Published by the Land Protection Fund for Martha’s Vineyard,
a component of the Martha’s Vineyard Community Foundation

In Praise of Protected Lands and Special places on Martha's Vineyard

100% of the profits from book sales benefit the Land Protection Fund

“In Praise of Protected Lands and Special Places on Martha’s Vineyard” celebrates Tess Bramhall’s love of many of her favorite places on the Vineyard and tells the story of how they were created and preserved for public enjoyment and the conservation of natural resources. Profusely illustrated with paintings by her husband Kib and their friends Stan Murphy, Allen Whiting, Rez Williams, and Andrew Moore, plus a Ruth Kirchmeier woodcut and photographs by David Foster, Everett Bramhall, Kathy Newman and Nicole Friedler.

Purchase on-Island at 
Bunch of Grapes
MV Museum
The Granary Gallery

 

Tess Bramhall, who has had a lifelong interest in land conservation, has lived on the Vineyard with her husband, Kib, for 64 years, the last four decades of which has been as year-round residents.

Her love of the Vineyard’s natural beauty and her commitment to helping protect it was a key factor in her becoming a board member and then president of Vineyard Conservation Society, a volunteer for The Nature Conservancy’s Vineyard Office and then a TNC Mass. Chapter Trustee, a founding member of the MV Conservation Partnership in 1997 and a very long time supporter of both the Sheriff’s Meadow Foundation and The Trustees of Reservations.

Tess Bramhall's remarkable book reminds us that the bounty of open space on Martha's Vineyard was not an inevitable outcome of history but was instead the product of courageous advocacy and remarkable generosity by generations of Island lovers. It is a perfect companion for anyone who wants to explore the most special corners of the Island, and a timely and gentle reminder to those who "love" the Vineyard today that there is still work to be done.

Paul SchneiderAuthor of numerous books, including "The Enduring Shore," "A History of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket."