Mother Earth needs you, all over the world, but here on the Vineyard, it’s her beachy bits that need the most care. That’s why on Earth Day, Saturday, April 21, the Vineyard Conservation Society is hosting its 20th annual beach cleanup day.

When we think of singing, we usually think of people or birds. In the spring we may think of pinkletinks, but we usually think of them as chorusing rather than singing. Very few people will think of grasshoppers, crickets and katydids as singers, but they are. And in this unusual spring, when oak trees are already beginning to leaf out, these insects may start their raspy singing soon.

David Stanwood, musician extraordinaire, recently made two astute observations; a recording and research on fish crows. He noticed “a procession of hundreds, maybe thousands of crows flying over our house and over Hoft Farm front field towards Long View.” David thought he heard what he noted was something “fishy,” so he made a recording of the call of the migrating crows.

I wonder if the written word can do justice to the following? In light of the recent tornado outbreaks in the Midwest this past week, this event is relatively benign. Last Friday a mini-wind situation must have taken place in my big vegetable garden. I have a large heavy-plastic igloo-type shelter that I use in the fall to house pigs. It is quite large — perhaps six feet long, four feet tall and three feet wide. It will comfortably sleep three 200-pound pigs. I use it to store hoses, rolls of weed mat and shovels over the winter.

Brian Devaney of New Bedford and Paula Devaney of Edgartown are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Brittany Devaney, to Matthew Lawson. Mr. Lawson is the son of Matt and Michelle Hylton, both of Richmond, Va. A Vineyard wedding is planned for Sept. 21, 2013.

Navy Graduate

Kayla Whalen, a graduate of the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School class of 2004, graduated from the United States Navy basic training program and became a US Sailor on March 16. During basic training Ms. Whalen was twice promoted and earned an E-3 rating, the highest rating one can receive during the eight vigorous weeks. She also worked as the Master at Arms and earned a Sharpshooter in the 9mm and shotgun.

Honor Society

James Todd, son of Christine Todd of Oak Bluffs, has been elected to the English Honor Society at Villanova University. He has also been elected to Kappa Delta Pi, the international educational honor society. James has achieved this honor having made dean’s list for five consecutive semesters.

Corinna McCurdy and Joshua Liebowitz were married Sept. 10, 2011, on a bright, sunny afternoon overlooking the lagoon in Vineyard Haven at the home of the bride’s maternal grandmother, Pamela Cassel. Corinna is the daughter of Tom and Jennifer McCurdy of Vineyard Haven. She is a graduate of the Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School, Boston University and the University of Pennsylvania Law School, and an attorney with Latham & Watkins in Menlo Park, Calif. Josh is the son of Richard Liebowitz of New York City, and Elizabeth Simoneau of Tucson, Ariz.

The Martha’s Vineyard Adult Learning Program (MVALP) celebrated completion of its 13th year of teaching English to adult immigrants at the High School Performing Arts Center on April 5. Attending the certificate and awards ceremony were Jim Weiss, superintendent of schools, Janet Sylvia, the superintendent’s financial administrative assistant, Jeanne Burke, the MVALP director, teachers and other educators, community partners, students and numerous family members, friends and supporters of the program.

My family has learned how to express love through food. Maybe a little too heavily on the food side, and we are still learning to express ourselves emotionally, which can lead to a miscommunication or two. Just this morning my father greeted me with oysters while he shucked them with a pocketknife. Almost every time he comes by the farm he has something for me in a five-gallon bucket or one of those orange fish baskets he finds on the beach.