COMMUNITY RESOURCES
Libraries
Little Free Libraries
Little Free Library is a non-profit organization that empowers communities to spread a love of reading through neighborhood book exchanges. At mail-box sized kiosks maintained by the community, passersby are encouraged to take a book, or leave a book. There are eight Little Free Libraries on Martha’s Vineyard, including one on Chappaquiddick. Find a Little Free Library near you.
Aquinnah Public Library
1 Church Street, Aquinnah; website; 508-645-2314
Tuesday, Thursday 12 pm – 6 pm; Saturday 11 am – 4 pm
Chilmark Public Library
522 South Road, Chilmark; website; 508-645-3360
Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday 10:30 am – 5 pm; Wednesday 10:30 am – 6 pm; Friday 10:30 am – 1:30 pm
Library of Things
Patrons of the Chilmark Public Library can check out a wide variety of items from their Library of Things. These items include power tools, kitchen equipment, memory care kits, starfinder kits, gardening kits, birdwatching kits, board games, lawn games, musical instruments, knitting kits, and audio/video kits. See the full list of items.
Edgartown Public Library
26 West Tisbury Road, Edgartown; website; 508-627-4221
Monday, Thursday – Saturday 10 am – 5 pm; Tuesday, Wednesday 10 am – 6 pm
Library of Things
Patrons of the Edgartown Public Library can check out a wide variety of items from their Library of Things. These items include Chromebooks, wi-fi hotspots, Nintendo Switch, a slow cooker, guitars and ukuleles, and Pilestone colorblind glasses. View the full list of items.
Info Sessions with Vineyard Power
Vineyard Power tables at the library to discuss options for home energy with patrons. They can help individuals get a no-cost home energy assessment, rebates for energy-efficient home heating appliances, assistance in adopting renewable energy resources, and other incentives available as our Island transitions away from fossil fuels. Patrons can bring their latest electric bill or account number to sign up for an assessment.
Other Events
The Edgartown Public Library regularly hosts talks on the natural history of the Cape and Islands as well as educational sessions where patrons can learn about local environmental initiatives and practical sustainability skills. View the full event calendar.
Oak Bluffs Public Library
56R School St, Oak Bluffs; website; 508-693-9433
Off Season: Tuesday, Thursday 10 am – 6 pm; Wednesday 8 am – 5 pm; Friday 10 am – 5 pm; Saturday 10 am – 4 pm
Summer (June – August): Tuesday 10 am – 6 pm; Wednesday 8 am – 5 pm; Thursday 10 am – 8 pm; Friday 10 am – 5 pm; Saturday 10 am – 4 pm
Library of Things
Patrons of the Oak Bluffs Public Library can check out a wide variety of items from their Library of Things. These items include board games, a puzzle saver table, birding backpacks, wi-fi hotspots, fishing and clamming equipment, lawn games, beach supplies, radon detector, sensory equipment for children, musical instruments, workout equipment, sewing machines, DVD players, metal detectors, induction cooktops and food dehydrators, home repair and bike repair kits, and knitting and crochet kits. In 2025, they plan to add gardening tools and a soil test kit. See the full list of items.
Community Seed Library
With donations from local gardeners and businesses, the Oak Bluffs Public Library recently implemented a seed lending library. Patrons can “borrow” seeds from the library and they can save seeds as they harvest their bounty to “return” their loan to the library.
Maritime Month
Each September, the Oak Bluffs Public Library celebrates Maritime Month to honor local mariner Gordon Goodwin whose family donated a memorial fund to the Library Friends of Oak Bluffs with the request to add maritime collections and programming in the library. Events during Maritime Month have included learning to shuck oysters and recycle their shells with MV Shellfish Group, beach clean ups, and learning about how shellfish conservation has evolved on the Island over the last 50 years.
Other Events
The Oak Bluffs Climate & Energy Advisory Committee regularly hosts Community Climate Discussions on a variety of different topics relating to sustainability. The library also hosts a foraging workshop every summer with Alexis Nikole Nelson, known online as The Black Forager. Find the library’s calendar of events.
