adventure Book hit local bookstores recently, offering children and families a guide to exploring and caring for Martha’s Vineyard.
The conservation society, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving the Island’s environment, created the book to be equal parts nature guide, journal and conservation curriculum.
“This book was inspired by the [question] of how you get to know and love something so intimately, and it really is about spending time in it, writing down what you see,” said Zada Clarke, the organization’s director of advocacy and community organizing.
Ms. Clarke also served as project manager for the book.
The book includes six chapters detailing the Island’s different habitats, along with a map highlighting natural landmarks, notes on local plants and animals alongside space for readers to jot down field observations.
The project initially began in 2016 when Samantha Look, executive director of Vineyard Conservation Society, put together its first edition. In 2024, the society decided to revamp it.
“Two years ago we started working on this new edition,” Ms. Clarke said. “We really wanted to bring the Island’s habitats to life through really specific drawings and lovely illustrations.”
The first edition was mostly text. The new edition is more visual, thanks to art director and book designer Emma Nicholas Young.
A born-and-raised Islander, Ms. Young has designed a range of books and is currently the art director for Martha’s Vineyard Magazine. She brought in Fiona MacLean and Ariel Ferrel, two friends from high school who now work as illustrators, to collaborate on the project.
“They’re both friends I made at high school here at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School back in the early 2000s,” Ms. Young said. “What’s really special about that is they both have connections to Martha’s Vineyard and really know the Island, so they could make these drawings with that knowledge.”
Ms. MacLean illustrated the front and back covers as well as the drawings that introduce each chapter. Ms. Ferrel drew species and ecosystem illustrations throughout the book, creating more than 150 drawings. Ms. Young then mapped out and designed each page.
“A lot of times with this design work, I feel like a puzzle-master,” Ms. Young said. “This book is unlike any other book I’ve ever done, and honestly, it’s unlike any other book I’ve ever seen.”
She carefully considered each piece of the project, from line spacing to paper weight, with the goal of ensuring the information was engaging and accessible to kids.
Ms. Young researched more than a dozen similar books from the West Tisbury library for inspiration. She studied what worked and what didn’t, deciding she wanted this book to be more interactive than its predecessors.
“My goal was always to help create a book that could really be thrown in every kid’s backpack and used out in nature on the Island,” Ms. Young said. “In the same way that the content of the book was very thoughtful, I wanted the design to be very thoughtful.”
The book sells for $20 at Edgartown Books, Bunch of Grapes, Alley’s, Cronig’s and the Martha’s Vineyard Museum gift shop, but Ms. Clarke says she doesn’t want the price to be a hindrance.
“If anyone is interested, they can always email us and get a copy,” she said.
The book is also included in the adventure backpack as part of the “Library of Things,” a program at the West Tisbury Library where kids can check out backpacks packed with tools and supplies to explore various habitats across the Island.
“There’s one specifically for ponds filled with a net and binoculars for birding, too,” Ms. Clarke said. “Kids can check out this backpack and go explore with the tools they need.”
Ms. Clarke hopes access to the book will continue to expand throughout the year, as she hopes to integrate it with other libraries and the Island’s schools.
“This book complements the incredible environmental programming for kids that already exists across the Island,” Ms. Clarke said. “We’re excited to partner with organizations and schools to offer this as an educational tool.”
Ultimately, she hopes the book helps children see themselves as participants in the Island’s environment, not just observers.
“If we can teach our kids that they have a place in all of this and are not just a bystander, that’s so important,” she said.