Brien O’Brien and his wife Mary Hasten make their primary residence in Chicago but have been seasonal residents of Martha’s Vineyard since the 1980s. Brien is Chairman and CEO of Port Capital, a global investment management firm which manages domestic and developed markets global equity strategies. In addition to his career in the financial industry [...]
By Adam R. Moore “I want a Pulaski.” “You don’t need a Pulaski.” “Well, you asked me what I wanted for Christmas, and that’s what I want.” “Look,” said Melissa, my exasperated wife. “You are not a wildland firefighter. We don’t live out west. You’re not going to use it.” “Well, that’s what I want. [...]
Paul Buckley is an amateur historian who has, for a few years, conducted volunteer metal-detecting work on the grounds of the Hancock-Mitchell House at Quansoo Farm. Mr. Buckley finds coins, buttons, hardware, and various other metal items of interest, and gives all of his finds to Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation. A few years ago, Mr. Buckley [...]
Some of the Vineyard’s youngest residents spent the fall exploring various Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation properties. The MV Family Center, a MV Community Services program that supports and connects Island families with young children, partnered with SMF for a series of thematic Monday morning outings. This collaborative program, called “Out and About,” was originally scheduled for [...]
SMF Board of Directors met for a two-day “offsite” retreat on October 22 and 23, 2021, at the Grange Hall in West Tisbury. The retreat was held to listen, share ideas, and engage in discussion, all aimed at forming a new five-year strategic plan for Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation. The retreat was well-attended, with 28 of [...]
When walking in the Vineyard woods in spring, summer, or fall, we mostly notice the leaves: the pale uncurling new ones, the thick canopy of green ones, the yellow and brown ones signaling wintertime. But in the winter, a whole new world engages our attention: the lime-colored haze of the lichens that coat every boulder [...]
Multiflora Rose, Rosa multiflora Multiflora Rose is on the Massachusetts prohibited plants list, which bans “the importation, sale, and trade of plants determined to be invasive in Massachusetts.” Multiflora Rose grows quickly and tends to crowd out other species. It has been deemed a significant threat to native species and natural communities. Louis Bromfield, [...]
Could this tree be a Quercus bicolor, a swamp white oak, growing here at Quansoo? I had been pondering this tree for over a decade. Some years ago, on walking past the tree, I noticed that the leaves were a bit odd. They were crenate, which means that the leaves had wavy edges. The stem, [...]
Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation and the Martha’s Vineyard Land Bank Commission have been working diligently on the draft management plan for Squibnocket Pond Reservation in Aquinnah. The two organizations have completed a year-long ecological inventory of the property. This inventory includes a detailed study of the flora and fauna that live upon and find habitat at [...]
California-based Rue Mapp travelled to the Vineyard at the end of July to introduce Islanders to Outdoor Afro, which she founded and is CEO of. SMF board member Amy Weinberg hosted a tomato tasting at Beetlebung Farm in honor of Mapp, who spoke about her desire to connect “Black people to the outdoors.” “Sometimes you’re [...]
