Island Science

Fall webworm | Nantucket, MA
Island Science

Fall Webworm

by Dr. Sarah Treanor Bois Director of Research & Education at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation It’s not fall, and it’s not a worm. So, what is it, you may ask? Fall webworm (Hyphantria cunea) is actually a common, native caterpillar that occurs throughout the United States and southern Canada. […]

Mantid | Nantucket, MA
Island Science

Manic for Mantids

by Dr. Sarah Treanor Bois Director of Research & Education at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation There’s an alien frolicking about Nantucket, hunting prey in our sandplain grasslands and heathlands. They’ve been known to tear the heads off of their prey and eat their mates for dinner. These ferocious beasts […]

lily pond | Nantucket, MA
Island Science

Walk through an Invaded Wonderland

by Dr. Sarah Treanor Bois Director of Research & Education at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation Nantucket has been a hotspot of global transport since the whaling days of the 18th and 19th centuries. At a time when most people never ventured further than a few miles from their hometown, […]

Pop Up Science | Nantucket, MA
Island Science, Nantucket Events

Be Surprised by Science

They say the world is your classroom, so let the island of Nantucket feed your brain all summer long. Thanks in part to a generous grant from the Nantucket Community Foundation’s ReMain Nantucket Fund, the Maria Mitchell Association is sending a Pop Up Science cart around the island all summer […]

pollinators | Nantucket, MA
Exploring Nantucket, Island Science

Plight of Pollinators

by Dr. Sarah Treanor Bois Director of Research & Education at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation While honeybees get most of the attention, pollinators actually include anything that moves pollen from one plant to another; namely bees, wasps, butterflies, moths, birds, small mammals, bats, and even some lizards. On Nantucket, […]

Sandplain Grasslands | Nantucket, MA
Island Science

Native Habitats

by Dr. Sarah Treanor Bois Director of Research & Education at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation For people and plants, Nantucket can be a formidable place to call home. Only the hardiest souls can endure the wind, salt spray, and isolation all year, but those that can are rewarded with […]