Tag: Dr. Sarah Treanor Bois

IPSC volunteers pose with bagged garlic mustard after a Nantucket invasive plant removal event in 2016.
Island Science

Learning from Invasives

The Nantucket Invasive Plant Species Committee (IPSC) was created as a subcommittee of the Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative around 2004. The IPSC has a goal to identify, track, manage and educate the public about the island’s non-native invasive plants. IPSC organizes group pulling events for some problematic species and works to educate the public about identification and management. When IPSC was first created, there was a list of concerning species that we wanted to monitor on island. We called them the “invaders” and worked to bring awareness so people could report them. This list came primarily from the mainland and other parts of southern New England where problems were first noticed and studied. We wanted to learn from our nearest neighbors as a way to prevent what we saw from happening in other places. After more than 20 years, it’s interesting to note which plants have actually become the problems we expected, and which ones have been more manageable in the long run.

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Shells, seaweed, and debris scattered along the wrack line of a Nantucket beach, offering a rich variety of treasures for beachcombers to discover.
Insider Tips, Island Science

Clues to the Creatures of the Sea

We’re fortunate on Nantucket that we can “beach it” all year round. As a dog owner, I frequent lots of different beaches in all seasons. But it’s summertime, so many more of us are enjoying the beaches. It’s also a great time to linger at the beach. Long walks at a slow pace has me observing so much more. These beaches of the north shore are some of my favorite. Think Dionis, 40th Pole, Water Tower, and Steps, for example. These are great for lazy beach walks and wonderful beachcombing.

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A Northern Harrier hawk soaring in flight against a clear blue sky, showing its distinctive spotted brown and white wing plumage
Island Science

The Ghost Hawk

Years ago, my husband and I eloped at a Nantucket conservation property. When we got to the location, we couldn’t decide exactly which spot to say our “I Do’s.” As we weighed the pros and cons of beach versus grassland, a female Northern Harrier flew low overhead. She landed on a post by one of the beach entrances and projectile pooped into the path. “That looks like the way,” I said to my betrothed. Seventeen years later the harrier blessing is still strong.

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Jimsonweed on Nantucket
Island Science

Pioneers Species You Don’t Want Colonizing

In our society we tend to idealize and idolize pioneers. Think of those intrepid travelers who went west in the mid-1800s. Or those who explored somewhere for the first time. It takes a certain character to be the first to do something: not only spunk, but grit and determination. If you’re the first to settle in a new area, you have to figure out space, resources, safety. How are you going to survive? We admire these qualities in people who start from scratch, find new territory, put a flag on the moon.

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common lowbush blueberry fruits
Island Science

July on Nantucket Is a Forager’s Paradise

I am spoiled this time of year, lucky to be working out on the Linda Loring Nature Foundation landscape or going out for walks with my dog on one of the various conservation trails around the island. This time of year, mid- to late-July is when the berries are at their peak, and I can easily find a snack while out in the hot summer sun. It’s a fun time to start foraging for your snacks.

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Men in a dory fishing for herring in Madaket (NHA, 1900s)
Island Science, Nantucket History & People

Secrets of the Ditch

The Madaket Ditch…it doesn’t have a very sexy name, but it is one of the most fascinating and vital parts of the western end of our island. For something so essential to the water quality of Long Pond, it is an often-missed feature of the landscape. Most islanders and visitors have never even seen it.

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