• by Dr. Sarah Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station • Spring has sprung and summer is almost upon us. Everywhere you look on island flowers are blooming, turtles are crossing the road, and insects are waking up to enjoy the warm sunny days. Several notable natural occurrences, […]
Island Science
Fine Feathered Friends: Part 2 Nature’s Street Cleaners
• by Dr. Sarah Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station • This week’s topic came up while talking with friends about trends on island that might be fun to write about. They mentioned that they remember when no Turkey Vultures were present on island and how prolific they […]
What’s for Dinner? Nantucket’s Edible Nature
• by Dr. Sarah Oktay | Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station • Maybe I am hungry every time I write this column? This week I wanted to remind everyone of the incredible variety of natural foods on Nantucket. There are many fine restaurants on island, and this is […]
American Oystercatchers: Fine feathered friends Part 1
• by Dr. Sarah Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station • Living at the UMass Boston Nantucket Field Station gives me the opportunity to observe the wonderful diversity of bird life that defines Nantucket. Spring signals the return of piping plovers, oystercatchers and osprey along with the wading […]
Magical Kingdom of Vernal Ponds
• by Dr. Sarah Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station • Spring is vernal pond season. All over the island, creatures who have adapted to the unusual conditions that are inherent in a vernal pond are hatching and going through a variety of stages as they progress to […]
Students Study Island Bees
• by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay • Managing Director UMass Boston Nantucket Field Station Bees are in the news and on the minds of people all over America as we evaluate how we fertilize and protect our crops and gardens and ensure food ends up on our tables. Both the […]
Coastal Erosion Experts Offer Nantucket a Global View
LECTURE HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO THE SPRING STORM ON NANTUCKET. WATCH FOR NEW DATE AND TIME. The Nantucket Coastal Conservancy and the UMass Boston School For The Environment will host a free lecture with coastal erosion experts Cornelia Dean and Dr. Robert Young on Tuesday, March 25 at 5 […]