Tag: science

tent catepillar
Island Science

Dang It, I am not a Gypsy Moth!

Today’s subject could easily be the star of a B horror movie from the 50’s. Several people have asked me about them lately so let’s jump in and discover which creature uses polarizing light special effects, employs biochemical weapons and advanced scent trails, lies quietly over winter, then pops out […]

gray seals
Island Science

True Seals

Gray Seals and People, why can’t we just get along? • by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay, Managing Director UMass Boston Nantucket Field Station • Happy summer 2013! Currently the island is celebrating Memorial Day weekend with parades, BBQ’s, tributes to our war veterans, and cases and cases of Bud Light […]

Lichen
Island Science

Likin’ Lichens

• by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay – Managing Director UMass Boston Nantucket Field Station • What can live in space and almost anywhere on the planet, is abundant on Nantucket, and was studied religiously by children’s author, Beatrix Potter? If you answered lichens, you are correct! I love lichens, they […]

Spring Peeper
Island Science

Overwintering: How do they do it?

• by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay Managing Director UMass Boston Nantucket Field Station • Each year in early spring, we start to see the islands’ plants and animals emerge. This past winter has been difficult, with three major storms (Sandy, Nemo, and Saturn) causing significant erosion and destruction around the […]

Island Science

Harvesting Wild Island Food

by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay Managing Director UMass Boston Nantucket Field Station One of the most charming and frankly useful things about the island is the variety of edible plants, fungi, and animals that exist naturally in almost every corner of the landscape. Over the past several years in this […]

Island Science

Among the Whales

by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay Managing Director UMass Boston Nantucket Field Station I have friends visiting me from the Pacific Northwest and Texas this weekend and I have enjoyed taking them around the island to the many places that makes Nantucket so special. One of my favorites is the Nantucket […]

Catails
Island Science

Catails: Marsh Corn Dogs

by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay Managing Director UMass Boston Nantucket Field Station I have always loved cattails, and we have quite a few of them here at the Field Station.  When a student showed me an especially beautiful picture of one I decided there’s no better time than the present […]

Island Science

Biomimicry

by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay Managing Director UMass Boston Nantucket Field Station In the past year, the UMass Boston Nantucket Field Station has offered two public lectures and a summer course in Biomimicry, and we plan to include it in our regular year round and summer offerings. Biomimicry is both […]

Chimeras
Island Science

Small Monsters in the Water – Chimeras

by Dr. Sarah D. Oktay Managing Director UMass Boston Nantucket Field Station A chimera (from the Greek word for she-goat) is a fire breathing female creature from Greek mythology made of three different animals; a lion, a serpent and a goat. The chimera was the “daughter” of Typhon and Echidna […]