Press Releases – Maria Mitchell Association

Raise The Roof!

Mon, 06 Apr 2026 13:49:40 GMT

Well, actually replace the roof! With funding from the Community Preservation Act and the work of Lydon and Sons, Inc. the Mitchell House is getting a new roof. The current one had come to the end of its useful life. A cedar roof can last a long time – longer than asphalt – and is more historically accurate. The roof we are removing was installed in about 1992 – replacing a roof from the 1930s that was not cedar but a combination of materials that actually yes, did last sixty years.

The unfortunate issue has arisen that the roofwalk (walk) has to be replaced. This is NOT the original walk – nor that old of a walk. It’s likely from the 1970s or so and has been cobbled at over time. It’s not a functioning walk – no one is allowed on it – but the Mitchell House needs it none the less. Maria Mitchell and her father, William, likely used the walk for astronomical observations – in addition to the yard – but the walk is also protected as part of the preservation easement on the House. Walks – NOT and NEVER called widow’s walks – were used for preventing and putting out chimney fire and roof fires. In a place where wood was expensive and had to be brought from “the main” these were purely utilitarian. What good Quaker (or non-Quaker) would build a platform for his wife to stare out to the harbor to see if her husband was on his way home?

The other issue is that the walk was completely resting on the ridge board – and actually was notched to accept the pitch and tip of the ridge board so they couldn’t work around it. I suspect this may have been the ways walks were once built – and also a crafty and smart thinking carpenter who came up with the idea. It makes the walk lower. But between that issue and the age of the walk and then the blizzard of February 2026 that packed gusts over 83 MPH (that’s Category 1 hurricane winds) the walk gave in. Balusters had been knocked out and the railings were loose and pulling away from the posts.

So, we will also be working with Barber and Sons to create a new roofwalk – and they agreed to do this for us quickly which is also no small feat given how busy everyone is these days.

So from the bottom of the Mitchell House’s heart (and mine) a big thank you to Chris Lydon and Lydon and Sons and crew, Barber and Sons / Beau and Nate Barber, the Community Preservation Committee, and Nantucket Preservation Trust (our easement holder)!

JNLF

Keep Calm and Bird On: April 2026

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:45:08 GMT

“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.”

-Edith Andrews

Image by Janette Vohs.

As daylight lengthens, the dawn chorus has been tuning up. A bit before 6:00 a.m. the first Cardinals begin, quickly joined by American Robins, Song Sparrows, Carolina Wrens, House Finches and others, depending on the day and the location. It is worth waking up for, even as it launches earlier and earlier as the season progresses. Even if all you do is lie in bed thinking about birds.

There is no better way to enjoy learning about the diversity of birds in your area than the “Merlin Sound App” from Cornell. It’s a great way to begin birding “by ear” or refresh your skills. Although Song Sparrows have been with us year-round and will trill away in the dead of January for no better reason than that sun came out, migratory singers have been far away in the south for months. As the breeding season begins, the dawn song “records the deed,” as it were, to a male’s territory, and advertises his availability, good health, and all-round suitability to a potential mate. And for visual birders, it’s a quick way to locate an elusive sighting.

But like other AI applications, it is not entirely to be trusted. Call it hallucination, lying, or insufficiently detailed data, it is best to confirm an unusual “hearing” visually if you can.

When should you be suspicious? If it is too quick with an ID and does not continue to hear or repeat it. If it thinks it hears a nocturnal bird in broad daylight, or picks something from the wrong season, or the wrong continent or hemisphere, more confirmation is needed. Remember, nothing is impossible where birds are concerned; but verify. And be sure, when travelling, to enter your location correctly; it will be good for the App’s brain—and yours.

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Dr. Joshua Reding for “Dark and Quiet: Astronomy in the Age of Satellite Constellations” For April Science Speaker Series

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:16:31 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA—The Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) invites the community to “Dark and Quiet: Astronomy in the Age of Satellite Constellation” presented by Dr. Joshua Reding for its April Science Speaker Series. This free presentation will take place Wednesday, April 15 from 7 – 8pm on Zoom.

In the past decade, the number of active satellites in Earth’s orbit has grown by a factor of 10. This breakneck growth in the commercial space industry has turned entrepreneur, investor, and policymaker eyes to the skies, but in the process has boxed out the historic stewards of the space domain: scientists. Explorers and pioneers across human history learned that uncharted territory hides unprecedented challenges, but the consequences of decisions made towards occupying the “final frontier” do not abide by international borders. Space operators therefore ignore the warnings and concerns of scientists not only at their own risk, but at the risk of everyone living under increasingly crowded skies. In this conversation, Dr. Josh Reding will explain how astronomers are trying to inform and guide policymaking for the rapidly changing space environment, both informally through volunteer action and advocacy and formally in domestic and international policy forums.

