Nature & Science
Edgartown selectmen this week granted an aquaculture license to Jeremy Scheffer to grow oysters on a one-acre space in Katama Bay. The bottom grant marked the 11th of 12 licenses that the town can give out to shellfishermen.
Shellfish constable Paul Bagnell said the shellfish committee had approved Mr. Scheffer’s request, and he remarked that a growing family of oyster farmers on the bay are working well together.
Adam deBettencourt sent us this e-mail while we were attending the festival in Florida: “I have observed what appears to be a conjunctivitis infection in both a male house finch and male American goldfinch that have been visiting my feeder in Chilmark. Has this been noted elsewhere on the Island? I have done some reading and research on the subject and am wondering if there is anything else I should do besides cleaning my feeders and feeding stations? Is there a risk of this infection being passed to other species that visit my feeder?”
Before there were chocolate, roses, and sentimental cards, there were animal sacrifices, whippings, and nakedness. It must have been quite a party!
Early celebrations of the holiday that would eventually be known as Valentine’s Day were a bit more raucous than our modern-day traditions. As with most Christian-based holidays, there was a pagan festival that preceded it.
Beach Clean-Up
That beach isn’t going to clean itself.
This Saturday, Feb. 11, from 9 a.m. to noon The Trustees of Reservations are hosting a cleanup at Leland Beach on Chappaquiddick. The morning’s work will focus on clearing logs and limbs that have washed up due to the erosion at the southern side of the Island. Volunteers can also walk the beaches to assist with the removal of harmful marine debris.
Volunteers are urged to bring a steel rake if possible, and gloves are advisable.
Opinions on the future of Mill Pond and the future of Mill Brook were more varied than the options at a Saturday afternoon forum held at the West Tisbury Library. The townspeople and others who packed the meeting room kept coming back to a central point: The pond and the brook that feeds it are among the town’s most valued resources and worthy of concern and some kind of action.
Without any action, experts say the pond will continue to choke as more and more sediment and organic materials continue to arrive and fill it.
The gibbous moon dominates our evening sky this weekend. Every night it increases in brightness, as more and more of the moon is lit by the sun. Full moon is when the whole side of the moon facing us is lit.
Almanac
A comprehensive guide to weather and tides on the Island.
Vineyard Gardener
I guess this past week weather-wise is called a January thaw. We did not really experience it the last several years as December was unseasonably warm.
Farm & Field
Beige and brown and tan and black, with horns spiraled or semicircular or in undulating waves, a legion of goats marched up the hill toward us, bleating in anticipation of fresh grass and leaves.