Carefully lifting up a panel of plywood near Oyster Pond in Edgartown on Monday, Liz Baldwin uncovered a rare sight: a black racer, the Island’s largest and least common snake species. It was her first encounter with the species, which has been in decline here since the 1970s.

Cape Pogue Wildlife Refuge has been closed to vehicle traffic to protect newly-hatched piping plover chicks.

The Gay Head Light relocation project continues, with a foundation of concrete blocks slowly rising around a gridwork of steel beams that supports the 400-ton structure. On May 30, the lighthouse was moved inland from the eroding cliffs.

Excavation around the Gay Head Light has revealed never before seen geologic layers that may shed light on how and when the landscape was created.

Last weekend, dozens of surfcasters at Wasque Point could hardly believe their luck. The water churned with bluefish as fishermen reeled in catch after catch. “Some of the best fishing days I’ve ever had,” said Wayne Smith, an avid surfcaster.

With a goal of cultivating one million oysters a year, Chilmark officials are expanding available aquaculture grants for Menemsha Pond.