Dr. Reding is an optical astronomer by training and now a radio spectrum manager by profession. He completed his B.A. with a double major in Astronomy-Physics and Philosophy at Colgate University, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Physics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research investigated unusual white dwarf stars that likely formed in stellar mergers as “failed” supernovae and he has also designed astronomical instrument components and installed them at world-class observatories.

Concurrent with the completion of his Ph.D., Reding began his professional science policy career as a North Carolina STEM Policy Fellow in the NC Department of Commerce’s Office of Science, Technology & Innovation. He was then selected for the American Association for the Advancement of Science Science & Technology Policy Fellowship, which places scientists in federal offices as expert contributors to ongoing agency missions.

This event will be held via Zoom. Pre-registration is required. To register for the free, virtual event, use the registration link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5MoAybp5QHCasQ0QE5xmgQ#/registration

The Science Speaker Series is generously sponsored by the Maria Mitchell Association’s lead sponsor, Bank of America.

The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. 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.

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For Immediate Release

April 1, 2026

Contact: Joanna Roche

jroche@mariamitchell.org

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Announces International Dark Sky Week with Stargazing Event at Altar Rock

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:14:26 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA— In celebration of 2026 International Dark Sky Week, the Maria Mitchell Association , Nantucket Conservation Foundation , and Nantucket Lights invite the community to an unforgettable evening of stargazing at Altar Rock in the Middle Moors. This free, family-friendly event, set for April 16, 2026, provides a rare opportunity to experience Nantucket at night and gain a deeper appreciation for the environmental significance of dark skies and how to preserve them.

Guided by expert stargazers, attendees will explore the night sky — all its constellations and celestial wonders — in a pristine, low-light environment. This collaborative community event presents an ideal opportunity to connect with nature, engage with like-minded individuals, and be inspired by the beauty of the night. Advance Registration is required due to limited capacity.

Event Details:

· Date: Thursday, April 16, 2026

· Time: 7:30PM– 9:00PM

· Location: Altar Rock, Middle Moors, Nantucket

· Parking: Free parking will be available along Altar Rock Road, with volunteers on hand to guide attendees to the event site. Carpooling is strongly encouraged.

· Registration link: https://support.nantucketconservation.org/site/Calendar?id=102461&view=Detail .

Open to all ages. To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience, children must be accompanied by at least one adult.

· Attendees are encouraged to dress appropriately for current weather conditions and wear comfortable footwear, as the event will involve a short walk up to Altar Rock. For added comfort, we recommend bringing blankets or chairs.

About International Dark Sky Week:

International Dark Sky Week, April 13 – 20, 2026 is a global initiative of DarkSky International to celebrate the dark and natural night sky, raise awareness about light pollution, and promote the use of environmentally responsible outdoor lighting during the week of the new moon in April each year.

About the Nantucket Conservation Foundation:

The Nantucket Conservation Foundation owns, protects, and stewards over 9,000 acres of land and coastal shoreline, conserves Nantucket’s rare and significant natural resources, and engages in impactful ecological research to inform resource management and further our knowledge of Nantucket’s unique ecosystems and species. Through conservation, education, and stewardship, the Foundation aims to maintain Nantucket’s unique ecosystems and natural beauty for future generations.

About Nantucket Lights:

Nantucket Lights is an all-volunteer citizen advocacy group committed to preserving and protecting Nantucket’s nighttime environment and heritage of dark skies by raising awareness about light pollution on the island and advocating for environmentally responsible outdoor lighting.

About the Maria Mitchell Association:

The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. 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.

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For Immediate Release

March 30, 2026

Contact: Jonelle Gurley

jgurley@mariamitchell.org

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:14:12 GMT

1882. Mch.13.3 p.m. I start for Faculty. As I sit, I feel as well as I ever did in my life; I go to Faculty and we probably shall elect what we called the “honor” girls. I dread the struggle that is pretty certain to come . . .The whole system is demoralizing and foolish. Girls study for “prizes” and not for learning when “honors” are at the end. The unscholarly motive is wearing.

Maria Mitchell once said, “You cannot mark the human mind because there is no intellectual unit.” She did not like grades or prizes as you can see by her words above. I have to agree. Whether it be in academics or sports or some other activity, you should be rewarded in what you learn and how well you do – not to achieve a prize at the end. It’s the same idea with giving prizes to everyone so no one feels left out – just don’t do it. Learn how to lose gracefully.

JNLF

Women’s History Month

Mon, 23 Mar 2026 16:36:49 GMT

March is Women’s History Month – though all months should be women’s history month!

