Nature and Outdoors

Where to go birdwatching on Martha's Vineyard: the top eBird hotspots (Aquinnah Cliffs, Felix Neck, Wasque, Long Point), the seasons from ospreys to sea ducks, the free Martha's Vineyard Bird Club walks with 2026 dates, the Christmas Bird Count and where this week's sightings get posted.

Shellfishing on Martha's Vineyard town by town: what each of the six towns charges a visitor for a permit and what it covers, where to buy it, weekly limits and sizes, the 2026 to 2027 bay scallop dates published so far, how to check storm and rain closures, and keeping the catch safe to eat.

Martha's Vineyard's ponds explained: the great ponds sealed behind the south-shore beach and cut open to the sea by an excavator, the salt ponds with tides and scallops, the freshwater kettle ponds, why cyanobacteria blooms turn some of them green in August and what MV Cyano's colors mean, the nitrogen under the houses, and where a visitor can swim, paddle and watch the cut.

Where Martha's Vineyard's oysters, bay scallops and quahogs come from: the public solar hatchery on Lagoon Pond that turned fifty in 2026, the dozen oyster farms in Katama Bay, Menemsha Pond and Vineyard Sound, the wild beds in the great ponds, the autumn scallop season and its limits, visitor shellfish permits by town, why rain closes a pond, and where to eat them.

Mytoi, the Japanese garden on Chappaquiddick: how to get there on the Chappy ferry, the 15-car lot, hours and admission by season, the pond and bridge, birch walk and camellia dell, the story of Hugh Jones, Mary Wakeman and the rebuild after Hurricane Bob, rules, accessibility and when to go.

Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary in Edgartown: the four easy trails and what each passes, the ospreys, the butterfly garden, hours and admission, Mass Audubon's kayak tours and prices, accessibility, the Wampanoag and Smith-farm history, and when to go.

Guide to identifying and avoiding poison ivy on Martha's Vineyard. Recognition tips, treatment options, and safety measures for island trail visitors.

Updated for 2026: Martha's Vineyard tick safety. Four species now including the Asian longhorned tick, 2025 alpha-gal figures, the island's new tick clinics, prevention, removal.

Aquinnah Cliffs: 100-million-year-old clay formations, Gay Head Lighthouse, Moshup Beach, and Wampanoag heritage on MV.

Cedar Tree Neck Sanctuary: about 400 acres of bluffs, forest trails, and rocky shoreline in West Tisbury. Free admission, open year-round.

Long Point Wildlife Refuge: 632 acres of rare grassland, Atlantic beach, trails, kayaking, and seasonal access in West Tisbury.