I’ve got “nutting” bad to say about hickory trees.

After months of discussion, work is beginning on a multi-phase project to move a Chappaquiddick house threatened by erosion, with the Edgartown planning board this week approving the relocation of a guest house on the Wasque property.

Plans to move a Chappaquiddick home threatened by erosion became more urgent this week, after last week’s nearly-three-day storm brought the coastal bank 11 feet closer to Richard and Jennifer Schifter’s Wasque Point home. But as waves continue to eat away at the waterfront property, the drama of the house move has extended into now weekly meetings at Edgartown town hall, where the house faces regulatory, logistical, and environmental concerns from town officials and neighbors.

The succession of storms that have pounded the Island this winter have taken their toll in Oak Bluffs, where the town says massive repairs are needed to stabilize the damaged East Chop area.

Officials said the already-weakened East Chop Drive, bluff and beach have sustained significant damage in the past few months, beginning with Hurricane Sandy in October and continuing through a nearly-three-day storm last week.

During winter, when there is significant snowfall, wildlife biologist Luanne Johnson begins the hunt for otter trails.

Only in the snow can she easily track the round-toed trails at Sepiessa Point Reservation or the smooth belly slides along the hills of Cranberry Acres. Otherwise, the elusive otter remains mostly a mystery. This winter has been a good one for observations.

Ever wonder what all those birders were up to out there in the woods and on the shorelines? Well, master birder Rob Culbert will be teaching a bird identification class beginning March 28. The course will help interested birders identify the Vineyard’s shorebirds, terns, gulls and warblers and other songbirds. The class meets on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the regional high school. The cost is $81.

To register visit acemv.org.