Maria Mitchell was one of the founders of the Association for the Advancement of Women (AAW), was its president for a term (1875), and founded its Science Committee which she chaired for the remainder of her life.

When the fourth Congress of the AAW met in Philadelphia in October 1876, Julia Ward Howe (also a friend of Maria’s) was serving with Maria on the executive committee. Maria presented a paper, “The Need for Women in Science.” In it she stated,

Does anyone suppose that any woman in all the ages has had a fair chance to show what she could do in science? . . . The laws of nature are not discovered by accidents; theories do not come by chance, even to the greatest minds; they are not born of the hurry and worry of daily toil; they are diligently sought, they are patiently waited for, they are received with cautious reserve, they are accepted with reverence and awe. And until able women have given their lives to investigation, it is idle to discuss the question of their capacity for original work.

She is not saying that women cannot be scientists – she is saying they need to be given the opportunities.

Maria was incredibly busy with the AAW – it took up a great deal of her time – and at the next meeting in November of that year some aspects of the meeting were wonderful according to her account –“excellent” papers, “newspapers treated us very well. The institutions opened their doors to us, the Centennial gave us a reception. But – we didn’t have a good time!” It appears there was discord among the women. A few opposed the subject of “Woman Suffrage,” but Lucy Stone was able to present her paper on the subject despite this. And, some women felt that the West was not well represented and was overshadowed by New England, thus women representing the western states protested the nomination and election of Julia Ward Howe as president of the AAW. But she won. Whew! It was not always easy and controversies constantly abounded with many schisms over time within the women’s rights movement.

I often wonder what Maria might think of the place of women today – how far things have come from her time or would she be surprised that there still is inequality? What would she think?

In honor of Women’s History Month, visit the National Women’s History Alliance, the National Women’s History Museum, and the National Collaborative of Women’s History Sites. These places will also point you in the directions of women’s history sites across the country and how to find out more information about all these women who paved the way for us!

JNLF

Women’s History Month – On the Road with the NHA

Tue, 17 Mar 2026 14:22:45 GMT

For several years now, we have been teaming up with the Nantucket Historical Association in March for Women’s History Month. We visit each senior living or meeting site on island – five in all over the course of the month. We work to unique history of the place of women in our community then and through today – an incredible legacy that in the nineteenth century and earlier was quite unusual. We highlight women from all walks of island life, their accomplishments, and how they helped and influenced others. You see, Maria Mitchell was not the only incredible woman that Nantucket produced. For example, Eliza Codd was the island's first woman architect - and the leading architect on island when she practiced. Nantucket women shared their knowledge, path, support, and guidance with others both here and away and became major influences in the rights of women, women’s education, and the general place of women in society. Pretty incredible for such a small island!

JNLF

Women’s Suffrage and Lady Gaga

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 14:04:49 GMT

I have posted this during Women’s History Month before but because it is March and again Women’s History Month, I think it’s worth repeating. It’s clever and helps to tell an important story in women’s history while giving it a bit of a 21 ^st century twist. It comes via the National Women’s History Project.

JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes a Panel Discussion on Owl Preservation for March Science Speaker Series

Fri, 06 Mar 2026 22:00:56 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA—The Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) invites the community to take part in an important conversation on owl preservation. The MMA will host a free virtual panel bringing together specialists in wildlife conservation to discuss the challenges these remarkable birds face today on Nantucket and beyond. This free presentation will take place Wednesday, March 18 from 6 – 7pm on Zoom.

Owls are an essential part of Nantucket’s delicate island ecosystem. As natural predators, they help keep rodent populations in balance and serve as important indicators of environmental health. In recent years, however, growing threats—including the spread of Avian Influenza and the widespread use of rodenticides—

have raised serious concerns for local owl populations and the broader bird community.

This timely discussion will explore how these issues are affecting owls across the region and what they may mean for Nantucket’s wildlife and landscape. Panelists will share current research, discuss conservation efforts, and offer practical ways the community can help protect these iconic nocturnal hunters.

By bringing together scientists, conservationists, and community members, the event aims to foster awareness and collaboration around protecting Nantucket’s natural heritage. Residents, nature enthusiasts, and anyone interested in the island’s wildlife are encouraged to join the conversation.

