An ongoing sandplain grassland restoration project at Long Point Wildlife Refuge in West Tisbury got a boost this week with the announcement of a $50,000 state grant.
The preservation of rare sandplain grasslands at Katama and in West Tisbury will get a boost thanks to some $46,000 in grant money awarded by Gov. Charlie Baker last week to the Trustees of Reservations.
Benton Wesley hesitated, but once Frank Hardy got the feel of sand beneath his flippers, he made a beeline for the surf, soon disappearing under a crashing wave on the Vineyard’s south shore.
About 10 months after the two rare Kemp’s Ridley turtles washed up on a Cape Cod beach in a hypothermic state, they were returned to the waves off Long Point in West Tisbury Wednesday.
The Martha’s Vineyard Prescribed Fire Partnership plans to conduct a controlled burn today, Monday, Nov. 26, at the Long Point Reservation in West Tisbury.
During the burn smoke and the odor of smoke may be noticeable around Edgartown Great Pond and Katama Bay.
The fire team will closely monitor local weather conditions, such as wind and humidity, and make adjustments in the schedule as needed to ensure the safety of both crew members and residents, according to a statement from the Nature Conservancy on behalf of the Martha’s Vineyard Prescribed Fire Partnership.
After intensive testing throughout the weekend, Lambert’s Cove Beach and Long Point Wildlife Refuge Beach in West Tisbury remained closed to swimming on Monday afternoon due elevated levels of enterococcus. All beaches in Oak Bluffs had opened by Saturday afternoon, except for Madeiros Cove, which remains closed.
Growing up on a ranch in Wyoming, Barbara Erickson received an early education in the importance of open space.
“You get an appreciation for nature that sticks with you,” the newly-appointed president of The Trustees of Reservations said on Friday during a sun-splashed walk through Long Point Reservation in West Tisbury. “Then you come to a place like Massachusetts which is 10 times smaller and I really think it’s a call to action to preserve as much as we can. I think the Trustees has been a trailblazer in that effort.”
