Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

What an amazing week for a climate change-obsessed planning nerd!

A year ago, Climate Action Week was nothing but a bright idea. Last week the community responded to the call for climate action. The 40-odd Island events were well attended and the finale at the Grange was a smashing success.

The Climate Action Week team fanned out to cover the events. Here are some of the things I learned:

• Action can take many forms, from words, art, and music, to simply being aware and making informed decisions.

• Some of the best remedies for climate stress are connecting with others, taking ac-tion, and enjoying the natural world.

• The local faith community has a beautiful commitment to climate action.

• Native plants have so many remarkable benefits.

• Phil Colarusso is a hero; he completed an excellent eel grass presentation at a Panera, after getting stuck in traffic and while children shrieked in the background.

• Food waste can be limited by eating vegetable stems (they are good in stir fry, but peel the broccoli stems first).

• Island students are aware of and engaged in climate action.

• The Vineyard Gazette and WMVY Radio rocked it with their coverage.

• The music at The Ritz is still great.

• There are so many local organization and individuals committed to climate action.

• There are great rebates available for energy efficiency and renewable energy.

• Molly Conole has an amazing voice.

Climate Action Week was a bold community engagement component of the Island climate action plan that is being developed by about 100 residents through the Martha’s Vineyard Commission. The theme of the climate action plan is The Vineyard Way: Connected to Our Past, Committed to Our Future. Nothing exemplified this theme more than the film Inhabitants, An Indigenous Perspective on Restoring Our World. The film showed how five Native American tribes are restoring healthy land use practices that were disrupted by colonization.

I am so proud to be part of the climate action week team: Beckie Finn, Joan Malkin, Noli Taylor, Cheryl Doble, Samantha Look, Signe Benjamin, Giulia Casalino of Dolce Vita Production and Events, and with assistance from Meghan Gombos and Kristi Strahler.

Thank you to every volunteer and presenter, every group and individual who provided climate action information and support at the Grange event, the owners of every venue, and the public for your enthusiasm. Thank you to all who donated funds and to the Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation for a critical event coordinator grant.

Today this borderline pessimist is full of hope that we will indeed become a climate change-resilient Island. Take action, every day.

To learn more about what you can do visit www.islandclimateaction.org and follow the process at www.thevineyardway.org.

Liz Durkee

Oak Bluffs

The writer is the climate change planner for the Martha’s Vineyard Commission.