The discussion will feature acclaimed naturalist and author, Scott Weidensaul, a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his book, Living on the Wind. He is also the author of A World on the Wing. A contributing editor to National Audubon and a longtime columnist for Bird Watcher's Digest, Weidensaul is a Fellow of the American

Ornithological Society and co-founder of Project SNOWstorm, which tracks snowy owl movements through satellite telemetry. Joining Weidensaul will be Susan Baker of the Chicago Ornithological Society and the Chicago Bird Alliance Rodenticide Committee; Meaghan Q. Sinclair, a Mass Audubon Certified Field Naturalist, wildlife photographer, co-founder of Save Concord Wildlife, and member of the Mass Audubon Governance Council; Heather Packard,

Community Organizer with Mass Audubon’s Policy & Advocacy team and manager of Climate and Nature Champions; Gwen Shipley, a Council Co-Leader and Climate and Nature Champion with Mass Audubon; and Ginger Andrews, the MMA’s Field Ornithologist.

Together, these distinguished experts bring deep scientific expertise, conservation leadership, and extensive field experience to a timely and engaging discussion.

This event will be held via Zoom. Pre-registration is required. To register for the free, virtual event, use the registration link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_9EGqyJ3XT06N8-GU14iuog#/registration

The Science Speaker Series is generously sponsored by the Maria Mitchell Association’s lead sponsor, Bank of

America.

Image Credit: Snowy Owl by the late Greg Hinson.

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For Immediate Release

March 6, 2026

Contact: Joanna Roche

jroche@mariamitchell.org

Ice Whale

Mon, 02 Mar 2026 15:47:33 GMT

It’s sort of funny what Mother Nature does. Granted, in this case, she had a little help by shovel or plow. But as I made my way up Vestal Street a week ago or so, after the first round of eight inches of snow or so, I noticed this ice shape on the front stoop of the Mitchell House. To me, it looks like a whale with its tail up in the air! I think it’s sort of appropriate for this front stoop so I decided to share!

JNLF

Keep Calm and Bird On: March 2026

Sun, 01 Mar 2026 15:39:06 GMT

“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.”

-Edith Andrews

House-shopping Bald Eagle checked out an Osprey- built abode. Photo by Mitch Blake.

Balmy or bitter? Either way, March is a month of changes. We expect the first American Oystercatchers. But this year it seems it might not be a question of “first” as much as “last and still going.” Two have showed signs of living over one of our most wintery winters in almost a decade. We don’t know how long they can survive frozen harbors and marshes, but as of this writing they were still hanging in there.

March is also when we expect the first Ospreys, returning from the Caribbean or South America, to reclaim their nest platforms of the previous year. This year, they may face some competition, as more than one Bald Eagle has checked out the island—and its nest potential—recently. An adult was seen on the ice at Sesachacha Pond on February 12. Then a Juvie (or could there have been 2?) checked out first a nest on a pole in Pocomo and then a utility pole near Hummock Pond a few hours later.

And towards the end of the month, we expect the first Piping Plovers to return to its beach hatching- or nesting- place in hope of a mate and chance to raise a family. Hardy to sun and cold, they are vulnerable to disturbance from humans and their dogs and cats, as well as crows, ravens, falcons, and hawks. But given protection, the Piping Plover-comeback in New England is still a marvel. It is a demonstration that given sufficient will and determination we humans can maintain or even grow even the most defenseless, the most endangered birds.

But there is still plenty of time to fill in the winter list with an Iceland, Glaucous, or Black-headed Gull. Dunlin, Purple Sandpiper, even a lingering Western Willet—there are plenty of reasons to bundle up and brave the wind, fog, snow, or whatever the weather throws at us. To paraphrase an old saying “there’s no bad weather—there’s only inadequate clothing.”

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association in Collaboration with Nantucket Dreamland Announce "Doktor Kaboom" Under Pressure!" Coming to Nantucket in March

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 17:46:06 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA— The Maria Mitchell Association, in collaboration with the Nantucket Dreamland, invites the community to two unforgettable and entertaining performances featuring Doktor Kaboom: Under Pressure! on Friday, March 13 and Saturday, March 14.

Doktor Kaboom’s interactive Science Comedy shows engage audiences of all ages. In Under Pressure!, Kaboom illustrates physical science concepts that are also metaphors for real-life mental and emotional pressures, validating what students may feel, while sharing tools for dealing with life’s challenges. Blending big ideas, explosive demonstrations, and humor, Kaboom keeps audiences riveted with interest and rolling with laughter. Hailed as, “part Mister Wizard, part Mr. Rogers,” Kaboom delights patrons with curiosity, creativity, and charm. Both performances are FREE to the public.

This event is possible due to a grant from the Remain Nantucket Fund at the Community Foundation for Nantucket.

Reflecting on both the impact of the performance and the partnerships that made it possible, MMA Executive Director, Joanna Roche, shared, “A heartfelt thank you to the Community Foundation for the generous grant that made it possible to bring Doktor Kaboom to Nantucket, and to the Nantucket Dreamland for hosting this extraordinary performance. I’ve known the good Doktor for nearly twenty years, and I have no doubt that his unique blend of humor, magic, and science will not only make you laugh, but also leave you with a renewed sense of wonder and a deeper connection to the world around you.”

