Field Notes
by Peter B Brace
REWORKING THE ROTARY Spending $22,000 to study what's wrong with the traffic flow of the Milestone Rotary might seem like a waste of money to some island drivers. Many who drive through it every day could probably suggest more than a few alterations to alleviate congestion at the island's only true rotary.

The Nantucket Planning & Economic Development Commission views the money as a drop in the bucket compared to the dream of keeping traffic flowing during the busy summer months. Despite NP&EDC member Archie McColl's protests, the commission voted to 10-1 at its June 5 meeting to study what realignments might make the rotary work more efficiently.

SCRUB OAK FOR BREAKFAST Last June, the Nantucket Conservation Foundation reintroduced sheep to the island as an alternative to motorized brush cutting. The 31 Cotswold sheep, borrowed from the New England Heritage Breeds Conservancy, commenced dining when released into the pastures at the Foundation's Squam Farm property, but shepherdess Brooke Brewer and the Foundation quickly learned that off-island sheep don't necessarily like on-island vegetation.

As the project wore on, many of the sheep began to give birth to lambs, so Brewer spent more time than she planned on animal husbandry than on invasive species eradication research. Additionally, drought conditions prevailed during July and August severely stunting the regrowth of the pasture plants the sheep were supposed to be eating.

The good news is that the lambs began to eat whatever green food they found within reach of their mouths such as scrub oak shoots, grape vines, hazelnut, daisies and poison ivy.

This summer, the Foundation, Brewer and NCF intern, Duke University master degree candidate Kurt Schlimme, are using the lambs and 10 Romney sheep to see if sheep can be used in concert with mowing to keep scrub oak from growing beyond sprouts.

CLEANING UPMADAKET Although the state adopted revised Title V septic regulations last month that allow property owners to install composting toilets to reduce the amount of effluent going into their septic systems, Nantucket is only halfway toward having septic regulations for the entire island. At the Board of Health's meeting tonight, Health Inspector Richard Ray is going to present the septic regulations for the Madaket Harbor Watershed District to the board for their consideration. The Board of Health will hold a public hearing on the new septic regulations and Ray said it's likely that the board would approve the regulation at the meeting. If not, he expects the board's blessing shortly after the meeting.

Madaket's septic regulations mirror those of the Nantucket Harbor Watershed, requiring

inspections of septic systems and replacement of failing systems based on their proximity to the harbors. The meeting is at 7 p.m. on the second floor of the Town & County Building at 16 Broad St.

WEEDING FOR CONSERVATION Yanking, pulling, tugging, jerking and wrenching is how Rachael Freeman and Sarah Treanor of the Nantucket Conservation Foundation describe the stimulating activity of weeding out Purple loosestrife from the shores of Sesachacha Pond.

This gardening-in-the-wild experience is something all conservation-minded Nantucketers are encouraged to participate in on June 18 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sesachacha Pond. Bring digging implements as there is a limited supply of tools provided. Also, bring plenty of water, sunblock and lunch, if you don't care for peanut butter and jelly.

The following weekend features an invasive species identification workshop on June 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the UMass Field Station at 180 Polpis Road. Bill Brumback of the New England Wildflower Society will talk about the destructiveness of invasive plant species, how to identify them in your backyard and how to eradicate these plants.

Both events are sponsored by the Nantucket Invasive Plant Species Committee. Call Rachael Freeman at 228-2884 for details.

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