Autumn Lore by Kathleen Jenks As autumn returns to earth’s northern hemisphere, and day and night are briefly, but perfectly, balanced at the equinox, may we remember anew how fragile life is — human life, surely, but also the lives of all other creatures, trees and plants, waters and winds. May we make wise choices…
Read More
Here’s your friendly annual reminder before the 4th of July this weekend. The weather doesn’t look superb, but our threatened shorebirds on Coatue are still in need of protection, space, and consideration. If you do make it over to Coatue this weekend, please follow the map above to locate good spots to land your boat.…
Read More
Nantucket is home to a remarkably high number of rare and endangered species. These plants and animals occur here for many of the same reasons that people find Nantucket so special–its undeveloped conservation lands and unique, windswept vegetation communities. Nantucket County has one of the highest concentrations of rare and endangered species in Massachusetts: of…
Read More
With Nantucket’s first real stretch of cold this winter and even some recent snow fall, it leads one to wonder about how wildlife survive constant exposure to wicked coastal New England weather. Even the most cynical wildlife biologist might find themselves “feeling badly” for the critters. How do they survive the bitter cold and windy…
Read More
By Dr Jen Karberg, Research Program Supervisor On an island like Nantucket it’s hard lately to not read something about climate change, sea level rise, coastal resilience, erosion, etc. These buzz words can be heard all around the island from the flash flooding on Easy St to storm erosion near Hummock Pond. From south shore…
Read More
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it will soon be shotgun deer hunting season here on Nantucket and elsewhere across Massachusetts. Although archery season has been underway since October 5th and runs through November 28th, the most concentrated hunting activity takes place during the two-week shotgun season window, which is scheduled this year between Monday…
Read More
Every year the shorebird breeding season has its challenges and 2020 was no different. Fortunately for us, the shorebirds were unaware of Covid-19 and still continued to nest at their respective beaches across the island. From the 2020 preliminary data for Nantucket which includes Tuckernuck and Muskeget Islands, there was a total of 57 breeding…
Read More
The hot and humid summer season is flying by. Sweltering days spent in social distance are blending together, leaving some of us to scramble for a moment of quiet and peace. We can all use an excuse for a walk on a breezy day, realign our nature connection, and take in the color and diversity…
Read More
Some of our Science & Stewardship staff have taken time out of their busy schedules to engage in ecology education at a social distance. These methods of outreach in the times of Covid are creative ways to show our local & Off-island fans what research and ecology work we’ve been up to in quarantine. Dr.…
Read More
By Neil Foley, Education Coordinator and Ecologist Sunrises on Nantucket are worth the effort every time, even for a night owl like myself. Before most of the island wakes for the day and the rotaries jam with the traffic, it’s a spectacular feeling to face the fog banks and listen to a chorus of songbirds…
Read More