News and Events for Nantucket Island
If you ask anyone around the town of Nantucket how the deer came to the island, you may have some variety of answers, but generally “they swam” and “they were brought here” will be the primary responses. There is a local legend or old wives’ tale that states that our current population of more than 2,000 animals are descended from just three deer.
It’s baby bird season, and it has been a busy one so far. It’s a good time to revisit what to do when you have an encounter with a nest or baby bird and how you can best help these vulnerable little ones. At the Linda Loring Nature Foundation we frequently get calls about what to do when a bird “falls out of the nest” or the mother “abandons” the nest.
The results of the 2021 Nantucket Land Council and Linda Loring Nature Foundation BioBlitz are in and we’re sharing some highlights and interesting observations from this highly successful exploration of nature on Nantucket!
For those who didn’t read the earlier article (yesterdaysisland.com/take-the- 2021-bioblitz-challenge/), a BioBliz is basically a mad dash in a specified area to catalog as many species as possible. The 2021 NLC/LLNF BioBlitz sought to document the biodiversity of Nantucket during the month of July—a perfect month for a BioBlitz.
According to the great authority known as social media, the Nantucket population at the onset of August was somewhere between 90,000 and 100,000 people. I cannot imagine that our island can hold that many people!
If you try finding a parking spot, a restaurant reservation, or a babysitter, you know that those numbers might be accurate. Reports of water use, electricity use, and empty shelves at the grocery store all point to lots and lots of people on the island.
July is peak season for many things on Nantucket. It can be the most difficult time to get an ice cream cone or a parking space, as many of us know, but it’s also peak growing season – when the highest biodiversity is visible on island. Blooming flowers, ripening berries, budding fall asters, and fledgling birds abound. There is so much to see in every habitat across the island. What’s the best way to see and enjoy this multitude of species? Join in on the Nantucket Land Council and the Linda Loring Nature Foundation’s July Bioblitz Challenge!
by Dr. Sarah Treanor Bois Director of Research & Education at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation The off-season on Nantucket is the perfect time to slow down and get to the tasks and activities you’ve put off all year. It’s a great time to cozy up by a fireplace or […]
by Dr. Sarah Treanor BoisDirector of Research & Education at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation On Tuesday, September 10, Linda Loring passed away at the age of 99. An avid animal lover and land conservationist, her passing marks the end of an era. As the founder of the Linda Loring […]
by Dr. Sarah Treanor Bois Director of Research & Education at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation Even though they were first seen in the fossil record around the time of the dinosaurs, snakes are actually the most modern of reptiles. As a group, snakes have been misrepresented and feared throughout […]
