The Martha’s Vineyard Atlas of Life exists in part to inspire deeper involvement with the natural world. Here are some suggested ways to build your skills, contribute to our catalogs of Vineyard biodiversity, and support our work.
The MVAL relies heavily on the community science platform iNaturalist for information on Vineyard wildlife. iNat observations from Martha’s Vineyard sweep automatically into the MVAL iNaturalist project. We review all observations, adding IDs or tagging experts where we can. iNaturalist is a powerful tool for identifying your sightings and maintaining your personal records of wildlife sightings. Learn, have fun, and contribute to the MVAL!
BiodiversityWorks, the parent organization of the Martha’s Vineyard Atlas of Life, is a wildlife-focused nonprofit dedicated to research, monitoring, and mentoring. Joining our mailing list is a great way to stay current on BiodiversityWorks projects and Atlas of Life events. We won’t sell your information or bombard you with emails – but we will send you a monthly eNewsletter plus occasional, timely notifications of important events.
The Martha’s Vineyard Atlas of Life offers periodic bioblitzes, in-person walks or trainings, and webinars. We also maintain a selective listing of events offered by BiodiversityWorks or other Vineyard organizations that we think will be of interest to MVAL participants. Check out our Events page for a current listing of events.
At the moth sheet.
BiodiversityWorks and the MVAL depend largely on private donations to continue our work. Please help! You can donate online or by mail, designating your gift either for support of BWorks generally or of the MVAL. Thank you for your support!
A cooperative effort of BiodiversityWorks, the Vineyard Vision Fellowship program, and Village and Wilderness, the highly popular Natural Neighbors program helps private landowners make their yards and gardens more wildlife-friendly. Over time, measures such as less frequent or less extensive mowing, adding native plants, creating a water feature, or adding wildlife shelter such as nesting boxes, bat house, or snake hibernacula can turn a sterile lawn into an oasis for wildlife. Natural Neighbors has already helped more than 180 Vineyard homeowners add habitat value to their properties. Study and enjoy nature around your own home!