Tag: Nantucket Nature

Pink lady’s slipper orchid blooming on Nantucket trail edge
Exploring Nantucket, Island Science

Pink Ladies of Nantucket

Right now is the perfect time to go on a hunt for one of Nantucket nature’s treasured beauties, the pink lady’s slipper orchid.

The pink lady’s slipper orchid (Cypripedium acaule) is Nantucket’s most popular orchid (or the one most often seen), likely because it is hard to miss when in bloom. As the name suggests, the bloom resembles a small, pink ballet slipper fit for a squirrel. This orchid is locally common with each plant growing a single f lower. These individual f lowers tend to grow in clusters, so where you see one, you may see several. This grouping lends itself to magical thinking, imagining a dancing troupe of forest creatures. And while this isn’t a fairy tale, there is something magical about orchids and where they grow. It’s nearly impossible to duplicate the conditions necessary to cultivate these lady slippers. That’s why seeing them in the wild along a trail can feel so special.

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Nantucket Shadbush blooming along island coastal habitat
Exploring Nantucket, Island Science

A Special Plant with a Great Name

by Dr. Sarah Treanor Bois, PhDDirector of Research & Conservation at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation Nantucket is home to many rare plant species, but few bear its name. Nantucket Shadbush (Amelanchier nantucketensis) is a globally-rare shrub that was once thought to be limited to our island. This small shrub […]

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Island Science

Caterpillar Cacophony

It’s daffy season once again and Nantucketers and visitors alike celebrate this sure sign of spring. As the weather warms up, however, another sign of the season will emerge. Rather, they will hatch. I’m talking about one of my favorite native species, the Eastern Tent Caterpillar (ETC). I have written about the ETC before explaining the natural history and amazing ecology of the species. However, it’s worth mentioning again since this year will be a boom year.

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Island Science

Our Cuspate Spits Protecting the Harbor

For many of us, Coatue is the sandy stretch we seek out to get away from the rest of Nantucket. Whether by boating across the harbor, kayaking, or traversing the over-sand paths by vehicle, many of us recognize that this place is special. Wild landscapes, nesting bird life, great fishing…it’s a wild place that brings us back in time. Even so, it might also be a place we sometimes take for granted. We might enjoy it for the escape, but how often do you think about how vital this barrier beach is to our island way of life?

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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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Azalea fungus on Black Huckleberry. S. Bois
Island Science

Zombie Apocalypse or Just Our Island Spring?

The zombie apocalypse has been on my mind a lot lately. That may sound dramatic, but if you’re someone who reads and watches fiction like The Last of Us, 28 Days Later, or the sequels: 28 Weeks Later and the new 28 Years Later, you know that the zombie hordes are all around us. For those who don’t know what I’m talking about, a lot of zombie or similarly-themed fiction base their monsters around the idea of humans being infected by something which takes over their brain function. And, like all of the scariest things, that fiction has some basis in fact.

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