8th Annual Nantucket Science Festival

Logan Gomes • March 3, 2022

 Nantucket, MA – The Nantucket Science Festival is back for another exciting year; let’s get curious about science! On Saturday, March 19, from 10am - 2pm, join the Maria Mitchell Association and the Nantucket Community School for a STEAM inspired day focusing on “Coast, Climate, and Curiosity!” Since 2015, the MMA has teamed up with the Nantucket Community School in an effort to connect people with their inner scientist through fun interactive activities for all ages. Pauline Cronin, NCS Early Childhood Education Coordinator, shared, “We are so excited to be able to bring this event back in person to the Nantucket Community and grateful to the Maria Mitchell Association for its partnership and dedication. This is fun and engaging event for children of all ages.” 



This year's theme of "Coast, Climate, and Curiosity!” supports the MMA's mission of creating opportunities for all to develop a life-long passion for science through education, research, and first-hand exploration of the sky, land, and sea of Nantucket Island. 


Last year’s festival was comprised of COVID-safe programming including DIY activity kits, outdoor adventures, online resources, and a video and photography contest. This year's event is planned to be entirely in-person at the Nantucket High School Gymnasium. Fourteen community organizations are coming together to host unique tables with activities revolving around scientific research, Nantucket’s coastlines, and climate-based initiatives. “It is exciting to organize this year’s science festival around a theme so closely tied to Nantucket’s ecosystem, and to inspire curiosity and inquiry in the Nantucket community,” stated Camden Palm, the MMA’s Education Coordinator. 


This event is completely free of charge and has grown to be the largest mid-winter event for the community. Participants will enjoy fun STEAM activities ranging from engineering a box city, and investigating bird flight, to engaging with Nantucket’s marine creatures and creating theme-based crafts. Details can be found on the MMA’s website: www.mariamitchell.org. 

The Nantucket Science Festival is made possible thanks to the generosity of its volunteers, partners, and sponsors. A special thank you to ACKlimate, the Cape Cod 5 Foundation, and the Osceola Foundation for their generous sponsorship support. 

The Maria Mitchell Association is a private non-profit organization.


Founded in 1902, the MMA works to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. The Maria Mitchell Association operates two observatories, a natural science museum, an aquarium, a research center, and preserves the historic birthplace of Maria Mitchell. A wide variety of science and history-related programming is offered throughout the year for people of all ages.


Nantucket Community school provides a diverse level of high-quality, affordable programs, encourages life-long personal growth and reaches out to all members of the community; spanning every age and stage.

For Immediate Release

March 3, 2022

Contact: Logan Gomes, Director of Advancement

lgomes@mariamitchell.org

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Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • July 6, 2026
July 15. {1863} My dear Sally . . . I think Mitchell is all right in his algebra. He can’t stand an examination in Trig but I don’t believe he will have a rigorous one. Father has seen the Prof. and will give him a letter to them.  If you can’t be honest with your sibling, who can you be honest with? Apparently, Sally Mitchell Barney’s son, William Mitchell Barney – known as Mitchell as his cousin William Mitchell Barney was known as Willie (how is that for honoring your father?!) – was visiting his aunt Maria and his grandfather, William Mitchell, at their home in Lynn, MA. Sally still lived on Nantucket and I suspect Mitchell was not only visiting but getting some much needed help with his mathematics by his aunt Maria. As always, she is brutally honest – he won’t pass a test in trigonometry (but, neither would I!). JNLF

Top O’ the Ridge!

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • June 29, 2026
In April and early May, at long last, the Mitchell House roof was replaced. (I noted this in an earlier blog.) I had also noted that the roofwalk, given the condition it was in and its location – sitting on the ridge – had to be replaced. They had thought they could jack it up – as they have done with other walks – but the Blizzard of February 2026 that was ALL wind (83 MPH winds – read Category 1 Hurricane) and no real snow, made the walk impossible to treat in such a manner (read: crumble). So, after much discussion, review by our preservation easement holder, and permits, as well as some fundraising, we are replacing the roofwalk. The prior walk was not the original. The original blew off in a gale in the late nineteenth century, replaced at some point in the 1930s, and likely replaced again in the 1960s or 1970s. Then, since that time, it was heavily repaired. Its framing members were notched to accept the ridge boards (read: peak) of the roof and I think that may have been an original way to construct a walk. Makes perfect sense – and gives the walk more support and a lower profile. It was after all about putting out chimney fires and preventing roof fires. People copied what worked – and there have been a few others noted to be built in this manner still. It presents an issue though – because if you need to work on the ridge board or close to it – you cannot get to it easily – I guess you may be able to access it to some extent by lifting the deck boards of the walk. The new Mitchell House roofwalk will sit about six inches above the ridge – which will also allow air to circulate better over the ridge and the shakes in that area. That is the only thing that will really be different. It is protected by a preservation easement – as part of the Mitchell House’s easement – and frankly, even if we did not have an easement, we would not want it to look any different. So keep your eyes to the skies at 1 Vestal as we work to re-build the walk. With a special thank you to Barber and Sons and Lydon and Sons. JNLF

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • June 22, 2026
1875, June 20. A meeting of the Officers of Congress was called at the house of Mrs. Hanaford, 5 Summit Ave., Jersey City. The weather was intensely cold. I went to New York on the 19 th and stopped with my friend Mrs. Clapp, 100 W. 54 St . . . .It was a question who should preside. Mrs. Hanaford thought the Chairman of the Executive Committee should and I had been told that I should, etc. The question was decided by the non-arrival of the Chairman of Ex.Com. I called them to order at an hour after the time appointed. Of course I made many blunders, as I have never presided before, but I continued for 4 hours. We did a few good things . . . The thing most weighing on Maria’s mind at this meeting was the looseness of membership for the Congress. She felt people were not being vetted properly in some areas of the country and thus they may allow in “undesirables.” I would take this to mean women who were not entirely behind the cause of the Congress and the Association for the Advancement of Women. I am not surprised by her suspicions and likely she was correct – one could see naysayers gaining access to this group and trying to destroy it from the inside. The women’s rights movement would have many schisms within it as people disagreed and broke into smaller factions.  Another important thing to point out is that Mrs. Hanaford is Nantucket-born Phebe Coffin Hanaford. Raised a Quaker, like Maria, Coffin Hanaford would become the first woman Universalist minister in New England – among many other firsts. She grew up with Maria, attended and taught at the Coffin School here on Nantucket, and was a founding member of another women’s organization, Sorosis, which Maria was also a founding member of. It’s nice to see two sister Nantucketers continuing to work together as adults – far from home! JNLF
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