Vineyard Conservation Society

04/28/2026

Action alert ‼️

Final MVC public hearing on Katama Meadows on May 7th.
We’ll remind you again in May, don’t worry 😉

04/21/2026

We’re still riding the vibes from this past Saturday’s Earth Day beach cleanup and conservation festival 🌊. Sincere thanks to all the organizations, businesses, families, and every volunteer who came out to clean our beaches and celebrate our wonderful home.

04/17/2026

See you tomorrow!

04/16/2026

04/16/2026

04/15/2026

Native grasses like little bluestem and switchgrass are hardier and more drought tolerant than non-natives like the ever-present Kentucky bluegrass and similar varieties. They also require very little upkeep, and look beautiful! Our upcoming Vineyard Lawns event will dive deep into meadows on Martha’s Vineyard, and how they could change the way Islanders see their lawns. Please join us!

04/07/2026

The MV Bank has been a steadfast supporter of our Earth Day beach clean up program since its inception in 1992! We're thankful for their consistent financial backing and yearly efforts to beautify Eastville Beach. Bravo MV Bank!

03/20/2026

Free Grass Seed! Open to the public. Hope to see you there!

02/19/2026

There are two items on the agenda that are of interest to VCS. 1. Edgartown Shore Zone bylaw change and 2. Green Villa 40B in Oak Bluffs.
Here is an excerpt from our letter regarding the Shoreline bylaw:
Few were aware in 1975 of the growing risk of climate change and the related impacts, yet the protections outlined in the Coastal District DCPC are remarkably well suited to modern planning issues. With climate impacts now undeniable and accelerating, “climate smart” planning calls for a high-level strategy of managed retreat from vulnerable coastal areas. To protect our natural resources and human infrastructure, these places ideally must undergo a gradual form of undevelopment – at a minimum, we must prevent new development ... This is the direction that is described in the MVC’s Climate Action Plan, adopted just a few years ago.
Green Villa:

A 40B development proposed by the same applicant as the recently-denied Edgartown Gardens project, “Green Villa” seeks to construct a dense apartment complex on about 8 acres near the YMCA (and next to the under-construction “Tackenash Knoll” affordable housing project) on Edgartown-Vineyard Haven Road in Oak Bluffs. At latest check, there would be 116 units in a complicated mix of market rate and AMI-restricted, with portions of the latter to be sold to town employees, to businesses for employee housing, or available for purchase by the public. This applicant is also engaged in litigation, in this case seeking to strip the MVC of its power to review 40B developments altogether.

We have not yet submitted testimony regarding Green Villa; in short, however, the proposal does include some laudable aspects. Unlike Edgartown Gardens and Katama Meadows, Green Villa represents a sincere effort to increase the supply of affordable housing. Unfortunately, the proposal is simply too much: too dense, too tall, too much wastewater and light pollution, too much traffic added in one of the busiest areas of the island – so much so that the project’s traffic study recommended improving the nearby roundabout to include “two circulating lanes and associated improvements to the approaches.” Imagine that!