To cultivate the resilience of our coastal pond ecosystems through science, collaboration, and education.
About Us
Established in 1998, Great Pond Foundation leads in estuary science and restoration, using data generated by our programs for informed pond management. Our team builds strong partnerships with neighbors; fostering learning and expertise; and sharing tools and techniques. The coastal ponds of Martha’s Vineyard are globally rare, ecologically fragile, treasures whose preservation and restoration are fundamental to the Island’s long-term sustainability. The Island depends on clean and healthy coastal waters to feed families and support the local economy. These living waters define both the spirit and the character of our community.
‼️THIS WEEK ON THE PONDS‼️
Another science packed week for the GPF team 💪We sampled 5️⃣ ponds….
➡️Edgartown Great Pond
➡️Chilmark Pond
➡️Crackatuxet
➡️Tisbury Great Pond
➡️Watcha Pond
⭐️We also did some much needed logger maintenance 🧼on the Chilmark Pond bottom feeders and elevation 📈logger.
✴️Next week we will be diving into nutrient sampling, let’s hope for a day of good weather 🤞
#waterquality #sampling #sunny #pond #water #kayak #sky #data #filtering #processing #nitrogen #phosphorus #boat #September #fall #fieldseason #loggers #elevation #conductivity #DO #nutrients #weather #busy #coastalponds#greatponds #greatpondfoundation #science #team #work
Summer ☀️flew by! Here is a breakdown of our 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣5️⃣ summer field season, including stats from MAY (5/14) to SEPTEMBER (9/22).
⭐️Don’t worry 😉 our science team is still out sampling on the ponds 💧 weekly! The field season will end in late October.
#summer #fieldseason #stats #ponds #waterquality #samples #recap #2025 #fall #october #busy #nutrients #marthasvineyard #map #greatpondfoundation
Fall Newsletter 🍂🍁🌰: EGP Summer Summary🌊, Plant Sampling 🌱 and 2024 Pond Reports✍️Summer field season recap, learn more about plant sampling and dive into our 2024 reports! Link in bio☝️
#fall #ponds #plants #reports #nitrogen #data #stats #newsletter #fieldseason #recap #marthasvineyard #greatpondfoundation
Last week our team installed a digital rain 🌧️ gauge near Jobs Neck Cove on Edgartown Great Pond. This is our second rain gauge on the Island. Our first, joined with @chilmarkpondfoundation was installed in 2023 along the eastern shoreline of Chilmark Pond.
➡️These digital rain ☔️ gauges record rain accumulation per hour⏳in 1/100th inch intervals. This provides us with precipitation accumulation, rate of accumulation, and a timeline of precipitation events.
👉This data will help us better understand the impact of rain 💧and groundwater influx patterns in the Edgartown Great Pond ecosystem.
⭐️Thank you to the landowner who allowed us to install this device on their property!
#data #logger #raingauge #device #rain #accumulation #edgatowngreatpond #groundwater #feild #sunny #install #outside #fall #september #thankyou
💟GPF’s Director of Operations and Communications, Maria Ventura is co-founder of Darkness into Vineyard Light🕯️. This year they are hosting their 8th annual Darkness into Vineyard Light Suicide Prevention and Awareness Walk at the “Bend in the Road”, State Beach, in Edgartown…
➡️TOMORROW SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 20th 5:00 - 7:00 AM⬅️
💟The walk will begin before sunrise 🌅 and continue until daybreak. The walk honors the nearly 50,000 people who die by suicide every year. It is a silent yet resonant tribute, turning grief into movement and sorrow into purpose.
💟The symbolism of darkness into light is a powerful metaphor for the journey through depression, representing the transition from despair and isolation to hope and healing. Any funds raised through this event will go directly to our community her on Martha’s Vineyard.
💟Every dollar raised helps break the silence, reduce stigma, and create real change in the lives of those affected by suicide.
Visit link in bio to register or donate 👆💜
🚨Nutrient week!
It was a busy week for our science 🧪 team with our second to last nutrient day of the season 👏.
During the field season (June-October) we collect nutrient samples once a month 🗓️and send them to @mblwoodshole for filtering and processing to find out the ➡️nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the ponds.
⭐️Nitrogen and phosphorus are essential to the pond ecosystem, but with too much of these nutrients, algal 🦠blooms can form.
✴️Stay tuned, nutrient data results will be coming later in the offseason.
This round of nutrient sampling included 1️⃣ Edgartown Great Pond, 2️⃣Chilmark Pond, 3️⃣Tisbury Great Pond, and 4️⃣Watcha Pond!
#nutrients #waterquality #sampling #sunny #pond #water #kayak #sky #data #filtering #processing #nitrogen #phosphorus #boat #September #fall #fieldseason
We had a blast hosting young scientists 👩🔬 from the @vineyard.montessori . The day kicked off with a morning seine net 🐠🦀🐡, where the students explored the life within Sengekontacket Pond and collected biodiversity data 📊. Back at the lab 🧪 curiosity continued as the students learned about some of our science 🔬 equipment and graphed ✏️their data.
⭐️Big thank you to the Vineyard Montessori School for bringing eager young minds to explore our pond ecosystems. It was inspiring to see their curiosity and enthusiasm for science in action!
#greatpondfoundation #grateful #marthasvineyard #oakbluffs #net #fish #crabs #biodiversity #seinenet #beach #beachseine #community #fall #September #class #students #school #science
