Author: Taryn McBryde

Exploring Nantucket, Insider Tips

Always Be Prepared

Be prepared! Ah, yes, the old Boy Scout motto. No better time to be prepared than when you’re out on some remote beach, far from what passes for civilization on this little island of ours. It’s important to remember the 6 P’s: Proper Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance! Here’s a couple entries from my fishing log that illustrates the importance of preparedness.

Poison Ivy
Exploring Nantucket, Island Science

Leaves of Three, Let it Be

by Dr. Sarah Treanor Bois, PhDDirector of Research & Education at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation There is a children’s book of poetry called Love Poems for the Unloved by Diane Lang which highlights species in nature that are often given a bad rap. Some of the poems focus on […]

Striking Distance: writers strikers
Nantucket Essays

Striking Distance

We have had a wonderful July. On a day that a billionaire would have designed for his pleasure, I walked up Pleasant Street and headed to town. This summer, these hydrangea have bloomed, as have the hedges. Somebody loved them. Somebody pruned them by hand, fertilized the dirt with the right acidic mix to get bridal white blooms, and gave them lots of water.

Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket
Exploring Nantucket, Insider Tips, Island Science

What If You See a Seal?

Have you noticed seals lying around on the beach? Do you know what to do if you see one? Are they ok? Should I pour water on him? Shoo him back into the ocean? Get up close and see if he’s breathing? Take a selfie with him because I can? None of the above! The answer is stay back 150 feet and call the Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket Hotline (833-667-6626). Their trained volunteers will advise you, ask for observations and then send a teammate out to check.

Featured Articles

Their Happy Place

Beach fishing doesn’t have to be a solitary experience. Sure, you’re not going to hang out with a lot of people if you’re out fishing a slack tide at zero dark thirty, but there’s lots of time to meet new people when you’re out in the daylight. And that’s how I met Brian and Tracy Majczak. We were introduced while fishing with friends at Great Point on a Sunday afternoon. They are the kind of people you instantly like. Tracy, a first grade teacher, is a warm, happy person who just brightens the world. Brian is a solid, steady guy who lives to fish. Yeah, these are my kinds of people! And it got even better when Brian and I discovered that we share September birth dates (I arrived 11 years ahead of Brian). How could I not want to hang out with these two?

Braving the Dangers of Fiction
Nantucket Essays

Braving the Dangers of Fiction

I found myself, this spring, defending my summer reading list. Now, as an old white man, I am used to a certain sort of academic battle, and I have generally chosen the prudent retreat over the final climactic fight. The years of assigning Huckleberry Finn for summer reading, or John Steinbeck, or even Agatha Christie have gone with purple photocopies.

Island Science

Using Nantucket with Love & Respect

We love to boast about the open space on our island. We are so fortunate for the early insight of those who began preserving land so long ago with the idea of conserving the island’s natural landscapes for the benefit of the whole community. With more than 50% of Nantucket’s land mass under some kind of conservation, there is so much natural beauty to explore. From rolling terrain of the Middle Moors, to the wetlands of Squam, the grasslands of the south shore, access to our beautiful coastline, and the natural wonder of our barrier beach system of Coatue; we have much to be thankful for.