The Friday performance will be followed by an Ice Cream Bar, generously sponsored by Island Kitchen, and a photo opportunity with Doktor Kaboom in the Harborview Room.

Event Details:

• Dates and Times: Friday, March 13 at 7pm and Saturday, March 14 at 3pm

• Location: Dreamland Theatre, 17 South Water Street

• Special Offering: Friday, March 13 – Post-performance Ice Cream Bar in the Dreamland Theatre Harborview Room, generously sponsored by Island Kitchen, plus a photo opportunity with Doktor Kaboom

• Tickets: Available at https://www.nantucketdreamland.org/events/doktor-kaboom-under-pressure

• Cost: Free

This community event kicks off another free collaborative event, the annual Nantucket STEAM Festival, taking place Saturday, March 14, 2026 at the Nantucket High School Gymnasium from 10am – 2pm. This event features hands-on activities celebrating science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics from over twenty community organizations. A sensory-friendly half house begins at 9:30am.

Doktor Kaboom! was created, and is performed, by actor and comedian David Epley, who has discovered two passions in his life: science and mathematics. Epley first explored his love of hands-on learning, chemistry, and physics at the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and later studied at the university level, exploring a degree in Chemical Engineering. Epley, a performer for over twenty years, has reached over 2,000,000 students and families, and has performed over 2,000 live shows worldwide. Epley lives in Seattle, Washington.

About the Nantucket Dreamland: The Nantucket Dreamland is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the cultural and intellectual life of Nantucket by providing year-round films, educational programs, and a venue for community activities that engage Nantucket in the evolving world of entertainment and education. The Dreamland’s mission is to build community on Nantucket year-round by bringing people together to share experiences through film, art, culture, and learning.

About the Maria Mitchell Association: The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. 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.

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For Immediate Release

February 13, 2026

Contact: Joanna Roche

jroche@mariamitchell.org

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 15:17:54 GMT

1881, Feb. 26. Miss Whitney read Frances Power Cobbe’s “Lectures to Women” aloud to me. In the main they are excellent. I agree at almost every point. What she says about the duty of women in veracity, in cultivating both physical and moral courage, etc., in demanding not “favor but justice” . . .

Mary Whitney would become the first president of the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association. She was one of Maria’s first students and ultimately her replacement at Vassar College. She also took over for Maria when she left the College for a brief illness in 1880.

On her second trip to Europe in 1873, Maria would seek Frances Power Cobbe out at her home. A suffragette, Power Cobbe was a philosopher and writer among other things, including an animal rights activist when it came to experimentation on animals. Born into a wealthy family in Ireland, Power Cobbe would travel in Europe about the same time as Maria did in 1857, meeting some of the same people Maria would meet such as Mary Somerville (Maria’s hero and an astronomer, mathematician, scientist, and polymath) and Harriet Hosmer (sculptor). I should not note this but Maria wrote about Power Cobbe’s large head –further stating that being a large woman, she would have a large head. Reviewing images of Power Cobbe, I hate to say it but I cannot disagree – with my apologies to Ms. Powers Cobbe.

JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Announces 12th Annual Nantucket STEAM Festival

Tue, 10 Feb 2026 17:38:20 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA— The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces its twelfth annual Nantucket STEAM Festival (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) to be held Saturday March 14, 2026, in collaboration with over twenty Nantucket community partner organizations. This FREE, STEAM-inspired day of hands-on learning, creativity, and exploration is perfect for children, families, and life-long learners.

Event Details:

• Date: Saturday, March 14

• Time: 10am – 2pm. With a sensory friendly half hour 9:30 – 10am before the festival begins.

• Location: Nantucket High School Gymnasium, 10 Surfside Road

• Cost: Free

This year’s theme, “3.14 Miles from Shore: Infinite Patterns,” falls on March 14 (3.14 also known as π or Pi) and focuses on Pi Day and a mission to engage the Nantucket community in intersectional STEAM experiences. This event exemplifies 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. This festival has become the largest late winter event in our community and brought in over 700 participants in 2025!

The festival returns this year with a renewed focus on hands-on discovery, powered by partnerships that reflect the breadth and creativity of STEAM across the Nantucket community. “Our goal is to make STEAM feel welcoming, relevant, and visible,” said Jónelle Gurley, Coordinator of the Nantucket STEAM Festival and Director of Science and Programs at the Maria Mitchell Association. “The energy and expertise our partners bring each year are what make the festival such a meaningful experience for participants.”

This year’s community partner organizations include: the Artists Association of Nantucket, Egan Maritime Institute, Linda Loring Nature Foundation, Mass Audubon, Nantucket Atheneum, Nantucket Community Sailing, Nantucket Community School, Nantucket Conservation Foundation, Nantucket Dreamland, Nantucket Fire Department, Nantucket Police Department, Nantucket Land and Water Council, Nantucket Lighthouse School, Nantucket Islands Land Bank, Nantucket Island School of Design and Art, Nantucket Lights, Town of Nantucket Natural Resources Department, The Trustees of Reservations, UMASS Boston Field Station Nantucket, US Coast Guard Station Brant Point, Nantucket S.T.A.R, and Sustainable Nantucket. All will be highlighting the incredible opportunities to discover STEAM on Nantucket.

This event is FREE of charge and takes place at the Nantucket High School Gymnasium. Attendees will be able to participate in a range of hands-on activities and experiences. This year’s activities include, but are not limited to, “The Light Bulb Challenge,” “Science Story Walk,” “Bubbles Control Trouble,” “Pi(e) Day: Celebrating Native Fruit,” “Can You Solve the Unsolvable, ”Compost Cake,” “ A Puddle in the Woods,” “History of Life Jackets – Will it sink or float,” “Explore Hard and Soft Coastal Engineering Designs,” and many sensory crafts, general chemistry and astronomy related activities, and engineering and space exploration fun. The Nantucket Public Safety Departments will also be present for “Touch a Cruiser” and “Touch a Truck,” and the US Coast Guard Station (USCG) Brant Point will be in attendance to display lifesaving gear and a trailered USCG vessel. The Nantucket Science Festival is made possible thanks to the generosity of its volunteers, partner organizations, and generous sponsors.

To kick off the Nantucket STEAM Festival, the MMA, in collaboration with Nantucket Dreamland, invites the community to two unforgettable and enthralling performances featuring “Doktor Kaboom: Under Pressure!” an interactive Science Comedy show on Friday, March 13 at 7pm and Saturday, March 14 at 3pm at the Dreamland Theatre. These free performances are open to the public and engage audiences of all ages.

About the Nantucket STEAM Festival: Founded in 2015, the Nantucket Science Festival is a mid-March collaborative community event, featuring hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics activities. It is an initiative of the Maria Mitchell Association in partnership with various Nantucket non-profit organizations, schools, and businesses. For more information, please visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/nantucket-science-festival

About the Maria Mitchell Association: 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.

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For Immediate Release

February 10, 2026

Contact: Jonelle Gurley

jgurley@mariamitchell.org

Nantucket Sorosis

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:30:21 GMT

On August 6, 1872, the first meeting of the Nantucket Sorosis Club took place at the home of Sarah Cathcart on Main Street. Originally founded in New York in 1868, several of its founding members were Nantucket women such as Maria Mitchell and Reverend Phebe Coffin Hanaford, and the club appropriately found its way to Nantucket where Hanaford first publicly announced its inaugural meeting from the pulpit of the Unitarian Church. Its purpose: the “intellectual improvement of its members, by means of written essays, select readings, recitations and discussions upon the current questions of the day.” It was Hanaford and Nantucket summer resident Rebecca Morse – members of the New York Sorosis – who developed the idea of founding a Nantucket Sorosis. Like the sewing circles founded earlier in the nineteenth century, the development of a Sorosis on Nantucket may have been in part to aid women not only during a period of economic decline on the island, but to help those women who found that they were now losing their jobs as whalemen returned to the island for good and tried to “reclaim” the jobs of men. It was also a logical club to have for women on the island – given the history of their playing such an integral role in all aspects of island life. Two other island women involved with the Nantucket Sorosis Club were Eliza Starbuck Barney and the Reverend Louise S. Baker.

The main Sorosis club came about as a reaction by female journalists barred from attending and reporting on Charles Dickens’ first public lecture in the United States in New York City. They quickly came together to created forms of support for one another in their field, expanding to include women working in a variety of other fields – science among them. Thus, Maria Mitchell was one of the founding members when the first official meeting was held at Delmonico’s in NYC.

With a thirteen-article constitution, the Nantucket Sorosis had a board of directors with officers being elected annually. The club hosted lecturers and orators, discussed social and political issues – particularly those of woman suffrage – and also discussed art, literature, travel, and current events. The Nantucket Sorosis lasted approximately thirty years. Little is known about who was involved outside of key players and when exactly the group folded and why, but the last printed material that can be located dates to 1903, and by that time most of the Nantucket Sorosis members were in their seventies and eighties.

JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association NSF-REU Interns Attend 247th American Astronomical Society Meeting

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 21:15:14 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA—On the occasion of the 247th American Astronomical Society (AAS) Meeting, and the 179th anniversary year of the discovery of Maria Mitchell’s Comet, the 2025 astronomy interns from the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA), journeyed to Phoenix, AZ, to represent the MMA and present their

research. Building on the legacy of Maria Mitchell, the first female American astronomer, the MMA offers STEM research and education opportunities to interns from across the country via their paid internship programs.

The MMA’s Maria Mitchell Observatory has operated a National Science Foundation funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program for decades. The REU is funded by a generous grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) which allows the MMA to bring six undergraduate students to

Nantucket each summer. These talented and promising students are selected out of a pool of hundreds of applicants from across the United States.

From January 4 – 8, 2026, the MMA’s most recent NSF-REU students presented their work at the winter AAS meeting on subjects ranging from the characteristics of dust around and between stars, to various aspects of supernova explosions. MMA Director of Astronomy, Dr. Jackie Milingo, attended the conference and presented each student with a bound volume of their collected research papers. “The MMA’s long-standing REU program has nurtured hundreds of budding scientists over many decades. It’s always inspiring to see these students shine and make the most of this extraordinary opportunity. We’re a small program with an outsized effect on not only these students, but the future of the scientific community.”

The 2025 REU students and their respective presentations are listed below. The common theme of their research was dust. This dust is made of familiar elements like carbon, oxygen, silicon and iron is similar to grains of sand or ash. Even though these dust grains are a small part of our Galaxy, they are very important because they can block the light coming from everything astronomers study. Understanding this dust helps us to understand how it is formed and how it affects the light that must travel vast distances across our Milky Way to get to our telescopes.

This past summer’s NSF-REU interns and their research presentations which they presented at the AAS are:

Madison Gerard (University of Texas at Austin) : SN 2024abfl: An Absolutely Flat and Low-Luminosity Interacting Type II Supernova

Kaylee Perez (Texas State University) : Exploring the Link Between Dust Extinction and Attenuation with Simulated Data

LaurenBarkey (CaliforniaPoly Pomona) : Peek-a-Boo: Exploring the NEOWISE Lightcurves of RCoronae Borealis Stars

Aiden Agostinelli (University of Montana) and Ben Radmore (University of Michigan) : When the Dust Settles: Late-Time MIRI Imaging of SN 2011ja

Image: 2025 NSF-REU Interns, Madison Gerard, Lauren Barkey, Benjamin Radmore, Aidan Agostinelli, and Kaylee Perez with MMA Director of Astronomy, Dr. Jackie Milingo.

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For Immediate Release

February 5, 2026

Contact: Joanna Roche

jroche@mariamitchell.org

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Susan Vizurraga for February Science Speaker Series

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 21:07:37 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA— The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) welcomes Susan Vizurraga for a discussion of her book Williamina Fleming, Astronomer, an imagined memoir. As one of the Harvard College Observatory’s (HCO) women computers Williamina Fleming led a fascinating life. She was, an immigrant, a

working mother, and an astronomer and her story will be brought to light in this engaging presentation on the remarkable legacy of a woman who helped transform modern astronomy from behind the scenes. Through Fleming’s own imagined voice, Vizurraga explores Williamina’s journey from domestic servant to internationally respected scientist, her pivotal role in classifying stellar spectra, and her quiet perseverance in a male-dominated field. This talk celebrates Williamina Fleming not only for her scientific achievements, but also for her resilience, curiosity, and lasting impact on how we understand the stars. This free event will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, February 18, from 7–8 pm.

Susan Vizurraga is the author of the historical fiction novel-in-verse Williamina Fleming, Astronomer, an imagined memoir based on the life of the real-life Scottish immigrant who began work as a maid, joined the HCO as one of many women computers, and became the discoverer and curator of stars. A former middle school teacher and university instructor, Vizurraga is the author of the picture books Our Old House (a Junior Library Guild Selection) and Miss Opal’s Auction (a multi-generational selection of the National Council for the Social Studies). She is a volunteer docent at the Georgia Museum of Art and a poll worker with her local elections board. She lives in rural southern Oconee County, Georgia.

This event will be held via Zoom. Pre-registration is required. To register for the free, virtual event, use the

registration link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SVlPAu9ITmmQll_E9aU3aw#/registration

The Science Speaker Series is generously sponsored by the Maria Mitchell Association’s lead sponsor, Bank of America.

people of all ages.

