Conservation = Do Your Part

Conservation Commendation Floral Wreath logo

NANTUCKET GARDEN CLUB/NANTUCKET LAND & WATER COUNCIL
CONSERVATION COMMENDATION

20024 COMMENDATIONS
Meg Gliddon
Jane Hammond
Melissa Puljic

2023 COMMENDATIONS
Christine Harding
Peter Kellner
Kevin Kuester
Nantucket Garden Club-Saltmarsh Center Garden

2022 COMMENDATIONS
Nantucket Conservation Foundation-Kelly Omand
Susan O’Brien
Valentina B. Gandini Booth
Barb Kaytes

If you care about Nantucket and its fragile ecosystem, read and click below to learn how you can do your part.

Nantucket is at an environmental inflection point.  Growth, development, and climate change are creating environmental challenges that are impacting the quality of life for everyone on this fragile island.  Together we can make a positive difference, one garden at a time.  What we plant in our gardens impacts wildlife, our water, and our ability to be more resilient to rising sea levels.

The Nantucket Garden Club and Nantucket Land & Water Council are partnering to recognize gardens throughout the community that reflect best practices to encourage biodiversity, reduce the impact on our waters, and withstand the ravages of increasingly severe weather conditions.

Click on a link below to see how you can receive a Conservation Commendation for your efforts by creating a pollinator habitat,  planting a climate-resilient garden,  or establishing an environmentally friendly lawn.

WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO RECEIVE YOUR COMMENDATION

  • Choose the category for which you wish to receive a Commendation
  • Complete the simple online application form detailing the garden and plant material being submitted for a Commendation no later than July 15 of the current year
  • The application will be reviewed by a joint Committee of the Nantucket Garden Club and Nantucket Land & Water Council
  • A site visit will be scheduled to view the site
  • Upon completion of a satisfactory review and the required criteria have been met, you will be given a Commendation plaque to display in the garden
  • Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis
  • If accepted, Commendations will be recognized during the Nantucket Garden Club’s Annual Meeting each August


COMMENDATION AREAS

Pollinator Garden
Birds, butterflies, and beneficial insects are attracted to specific varieties of plants.  Create a pollinator habitat that can be a single garden or split among multiple areas of your yard.  The garden must consist of plant material beneficial to pollinators, a majority of which are native to Nantucket.  Garden must remain free of pesticides and chemicals.

Turf – New or conversion from traditional lawn
Traditional lawns consume vast amounts of water resources and require ongoing fertilization that is detrimental to ponds, the harbors, and the island’s water supply.  There are more resilient varieties of turf grass that do not require irrigation or the use of fertilizers.  To qualify for this Commendation, a minimum of 200 square feet of lawn must be planted with low-maintenance species, a majority of which are native to Nantucket.

Resilient Landscapes and Rain Gardens
Climate -resilient landscapes and rain gardens are appropriate adjacent to a beach, dune, coastal bank, waterbody, or within an area prone to flooding.  Plant material should include low-maintenance species, a majority of which are native to Nantucket.  Plant material should be hardy, strong-rooted perennials or grasses able to tolerate both wet and dry conditions.


CONSERVATION COMMENDATION APPLICATION 

Conservation Commendation Application


RESOURCES:    (Click on links below)

Where to purchase plant materials and/or seeds: