The Island theatre group ArtFarm is gearing up for a groundbreaking third season, with a summer lineup true to its mission to collaborate, educate and innovate.

First up is the second annual New Writers, New Plays festival of readings by emerging playwrights, which is a coproduction between ArtFarm and Vineyard Arts Project. Playwrights, directors and cast will be in residence for four weeks developing scripts, and will present readings of the plays on July 7, 8 and 9 at the Vineyard Arts Project at 215 Upper Main street in Edgartown.

The Vineyard Haven Public Library has chosen Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food, by Paul Greenberg, as its Island Sustainability Book Club selection to be presented in the month of May. Several programs will supplement the discussion of Four Fish, all aimed at better understanding our oceans, the threats to them and indeed to the livelihood of many of Martha’s Vineyard’s fishermen.

Work for Wildlife

Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary will host a volunteer day on Saturday, April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. Help prepare the butterfly garden for the season, build a picnic table, remove bittersweet that plagues the sanctuary.

Please wear work clothes and bring work gloves along with any gardening and carpentry tools you may have.

The sanctuary will host a barbecue lunch for the volunteers after the work day.

Well, Well, Well

WellFest offers Islanders an afternoon of demonstrations and information of various alternative healing techniques on Saturday, April 30, from noon to 4 p,.m. at the Grange Hall in West Tisbury .

More than 400 free minihealing sessions will be available, courtesy of the Martha’s Vineyard Whole Health Alliance.

Food will be for sale from the Scottish Bakehouse. For more information, visit mvwholehealth.org

Slaying Macbeth for the Masses

Shakespeare for the Masses, which stages “dramatically incorrect” adaptations of the Bard’s works, concludes its third season this weekend with The Tragedy of Macbeth. Call it the antidote to Royal Wedding Overload.

Making Poetry Fun

Chilmark poet John Maloney will hold a poetry workshop at the Chilmark Public Library starting on Wednesday, May 4 at 5:30 p.m. This four-part series will continue on May 11, June 1 and June 8. You may attend as many as you wish.

UNVARNISHED TRUTH

Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

Stark and troubling as it was to read, Liz Durkee’s “What Climate Change Means to You” on the Gazette Commentary Page last Friday was a breath of fresh air. It is the unvarnished truth, a description of what is happening right now — today — and what will intensify in the years to come.

Congressional Art Prizes

Two Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School students were among the winners of this year’s Congressional Art Competition, announced this week by Rep. William Keating.

Courtney Minnehan placed third in photography with her entry, Water View.

Bradley Carroll’s photograph, Umbrella, took honorable mention.

Their submissions will be displayed in Rep. Keating’s three offices. A photo album of this year’s submissions can be found on Rep. Keating’s Facebook page.

With the closing of the Island Food Pantry in mid-April, the Unitarian church Friends of the Island Food Pantry concludes another winter of helping put food on the tables of needy families, seniors and unemployed workers on the Island. This program of canvassing for food donations at local supermarkets has been recognized as the single largest institutional donor of nonperishable food and personal care items on the Island.

Council on Aging

The annual meeting of the Friends of the Council on Aging is on Tuesday, May 17 at 10 a.m. at the Edgartown senior center, the Anchors on Dock street. The public is welcome to attend.