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

MassDEP Casts Doubt on 'Sconset Beach Geotube Expansion

September 10, 2026
On August 31st, the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a letter rebuking the efforts of Siasconset Beach Preservation Fund (SBPF) to expand the geotube project on Sconset Beach. Nantucket Land & Water Council (NLWC) along with over a dozen Nantucket residents, including members of the Nantucket Coastal Conservancy (collectively “Appellants”), appealed the Conservation Commission’s March 2025 approval of an Order of Conditions for the geotube expansion. Now seventeen months later, DEP’s letter dated August 31, 2026, casts grave doubt on whether the expansion project will be approved by the state agency. This setback follows the denial of a license for the project at Town Meeting last spring.

Letter from the Nantucket Waterkeeper

September 1, 2026
To the Editor,  This letter is about the water situation on the island. As the Nantucket Waterkeeper, I measure the water levels in our aquifer every month (a half-century tradition of the Nantucket Land & Water Council) at ten wells across the island from ’Sconset to Madaket. These wells are simply metal or pvc pipes installed just far enough below the surface to reach and measure the ups and downs of our aquifer. This data is used by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Mass Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). It's also available to the public on USGS’s website- The exact well used to determine if we’re in a drought or not is well #228 . You’ll notice that it continues to trend downward. With the exception of two very shallow wells in Madaket which have shown some recovery from recent rain, the other seven wells across the island continue to trend downward.

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.
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