The Polly Hill Arboretum’s herbarium collection began in 2001, with a gift of algae specimens from Island resident and seaweed expert, the late Rose Treat. A herbarium is a scientific resource consisting primarily of a collection of dried, pressed plant specimens. Herbarium specimens record the past and provide users with the historic and current locations of plants over time.

Every kid that grew up here has his or her own memories of the Agricultural Fair. From the oxen pull and skillet-throwing contest, to the rides and games, and, of course, the food, for four days in August the Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Fair is the place to be.

Each warm morning I walk down the hill at Owen Park in Vineyard Haven, being tugged by Floyd, my yellow lab who seems hellbent to get into the sea before someone pulls the plug. The other day as we turned the Main street corner into the park, we saw the women of the exercise boot camp slowly and eerily trudging backwards down the hill. They looked like a scene from Night of the Living Dead in rewind. Floyd was momentarily spooked. He then made a beeline for the safety of the water.

It’s Summer: Enjoy and Engage!

You may have heard Aesop’s quote, “After all is said and done, more is said than done.”

For Sam Feldman, philanthropy and getting involved is a way of life and, when Sam gets involved, it’s always, “when all is said and done, more is done than is said.”

Introduced to philanthropy at a young age by his mother and father, Sam started to get engaged himself early in life, including serving on the board of a large Baltimore hospital at age 21.