News and Events for Nantucket Island
As the old proverb goes, “If you love something, set it free…” For nature and wild things, it should be edited to read “If you love something, let it be.” There can be a fine line between loving nature and over-loving nature. This is evident at some of the most popular National Parks like Yellowstone, Arches, or Joshua Tree. Some of these most famous natural areas are getting loved to death: overcrowding, trampling vegetation, garbage, etc.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the diversity of milkweed plants that grow on Nantucket. By now, the blossoms have faded, the seed pods are maturing, and the lush leaves continue to photosynthesize in the hot August sun.
When you hear the word “milkweed” you probably think about monarch butterflies. Maybe you’ve even spent some time looking for monarch caterpillars on plants. What you might not realize is that Nantucket boasts six species of milkweed with at least four easily seen around the island. These plants are important to more than just monarchs. They play an important role to many other creatures in the environment.
Nantucket Land Council (NLC), an island organization dedicated to protecting Nantucket’s natural world and rural character, is hosting two opportunities in a week to be out in nature and enjoy our island’s beauty. Tagging Monarch Butterflies The afternoon of Wednesday, September 27, the Land Council is inviting the public to […]
• by Dr. Sarah Oktay, Director, University of Massachusetts Nantucket Field Station • The milkweed plants are everywhere, waiting to host one of their primary users, monarch butterflies. Hundreds of other insects occupy the plants using every inch of them for food and shelter. Two years ago I wrote about […]
