IT'S THE PEOPLE AND THE PLACE
My View
By Michelle Whelan
Recently, in a meeting I attended with a number of folks, the question was raised: "If you had to leave Nantucket tomorrow - for some reason, you were forced to leave and could never come back - what would you miss the most?"

That recent meeting was attended by a diverse group, representing a good cross-section of the population of the island all of whom had the same singular, emphatic and instantaneous response to the thought of

leaving this lovely place.

While very good answers came up in the conversation, the very first thing on the mind of everyone in that room was "the people."

And yet, "the people" we were each referring to are, to a large extent, different people! So, what is it about this island that creates this singularly positive experience of community?

Is it possible that all the items on the list of things we would miss, are all aspects of this island life that contribute to, and help to create the experience of community that is central to our lives here? And if that is the case, how can we preserve the elements that help to create that experience?

About nine years ago, some of the people who were thinking along these lines at the time, and who were worried about the effects of increased population and development pressures on the island, decided to get together and form a nonprofit to address that very question. The mission of this nonprofit, Sustainable Nantucket, is to "preserve the community character of Nantucket while sustaining its economic and environmental vitality."

Since then, Sustainable Nantucket has done much to raise awareness around the need to develop a comprehensive vision for the future of Nantucket, and has developed programs and initiatives (such as the Nantucket Housing Office and the Nantucket Shellfish Association) that focus on individual aspects of that vision.

The current goals of Sustainable Nantucket include the following:

To encourage a strong island economy based on locally-owned, independent businesses.

To support traditional as well as new industries through initiatives and programs and by advocating for thoughtful, environmentally sound policies.

To assist in the reduction of our carbon emissions, development of our significant renewable energy resources and increases in our energy efficiency to safeguard our sensitive environment.

To assist in the creation of a sustainable alternative transportation system and reduce the density of traffic and traffic-related pollution.

When discussing the issue of preserving community character, many people often feel discouraged, and say things like: "Communities change. What can we do about it?" The mission of Sustainable Nantucket is to both create programs that help to strengthen the fabric of the community so we can weather those changes and remain intact, and also to raise awareness around the things all of us, as individuals, can do to help.

I've now been on the job as the new Executive Director of Sustainable Nantucket for an exciting and fulfilling four months. Much of that time I've spent talking with people - asking them to share their thoughts with me on what they see as the essential priorities for Nantucket. Many people are concerned about our future and there are quite a few organizations and individuals who are actively working to reduce the stresses on our infrastructure and to safeguard our environment.

There is much we can do, as individuals, to support and enhance our quality of life as a community on this beautiful island, and even more that we can accomplish by working together.

To sign up for our mailing list or to volunteer for one of our programs, please email us at info@sustainable nantucket.org or visit us at www.sustainablenantucket.org.