Tag: invasive species

Island Science

Dangerous Beauty

by Sarah Treanor Bois, Director of Research & Education for the Linda Loring Nature Foundation Unlike the rest of New England, Nantucket is not particularly known for its fall colors. People travel to Nantucket in the fall not for leaf peeping, but for the warmer maritime climate, the fishing, and […]

Spotted Knapweed on Nantucket
Island Science

Fighting a Beautiful Devil

by Sarah Treanor Bois, Director of Research & Education for the Linda Loring Nature Foundation Along some sandy roadsides and ruderal areas right now, you can see a tall, herbaceous plant with many small purple flower heads in bloom. Reminding many people of thistles, these beauties don’t boast any thorns, […]

Garlic Mustard, Dr. Sarah Bois
Island Science

What’s Invasive?

by Dr. Sarah T. Bois, Director of Research & Education for the Linda Loring Nature Foundation One of the things Nantucket residents and visitors agree on is the natural beauty of our island. The sandplain grasslands and coastal heathlands that make up much of the south coast, middle moors and […]

Island Science

Day of the Triffids – Invasive Species

~ by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station ~ Whenever I write about invasive plants, usually when I am elbow deep pulling them up on a roadside or conservation land, I always think of the 1951 book and 1962 Movie “The Day of the Triffids” […]

green crabs
Island Science

Crab Wars

~ by Marc Hensel and Dr. Sarah D. Oktay ~ Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station. There is a habitat war going on between many different colored armored soldiers who hide in the muck like WWII combatants and fight to the death over territory and food. Much of the […]

Invasive Species on Nantucket
Island Science

Native or Washashore?

• by Dr. Sarah Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station • A Biological Search for the Indigenous Life on Nantucket Not all readers of this column may know the term washashore which is used by natives to refer to newcomers who live on Nantucket who were not born […]