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The Nature Conservancy in Massachusetts Home About the Chapter Contact Us News Room Places We Protect Field Trips and Events Government Relations Volunteer Ways of Giving Faces of Conservation |
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The Massachusetts Islands
 Martha's Vineyard |
Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
The coastal sandplain ecosystem found on Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket, and the surrounding Massachusetts Islands is one of the most beautiful and threatened natural systems in the world, with only one percent of its original global acreage still remaining. Found in only a few other locations in the northeastern United States, the coastal sandplains include rare natural communities such as coastal grasslands and heathlands.
One third of The Nature Conservancy's country programs are islands, and many state programs in the The Nature Conservancy include threats to islands. We have been working on island conservation for decades. Read more about our island conservation efforts.
Threats
Fragmentation of habitat by housing development and road construction is a major threat on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. It is especially damaging to animals that require large spaces to forage and reproduce. Overgrowth of sensitive habitats from lack of natural wildfire reduces the variety of vegetation and infringes on grassland habitat.
In addition, a study conducted by the Vineyard Conservation Partnership suggests that land on the Vineyard is being developed at twice the rate at which it is being protected. The remaining 9,000 unprotected acres on Martha's Vineyard are likely to be fully developed by 2005.
Plants
Habitats on the Massachusetts Islands include high quality examples of pitch pine/scrub oak barrens and oak savannahs, sandplain grasslands and heathlands, saltmarshes, beaches and dunes. Rare plants include Bushy rockrose and Nantucket shadbush.
Animals
High concentrations of imperiled animals, including the northern harrier hawk and the short-eared owl, are found in this unique ecosystem.
Our Conservation Strategy
Our conservation strategies for the Massachusetts Islands include:
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Protecting the sandplains, barrier beaches, the great ponds, and their watersheds through purchase, option, or restriction.
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Utilizing cost-effective techniques like the conservation buyer initiative to maximize the conservation impact of each dollar we spend.
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Restoring native habitat to aid in bringing back species that have declined or disappeared from the Islands.
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Helping partners develop successful prescribed fire programs to increase the number of acres burned every year. Fire management is integral to maintaining certain natural communities and helps to burn up excess fuel, reducing the risk of wildfire.
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Working with local conservation partners to enhance their ability to protect and restore ecologically significant land.
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Educating islands residents and visitors about our unique natural communities.
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Continuing to develop and test innovative strategies for land protection and habitat restoration.
What TNC Has Done/Is Doing
- A highlight in 2003 was the completion of a comprehensive vegetation map, created through the use of aerial photographs as well as Geographic Information Systems (GIS). This important planning tool will help the Conservancy and partners determine the size and location of protected areas needed to maintain and restore the island's natural communities.
- At the Hoft Farm research station, the Chapter is continuing its native plant propagation activities. The seeds from the plants at the nursery are being used in restoration projects around the islands.
- The Chapter’s fire crew spent several weeks on the islands, conducting prescribed burns on TNC, partner, state and private lands. The results of these efforts became evident in July of 2003, when grasshopper sparrows – a bird not found on Martha’s Vineyard since 1999 – returned to Katama Airfield. The management technique of spring burns coupled with fall mowing helped restore the vegetation to its natural, less dense condition, encouraging the birds to return and nest.
Finally, the Chapter is researching methods for restoring oak woodlands to a mosaic of grassland, heathland and oak. The work will help determine the best techniques to use for future restoration projects.
Preserves in the Islands Area:
David H. Smith
Hoft Farm
Katama Plains
Francis Newhall
Miacomet Moors
Homer-Watcha