Vineyard Haven Public Library
200 Main Street, Vineyard Haven; website; 508-696-4211
Monday, Saturday 10 am – 5 pm; Tuesday – Thursday 10 am – 6 pm; Friday 1 pm – 5 pm
West Tisbury Public Library
1042 State Road, West Tisbury; website; 508-693-3366
Monday – Wednesday 10 am – 6 pm; Thursday 9 am – 6 pm; Friday 10 am – 5 pm; Saturday 9 am – 5 pm; Sunday 12 pm – 4 pm
Community Freedge
The West Tisbury Public Library’s “Freedge” (free fridge) is located in the main lobby and is open to all. Everyone is welcome to drop off fresh, uncut produce or unexpired canned goods, and everyone is welcome to take what they’d like whenever the library is open. Generous contributions from IGI, Slough Farms, the Martha’s Vineyard Fishermen’s Preservation Trust, and the Good Shepherd Parish also help to keep the fridge, freezer, and pantry stocked.
Library of Things
Patrons of the West Tisbury Public Library can check out a wide variety of items from their Library of Things. These items include lawn games, board games, instruments, a bicycle tool kit, and light therapy lamps, DVD/Blu-Ray/streaming video players, Kindle, Nintendo Switch, portable boom boxes and CD players, Chromebooks and laptops with Microsoft Office, wi-fi hotspots, tire inflators and car battery chargers, paper shredders and scanners, adventure backpacks, social media influencer kits, home energy detective kits, homework kits, mindfulness kits, microscopes, cassette and record player convertors, and art kits. See the full list of items.
Community Seed Library
A collaborative project of the West Tisbury Library, Island Grown Schools, Polly Hill Arboretum, Whippoorwill Farm, and local home gardeners, the Seed Library brings the knowledge of how to save seeds back to our Island community while creating a central space where seeds can be freely shared. For more info on events, follow their Facebook page.
Climate Book Club
The West Tisbury Library provides copies of books and access to audiobooks for the Climate Book Club. Members gather monthly at the library to discuss both fiction and non-fiction titles that explore the many dimensions of the climate crisis. For more information, contact Nicola Blake.
Other Events
From garden planning, to biochar workshops, to seedling swaps, the West Tisbury Public Library has an events calendar packed with eco-programming and more.
HUNTING, FISHING, AND FORAGING
Hunting & Fishing Permits
All permits can be obtained online (Dukes County is Zone 13). These permits include freshwater fishing, saltwater fishing and lobster, hunting and trapping, and sporting. You can also apply for an antlerless deer permit. Click here for information on seasons and limits.
Hunting Properties & Guidelines
Many Land Bank properties allow hunting with a permit. Find the permit application as well as the hunting policies for land bank properties.
Archery hunting of deer is allowed on these Sheriff’s Meadow properties with a permit: Brookside Ridge Preserve, Phillips Preserve, Cedar Tree Neck Sanctuary, Middle Road Sanctuary, and Quansoo Farm. For a permit application, send an email.
Hunting is allowed in designated areas of the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest. Learn more about the regulations for hunting in state parks.
See additional Massachusetts Wildlife Management Areas open to hunting.
Hunters Share the Harvest
MassWildlife’s Hunters Share the Harvest program makes it possible for hunters to donate their venison to Massachusetts residents in need. The program also supports conservation efforts by utilizing hunting as a tool for deer population management. According to MassWildlife, free range, organic venison is a healthy source of lean protein with a low carbon footprint that provides more than 4.4 million meals of venison to hunters and families across Massachusetts each year. Learn more about the Hunters Share the Harvest program.
MV Hunt Club
The MV Hunt Club works with local landowners to increase the amount of land available to archery deer hunters. Ultimately, their goal in establishing greater land access for hunters is to better manage the Island’s deer (and tick!) population. They work in collaboration with IGI, the Nature Conservancy, the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head, the MV Tick Program, among others. The MV Hunt Club also provides educational opportunities for hunters, both in person and online. Learn more about the MV Hunt Club.
Shellfishing Permits
Recreational shellfishing permits are available for each town on the Island. As pricing, seasons, limits, and area designations vary considerably and are updated regularly, we recommend consulting the town websites for the most up-to-date information. Click here for additional resources.
Foraging Resources
There are many wild-growing native plants to forage on Martha’s Vineyard. Connect with fellow foragers online.
Rebecca Gilbert of Native Earth Teaching Farm in Chilmark is an expert on Vineyard foraging. Learn more about her book dedicated to local edible plants, and find info on her foraging walks and classes. See more about her book on page 16.
VOLUNTEERING
Polly Hill Arboretum Grounds Volunteers
Starting in June, volunteers are welcome to work with staff at the 70-acre West Tisbury public garden on activities like planting, pruning, weeding, and mulching. To learn more about volunteering opportunities, send an email.
Glean with Island Grown Initiative
Island Grown Initiative works to build a regenerative and equitable food system on Martha’s Vineyard. Volunteers can help IGI harvest fresh local produce for Islanders in need. No experience needed. Gleaning takes about two hours and volunteers may keep a share of the harvest for themselves. Click here to sign up.
Community Greenhouse of Martha’s Vineyard
People come to the Community Greenhouse of MV in Oak Bluffs to gather and grow food and plants and learn together. There are a range of year-round volunteer opportunities for all mobilities and levels of expertise. Volunteers can work inside and outside to help with weeding, pruning, seeding, planting, and beautifying plants; members can also pick fresh produce. Click here for updated information.
NATIVE PLANTS AND ECO-CONSCIOUS LANDSCAPING
A variety of native plants are available at nurseries around the Island. Polly Hill Arboretum sells plants from Island sources Memorial Day through Columbus Day. You can also consult their plant selection guide.
See The Vineyard Way and Field Notes about Planting Local on pages 49 and 50.
Deep Roots MV provides affordable general landscaping services that focus on sustainable practices. They also offer educational seminars and hands-on training to professionals and homeowners alike with the goal of supporting the conservation of the Island’s biodiverse habitats. Visit deeprootsmv.org to learn more. See story on page 46.
GREEN BURIALS
According to the Green Burial Council, “Green burial is a way of caring for the dead with minimal environmental impact that furthers legitimate ecological aims such as the conservation of natural resources, reduction of carbon emissions, protection of worker health, and the restoration and/or preservation of habitat.”
Typically, this entails using a casket made of biodegradable materials (soft wood, cardboard, wicker) or a shroud of natural fabric. Additionally, a green grave is free of embalming chemicals, hardwoods, metals, plastics, or nonbiodegradable items.
Green burials are permitted in Oak Bluffs, Chilmark, and West Tisbury. See more green burial resources.
Sea Burial
Federal law allows for both sea burial and the spreading of ashes at sea.
When scattering cremated remains, they must be released at least 3 nautical miles from land, and the EPA must be notified within 30 days of the event. If a container is used, it must be made of natural materials that will easily decompose in the ocean.
For a sea burial, in addition to being at least 3 nautical miles from land, the water depth must be a minimum of 100 fathoms (600 feet) deep. If a casket or shroud is used, no plastic is permitted. Careful steps should be taken to ensure the body sinks quickly and naturally to the ocean floor.
Flowers and wreaths may also be included in the sea burial, provided all materials are biodegradable and will decompose naturally in the ocean.
SECOND-HAND SHOPPING
Act Two Second Hand Store
66 Main Street, Vineyard Haven; website; 508-338-2124
Chicken Alley Thrift Shop
38 Lagoon Pond Road, Vineyard Haven; website
Island Vintage & Designer Apparel
43B Main Street, Vineyard Haven; website; 401-829-7148
Second Treasures MV
8 Uncas Avenue, Oak Bluffs; website; 850-293-4345
The ‘Dumptique'
West Tisbury Transfer Station
Accepts donations of clean clothing, shoes and boots, books, and small household items (no furniture or appliances).
Pyewacket’s
135 Beach Road, Vineyard Haven; 508-696-7766
A large selection of vintage goods. Specializing in all things antique, unique, esoteric, and familiar.
MV Free Items and MV Stuff for Sale
These Facebook groups are great to connect with folks in the community to find new homes for all kinds of items. Visit MV Free Items and MV Stuff for Sale.
MV Clothes to Go
United Methodist Church of Martha’s Vineyard; 89 William Street, Vineyard Haven; 508-693-4424; Instagram: @mvclothestogo
RECYCLING
All six towns have the same rules for what can and can’t be recycled.
What You Can Recycle
Empty, clean, washed; no caps or lids
Metal cans
Plastic containers (bottles, jars, jugs, and tubs; no flower pots)
Glass containers (bottles and jars; no ceramics or window panes)
Paper and paperboard, corrugated cardboard (empty and flattened, no packing tape; tied or in paper bag)
Includes office paper, junk mail, newspapers, magazines, paperboard boxes; no shredded paper, pizza boxes, waxed boxes, or books with bindings
What You Can’t Recycle
Recyclables in a garbage bag
Garbage
Plastic bags or plastic wrap
Window pane glass
Ceramics
Food or liquid
Styrofoam items or packaging materials
Clothing or linens
Tanglers (hoses, wires, chains, electronics)
TRANSFER STATIONS
Aquinnah, Chilmark, Edgartown, West Tisbury
Dual sorting system:
Cardboard and paper go together
Plastic containers, tin cans, aluminum cans/glass go together
Oak Bluffs and Tisbury
Dual sorting system:
Cardboard, newspaper and paper go together
Everything else single stream
Oak Bluffs Bruno’s Drop-off
Dual sorting system:
Separate cardboard
Everything else single stream
Note: Harvey (formerly Bruno’s) and ABC’s Pick-up Recycling Rules
Single bin, don’t need to separate materials
HAZARDOUS WASTE
The Martha’s Vineyard Refuse District facilities collect products containing mercury free of charge during regular business hours. This includes watch batteries, hearing aid batteries, thermometers, barometers, fluorescent bulbs, and neon bulbs.
Three times a year, other hazardous waste is collected. This includes motor oil, oil based paints (no latex paint), stains, and paint thinners. Those dates for 2025 are May 17, July 19, and October 18 from 9 am – 12 pm.
COMPOSTING
Composting on MV is in a state of flux right now, with some businesses and schools doing their own (see story page 10), while towns sort out their next steps.
FOOD DONATIONS
Combat food insecurity and food waste by ensuring that any unwanted non-perishable food is donated rather than tossed. Visit their sites or call for details and hours.
Island Food Pantry
114 Dukes County Ave, Oak Bluffs; website; 508-296-8384; email
Monday 2 pm – 4 pm; Wednesday 1 pm – 6 pm; Saturday 10 am – 12:45 pm
Senior Hours: Friday 12 pm – 2 pm
Good Shepherd Parish Food Pantry
55 School Street, Oak Bluffs; website; email
Edgartown Council on Aging Food Pantry
10 Daggett Avenue, Edgartown
REPRESENTATIVES
Got something to say about pending legislation? Call your elected officials.
State Governor: Maura Healey
617-725-4005; Instagram/X: @MassGovernor
State Senator: Julian Andre Cyr
617-722-1570; email; Instagram/X: @JulianCyr
State Representative: Dylan A. Fernandes
617-722-2230; email; Instagram: @dylan1fernandes, X: @RepDylan
Federal Senator: Ed Markey
Boston Office: 617-565-8519, Springfield Office: 413-785-4601, DC Office: 202-224-2742; Instagram: @EdMarkey, X: @SenMarkey
Federal Senator: Elizabeth Warren
Boston Office: 617-565-3170, Springfield Office: 413-788-2690, DC Office: 202-224-4543; Instagram: @ElizabethWarren, X: @SenWarren
Federal Representative: William R. Keating
Cape & Islands Office: 508-771-6868, DC Office: 202-225-3111; Instagram: @RepKeating, X: @USRepKeating
