Great Ponds Film Series
Having provided sustenance for countless generations of Islanders (most prior to the arrival of Europeans), the Great Ponds of Martha’s Vineyard are an ecological, cultural, and historic treasure. Today, sadly, our most valuable coastal waters are paying the price for humanity’s success: the combination of nitrogen pollution, overdevelopment, and climate change threaten their future.
That’s why VCS is so proud to partner with Circuit Arts to co-produce a three-part film series exploring the causes of—and solutions to—the problems facing our coastal ponds. Beautifully shot, directed, and narrated by filmmaker Ollie Becker, the Great Ponds series has already seen the release of two truly inspirational episodes, with the final installment currently in the works. Read on for details on the films, and for our collection of supplementary online resources.
Episode 1: On Our Watch
Released in 2022, the first episode of the Great Ponds series introduces us, through compelling interviews and science, to the ponds’ history, the threats they face, and what we all can do to save this vital resource. On Our Watch premiered at the VCS Annual Meeting and was followed by nearly a dozen screening events – and now you can watch it online!
Episode 2: Finding a Better Balance
While the challenges remain as great as ever – local nitrogen pollution and global climate change – the focus in the second episode shifts toward signs of progress. In Finding a Better Balance, we see the results of cooperative efforts by the Island community to address impacts of development and landscaping choices, and begin the long process to bring back herring, shellfish, and eelgrass populations. While offering hope, the film urges the public to consider its nitrogen and carbon footprints in relation to the ponds’ survival. Check our events page for upcoming screenings, and this page in coming months for the online premiere!
Resources
Nitrogen
- Bluedot: what’s so bad about Nitrogen?
- Great Pond Foundation: Nitrogen Sources Study (Marine Biological Lab, Woods Hole)
- MV Commission: Ponds of the Vineyard (various resources)
Development and Nitrogen
- BlueDot: How does development impact our ponds?
- VCS: Vineyard Lawns
Algae Blooms/Cyanobacteria
- NIH: What is an algae bloom?
- UC Berkeley: What is cyanobacteria?
Wampanoag Resources
- Environmental Lab (including water testing and water quality monitoring)
- Herring Camera, Wampanoag Tribal lands
- Natural resources department
Interviewed Organizations & People
Island Organizations
- Sassafras Earth Education (David Vanderhoop, Co-Founder)
- Great Pond Foundation (Emily Reddington, Executive Director; David Bouck, Director of Science and Collaboration; Julie Pringle, former Scientific Program Director)
- MV Shellfish Group (Emma Green-Beach, Executive Director)
- MV Commission (Sheri Caseau, Water Resource Planner)
- Vineyard Conservation Society (Brendan O’Neill, former Executive Director; Samantha Look, Executive Director)
- Biodiversity Works (Luanne Johnson, Executive Director)
- Wampanoag Tribe (Brett Stearns, Indirect Services Administrator)
Other Organizations
- KleanTu Wastewater Treatment Technologies (John Smith, President)
- Harvard Forest (David Foster, Ecologist and Former Director)
- Massachusetts Alternative Septic Test Center, Sandwich MA (Brian Horsley, Project Assistant)
- Environmental Protection Agency (Phil Colarusso, Marine Biologist; Eric Nelson, Unit Diving Officer)
- The Nature Conservancy, Mass. Chapter (Tom Chase, Director of Conservation Strategies)
Individuals
- Jessica Thomas, PhD Candidate, UMass Dartmouth
- Brian (Chip) Vanderhoop, Shellfish Warden, Town of Aquinnah
- Johnny Hoy, Herring Warden, Town of West Tisbury
- Isaiah Schffer, Shellfish Constable, Town of Chilmark
- Kent Healy, Civil Engineer, WT Selectperson
- Tara Gayle, Gayle Gardens, Owner