NLWC News

NLWC’s Annual Meeting to feature Guest Speaker Edwina von Gal

April 25, 2025

We Invite You to Join Us!

Tuesday, August 5 at 5:00pm

Nantucket Hotel Ballroom

Reception to follow

Join Us August 5th for NLWC’s Annual Meeting Featuring Guest Speaker Edwina von Gal. We are proud to welcome Edwina von Gal, a nationally recognized leader in ecological design and toxin-free land care. Her presentation is part of our Grow Native for Nantucket initiative, supported in part by Remain, which encourages the use of native plants and sustainable landscaping practices to protect Nantucket’s unique ecosystems, safeguard our water resources, and support local biodiversity.

Edwina brings a wealth of knowledge, creativity, and passion to the conversation around sustainable land stewardship. Whether you’re a gardener, landowner, landscaper, or someone who appreciates the beauty of our island, this is a special opportunity to hear from one of the most respected voices in the field. Her work challenges us to rethink what beautiful landscapes can be—and how they can support the health of people, wildlife, and the planet. We are honored to welcome her to Nantucket. Don’t miss what promises to be an inspiring and informative evening. Click HERE  for more information about this event!

"A leading voice in sustainable gardening and landscape design, Edwina von Gal founded the Perfect Earth Project in 2013 to promote ecological, toxic-free land care for the health of people, their pets, and the planet. 

As principal of her eponymous landscape design firm, Edwina created landscapes with a focus on simplicity, sustainability, and beauty for private and public clients around the world. Her work has been published widely, including in The New York Times, Vogue, and Architectural Digest, and her award- winning book Fresh Cuts.

In 2024, she was named one of the top 50 Creatives in America by Wallpaper magazine. She has served on boards and committees for a number of horticultural organizations and currently serves on the board of What Is Missing, Maya Lin’s multifaceted media artwork about the loss of biodiversity, Longue Vue’s National Council, and is a member of the Native Plant Trust’s Council. Her awards include the Long House Visionary Award from Long House Reserve, the New York School of Interior Design’s Green Design Award, the Isamu Noguchi Award, and Guild Hall's Academy of the Arts Lifetime Achievement Award for the Visual Arts."

Photo credit: Inez and Vinoodh

Eelgrass-Friendly Moorings Installations Begin!

July 16, 2026
On Monday, June 29th, 2026 , the Nantucket Land & Water Council (NLWC) in collaboration with Nantucket Harbormaster Sheila Lucey , Anderson’s Stillwater Moorings , & Nantucket Mooring s, officially began installing eelgrass-friendly moorings along our testing site in Nantucket Harbor. Installation has moved forward thanks to a generous grant from the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation to support eelgrass-friendly moorings in Nantucket Harbor. Eelgrass is paramount to maintaining the health and fragile ecosystems within our harbor . Eelgrass meadows aid our water quality by filtering out runoff contaminants , removing excess nutrients , providing necessary habitats for wild bay scallops and juvenile fish species , and helping to combat environmental events like coastal erosion and storm surge . Traditional moorings utilize a mushroom anchor and a heavy chain that digs into the harbor floor. As wind, tides, and currents move boats and moorings, the chain drags on the harbor floor creating a circular scour – a place where eelgrass cannot grow. Eelgrass-friendly moorings are a type of mooring that protects eelgrass meadows while allowing us to continue using and enjoying our boats as we always have. The eelgrass-friendly moorings use a pyramid style Dormor anchor and an ecorode elastic rope replacing traditional chain and mushroom anchors. The elastic does not scour, allowing eelgrass to grow sustainably in our harbors.

NLWC Comments on Vineyard Wind Response Plan

June 26, 2026
As a part of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Town of Nantucket and Vineyard Wind 1 , public comments were due on the Debris Infrastructure Failure Incident Response Plan Summary on Monday June 15th. The Nantucket Land & Water Council (NLWC) submitted a comment letter outlining the inappropriateness of providing a four page summary instead of the plan itself for the community to see, as well as deficiencies in the language provided and suggestions for improving it . That comment letter can be found here: NLWC VW1 Incident Plan Summary Comment Letter

Help Protect Nantucket's Waters: Concerns with the Mass Ready Act

June 12, 2026
The Massachusetts Senate recently passed S.3064 , known as the Mass Ready Act, a sweeping environmental bond bill that would invest over 3 billion dollars in climate resilience, water infrastructure, flood protection, PFAS remediation, conservation, and municipal environmental projects. Many of these investments align closely with priorities long championed by the Nantucket Land & Water Council, including funding for clean water infrastructure, climate adaptation, and the protection of natural resources. However, several amendments added to the bill during the Senate process have raised serious concerns among environmental organizations, municipalities, conservation commissions, and clean water advocates across Massachusetts. These provisions would weaken local municipal authority to protect wetlands and water resources and would disadvantage communities like ours that have adopted stronger environmental safeguards than just those required by state law. 
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