Preserving the Island for Everyone

Preserving Nantucket’s character by permanently conserving, maintaining, and
managing natural areas and habitats.

What's Happening

Oyster Castles Fighting Climate Change on Nantucket Island

By Jen Karberg | November 16, 2021

By Dr. Jen Karberg, Research Program Supervisor This November, Nantucket Conservation Foundation, in collaboration with the Town of Nantucket Natural Resource Department, completed the final step in a 2 year...

Join Us for the Nantucket Biodiversity Research Conference!

By Karen C. Beattie | October 29, 2021

Looking for some interesting and informative events to participate in during early November on Nantucket?? The 9th biennial Nantucket Biodiversity Research Conference will take place from November 4-6, 2021, and...

Northern long-eared Bat with wing band on Nantucket. Photo credit: Danielle O'Dell

Autumn Lore and International Bat Week

By Danielle O'Dell | October 22, 2021

Autumn Lore by Kathleen Jenks Artwork by Teagan White As autumn returns to earth’s northern hemisphere, and day and night are briefly, but perfectly, balanced at the equinox, may we...

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A sunny November day calls for a stroll around Clarks Cove.

Bow Hunter season lasts until the 27th and Shotgun Hunting season starts 11/29 so please keep yourself and your pups in hunter orange for safety!

In the Field with Neil: Artificial Oyster Reef.

Its International Oyster Day! So Neil joins Dr. Jen Karberg at the installation of the first artificial oyster reef in Massachusetts that uses Oyster Castles. Hear the benefits that this reef will provide and see our many incredible installation volunteers in action!

Special shout out to @nrdack @townofnantucket for getting their baby oysters to set on some castles to jumpstart this project. As well as our amazing volunteers from @nsaack @loring_nature_fnd @nantucketlandcouncil @maria_mitchell_association @nantucketlandbank @massaudubonnantucket @champouxlandscape & @acklimate_info who helped us put the reefs together.

New Science Blog! Dr. Jen Karberg talks about our successful installation of the first artificial oyster reef in Massachusetts! This project has been really exciting to be a part of and brought together incredible volunteers from around the island. Read more through the link in our bio!

And stay tuned for an upcoming In the Field with Neil 😉

Life can take you on some fantastic journeys. We love hearing updates from the many American Oystercatcher chicks that we protect and band as they venture off into the world! Some of them come back to raise chicks of their own on Nantucket, but each bird hops around for a few years until they reach maturity.

This little one, Yellow CE2, was banded on the north shore of Coatue along with its sibling in June of 2019 and we got 2 sightings in 2021. One at Cape Hatteras National Seashore in May 2021, and another sighting on Halloween 2021 from @reymundochen down in Belize (a journey of about 3000 miles!)

Fun fact: CE2s sibling Yellow CEX also made a long journey down to Honduras in 2019, a few months after being able to fly! These Coatue Birds get around after they grow up big and strong on Nantucket beaches.

Special thanks to @libbyisawesome for keeping tabs on our chicks, @reymundochen for the Belize sighting and photo, and @acouplewithoutborders for passing along the good news!

Does the grass just look greener on the other side? Or is this our resilient mosaic-style management in action! This is a #nofilter shot of our Walk to Altar Rock Trail taken recently by @squamswamper.

The left side of the path shows an oak savannah parcel mowed late last winter. The right side shows the same type of habitat that was mowed in August of 2021 after ground-nesting birds had finished for the season. They are almost the same height now, but summer mowing allowed for a different rate and vibrancy of regrowth. The difference in this rebound from disturbance shows the importance of a diverse landscape maintained with diverse treatments regimes. Through careful planning of this maintenance and rotational disturbance we hope to sustain healthy and resilient habitats across our 9000 acres.

Our knowledgeable science team works closely with our hard-working land management crew and team of advisors to make this happen throughout the year!

Day 1 of the Oyster Castle installation is well underway! Thank you to all of the volunteers who came out this morning. @loring_nature_fnd @nrdack @nantucketlandbank @maria_mitchell_association @champouxlandscape @acklimate_info @nsaack

New Science Blog! Karen Beattie gets us excited to attend the 9th Biennial Research Conference for the Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative. Whether a true scientist or an interested novice, this weekends festivities will inform you about the cutting edge ecology research happening on and around Nantucket.

Read her blog through the link in our bio or register for the virtual/in-person event at Nantucketbiodiversity.org

Its #batweek Friday and were here to talk about research. Danielle ODells study on bat populations and movement across Nantucket entwines collaboratively with many other off-island projects and is part of the many projects funded through the Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative. Her look at the health of these populations and their survival alongside human development is amazing, but these projects work best when citizens take interest and learn to be supportive of healthy bat populations in their own lives.

Next week you will have the chance to do just that! Join us and our many partners for the Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative Research Conference. This is your chance to see the findings and basis of many ecological projects being conducted on and around Nantucket, Tuckernuck, & Muskeget. You can learn about the people conducting these exciting projects and learn how they got into a larger ecology context.

Registration is required through Nantucketbiodiversity.org and recordings by @nctv18 will make sure you can watch even if you cant join in person!

Join us today from 4-6pm out at the Milestone Cranberry Bog (220 Milestone Rd) for Harvest Hayrides! This free and family-friendly event will feature hayrides, shows by @nanpuppets , lawn games, kid activities and @thegreentacotruck cooking up some of their tasty treats. Come celebrate the Halloween weekend and harvest season with your family and ours!

Tweets by ackconservation

Preserving the Island for Everyone

What's Happening

Oyster Castles Fighting Climate Change on Nantucket Island

Join Us for the Nantucket Biodiversity Research Conference!

Autumn Lore and International Bat Week

What We Do:

Conservation & Stewardship

Scientific Research & Education

Property Experiences

Public Service to the Community

Explore our Properties

Stay Connected

Nantucket Conservation Foundation

Preserving the Island for Everyone

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