Regional News

The Youth Environmental Stewardship program is a paid summer internship that enables island youth to gain hands-on conservation and management experience at our sanctuaries. We have the chance to fund three students—but we need your help to make it happen! 

Oxford describes freedom as the power to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint.  At Felix Neck freedom now means that there are more ways for all people to experience nature.

Sentient by Jackie Higgins is a fascinating exploration of all of our senses, even if we disagree about how many we have, and how sensory information is processed by our brain. For each sense, Higgins compares an animal species that has evolved that same sense to a degree far beyond our human abilities. 

For the past five years, Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary’s Education Manager, Josey Kirkland, has worked with Island youth from the Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School and Martha’s Vineyard Public Charter School on climate action and justice.

This summer we were able to bring our community together to celebrate the natural world and raise funds to support all of Felix Neck’s initiatives.

How did Felix Neck get ten percent of the Island’s students together with nonprofit partners, local and regional government, business owners, and scientists? Feed them good food and engage them in great conversations.

We recently spoke to Lorraine Hughes about her experience volunteering at Felix Neck.

Towering over other vegetation at 20 feet tall and dominating the entire shoreline of Hummock Pond, Phragmites Australis, or the common reed is one of the most aggressive and ecologically damaging invasive species found on Nantucket.

Winter offers opportunities to slow down, reflect, observe and notice. Whether you find yourself reflecting on yourself or the world around you, spending time in nature encourages discovery. The Shop at Felix Neck has a variety of resources to further your understanding of the natural world.

After receiving a 2021 Martha's Vineyard Vision Fellowship, Jacob Gurney decided to spend his summer working at Felix Neck. "It's a place that I have loved since I was a kid and camper, and it represents what I care deeply about on this island."

For four months of the year, one of our volunteers birds at the sanctuary daily in a practice called patch birding. This idea resonates with me—going deeply into a place, knowing it, appreciating it, and caring for it.

Felix Neck marked its 50th anniversary in 2019, but the celebrations were postponed by COVID-19. This summer we were able to safely launch our "50 Years (Take Two)" celebration, featuring three special community events.

Amelia Leonard spent this summer as a Coastal Waterbird Intern at Felix Neck, helping to collect data on endangered shorebirds. We recently spoke to her about the experience and what she learned.

Felix Neck is excited to launch our new Explorer Packs—all-in-one kits that contain everything you need for a fun outdoor adventure filled with learning! Now available on a sliding scale from $10-$30 at The Shop at Felix Neck.

Towering over other vegetation at 20 feet tall and dominating the entire shoreline of Hummock Pond, Phragmites Australis, or the common reed is one of the most aggressive and ecologically damaging invasive species found on Nantucket.

"My protection of the environment left the theoretical," says Sarah Swenson, talking about her YES internship this summer. "I realized that an essential part of my relationship with nature is a hands-on connection to the natural world."