Clean Water: Topics on Tap

Nantucket Land Council PO Box 502, 6 Ash Lane Nantucket, MA 02554 508.228.2818 www.nantucketlandcouncil.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Lucy S. Dillon, President Paul A. Bennett, Vice President William Willet, Vice President Neil Marttila, Treasurer Susan E. Robinson, Clerk Matt Anderson Susan Baer Mary-Randolph Ballinger Larry Breakiron William S. Brenizer Christine Donelan Joshua Eldridge Thomas V. Farrell Robert Friedman Nancy Gillespie Nathanael Greene Charles A. Kilvert III Laurel Ried Langworthy Lucy Leske Peter McCausland Keltie Donelan McDonald Carl H. Sjolund H. Brooks Smith Lars Soderberg David Troast Peter Watrous

HONORARY DIRECTORS

William M. Crozier, Jr. Eileen P. McGrath

SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR

James W. Sutherland, Ph.D.

STAFF

Emily Molden, Executive Director emily@nantucketlandcouncil.org RJ Turcotte, Nantucket Waterkeeper rj@nantucketlandcouncil.org Meg Browers Development Director meg@nantucketlandcouncil.org Shari Santos, Bookkeeper

GENERAL COUNSEL

Peter R. Fenn Fenn & Associates

Design by: Gioiosa Design Harvard, MA, www.gioiosadesign.com

Printed On Recycled Paper

E D U C A T I O N N E W S

Clean Water Series

The NLC is excited to launch a special Winter Edition of our Clean Water: Topics on Tap webinar series starting March 18. Please join us for a monthly presentation on important Nantucket water-related topics. This winter’s series will focus on “Clean Water for All”.

On March 18 join local fisherpeople Simon Edwardes, Josh Eldridge and Melanie Kotalac for a panel discussion and Q&A about the health and sustainability of Nantucket’s fresh and ocean waters. Tara Riley, Shellfish Biologist with the Town of Nantucket Natural Resources Department, will join to discuss current and future projects to improve our marine and freshwater resources, and give input on ways to protect and preserve our harbor to maintain a fishable, sustainable part of our critical year-round community. In April, we welcome David Prescott, South County Coastkeeper for Save The Bay (RI) and as the North Atlantic Regional Representative on the Waterkeeper Alliance Council representing the 20+ Waterkeeper programs in the region. David will help us understand how clean water affects all sections of our community and how we each play a role in protecting and preserving this critical resource. Thaïs Fournier, Town of Nantucket Water Resource Specialist, will join to discuss everyday practices that all Nantucket residents should abide by to keep our waters safe and healthy. Each monthly webinar will be held via Zoom. Check our website and social media for more info and registration links. Sponsorship opportunities are available; please contact meg@nantucketlandcouncil.org for more info!

Harbor Health

Nantucket Harbor is in many ways the heart of our island. It is our primary point of access, the physical center of our economic and cultural space. Unlike Madaket harbor which benefits from greater connectivity and flushing with the ocean beyond, Nantucket harbor waters are more restricted, taking upwards of 90 days to circulate from the head of the harbor. The deteriorating health of the Nantucket harbor ecosystem is not new news. The Town has been monitoring harbor water quality for decades and many other organizations and groups, including the NLC, have rallied their efforts around the implications of this continuing decline. There have been many initiatives and policies adopted by the Town and community to improve conditions, and there has been a huge increase in research conducted on harbor health as well as restoration efforts to support the important ecosystem functions and services we are at risk of losing. The Land Council is working with the Town to bring these partners together to improve coordination, collaboration and the sharing of resources around these efforts.

Education initiatives and coverage from our local media has significantly improved awareness of how important the health of our harbor is to the ongoing sustainability of our island in the face of climate change and sea level rise. The Town will be facilitating an update to the 2009 Municipal Harbors Plan, providing a perfect opportunity to reevaluate our local harbor and harbor watershed uses, policies, and regulations. The NLC looks forward to participating in this process to make some decisions about needed change, and choose a direction for the harbors’ future. Stay tuned for updates on the NLC’s eelgrass research and other harbor initiatives, including our Nantucket Waterkeeper boat use for healthy harbors campaign.

Photo by Gretchen Gigi Callahan

Plastics Pollution

As microplastics research between NLC, DPW, and the UMass Field Station moves into its second year and the Nantucket Plastics Ban approaches its one year anniversary, the Nantucket Land Council is teaming up with the Nantucket DPW, Sustainable Nantucket and the Nantucket Land Bank to educate our 5th graders on the importance of recycling, reducing waste, and transitioning from single-use plastic items to reusable ones. The NLC is also pleased to fully fund the 2021 plastics research via the NLC Water Fund with a $10,800 grant. The 5th grade plastics and pollution education program was originally slated for March 2020 but has been postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The students will learn about where our household waste goes once we’re done with it, what kind of toll each item has on our waste management systems and the environment, and how they can get together to make a difference. The end of the plastics education program will be marked by a spring field trip to a Land Bank property to celebrate open space and receive reusable Kleen Kanteen water bottles (pictured at left) to help reduce their impact and stay hydrated.