###

For Immediate Release

February 4, 2026

Contact: Joanna Roche

jroche@mariamitchell.org

Stitch, Stitch, Stitch: Nantucket Sewing Circles of the Nineteenth Century And Their Support for Those In Need

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 14:39:06 GMT

Maria Mitchell once said, “When I see a woman sew, I think, what a capacity she has for using a micrometer!” So, maybe what I am about to write would be a bit disappointing to her. However, I believe she was likely pleased by what sewing circles on Nantucket could accomplish for her fellow Nantucketers. As, the great-granddaughter of a milliner and extremely talented seamstress (she hand-smocked about twenty dresses for me when I was an infant and did all of that with rheumatoid arthritis!) and the granddaughter of two talented women of sewing and needlework, my apologies to Maria . . . .

The sewing circles that arose on Nantucket in the nineteenth century were formed in part because of the Great Fire of 1846, which, along with the demise of whaling and the lure of the Gold Rush, helped to bring about an economic depression that would last decades and cause Nantucket’s population to decrease from its height of around 10,000 in the 1830s to fewer than 2,000 people by the late nineteenth century. The sewing circles helped struggling families by providing them with clothes, food, and even paying their rent.

Many of the organizations rose from within the churches of the island and all were founded, managed, and run by women. The Ladies Union Circle of the First Congregational Church, established in 1846, was followed by similar groups, such as the Unitarian Sewing Society and the Ladies Wesleyan Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church, both established in 1850. The women gathered together to create, sew, and sell their creations to raise money for those in need and for their own churches. The groups not only generated the money to help others; they also provided a social venue for those who remained on Nantucket and witnessed the quickly deteriorating social fabric of their island home. The societies served as a positive network and support group for their members.

The women’s activities, accomplished many good deeds, and one group, the Unitarians, was even able to purchase a parish house for the church with funds they raised – no small task. Additionally, the sewing circles gave rise to other groups that many islanders heavily relied upon in the nineteenth century: the Relief Association, the Children’s Aid Society, and the Ladies Howard Society, which could date its beginnings to the era of the American Revolution. The Relief Association is still in existence today; assisting island families in need.

The act of helping your fellow islander is something that has been a constant on Nantucket, back to when the first English came to the island to settle in 1659. Some of it is born of the isolation of the island, but it is largely that the island is akin to one big family and that is what you do, you take care of your family.

JNLF

Keep Calm and Bird On: February 2026

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 21:33:36 GMT

“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.”

-Edith Andrews

An Evening Grosbeak is a rare bonus at a feeding station. Photo by Burton “Spruce” Balkind.

It looks like February— at least for the first week— will be just as cold and yucky as the end of January was. Ponds frozen, ice in the harbors. What's a birder— or for that matter a bird— to do?

This is when bird feeders really becomes more than a source of entertainment, but of survival. Then, the right foods are sometimes a true lifeline for birds. Seed eaters like American Goldfinches, House Finches, Northern Cardinals, and Blue Jays are common feeder birds. Lucky purveyors of sunflower seeds may be rewarded by an evening Grosbeak; thistle seed may attract a Common Redpoll.

Suet or suet and nut mixtures are beloved of Downy, Hairy, or Red-bellied Woodpeckers, as well as Black-capped Chickadees. Often Yellow-rumped Warblers will pick up the crumbs beneath the feeder.

A little seed on the ground is enjoyed by Song, Swamp, and White-throated— or maybe even a Fox – Sparrow. Mourning Doves also come to the feast in droves.

If a few end up as prey for Sharp-shinned or Cooper's Hawks, it is not something to mourn. As Edith Andrews would say, “Enjoy the Hawk.” It's a bird too, filling a useful niche in keeping the flock strong.

And without exception all need to find fresh open water to survive. So a birdbath heater that keeps water unfrozen is a big help too.

Beyond the feeder, a bird-friendly yard can help tremendously year round. Include some shrub cover, a little tangle, a bit of meadow with diverse local weeds, wildflowers, and grasses. Leave fallen leaves for an area insects will like; birds will find them too. Bayberries, once fruit begins to develop, are an excellent winter food for the aforementioned warblers and any others that drop in.

And you never know what — or who— will show up.

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 15:02:53 GMT

January 18, 1858. Before I left Marseilles I took a carriage and with Miss Shepard and the Hawthorne children visited the best parts of the city and then the seaside . . .On Sunday morning {January 17} at 8 o’clock we left Marseilles for Genoa and Leghorn, uncertain what our further destination would be. Mr. Hawthorne’s indecision is so great that the termination of our journey together is very uncertain . . .

I have noted before that Maria Mitchell would travel through parts of Europe with Nathaniel Hawthorne, his wife, Sophia Peabody Hawthorne, and their children. She expressed her frustrations with Hawthorne – as you can see above – in multiple ways. Further on she notes, that if he had been, “as agreeable in conversation as he is in writing“ which gives you a deeper insight. Here was America’s first woman astronomer getting an intimate experience with the Hawthorne family. She did become quite close to Sophia and the children and I have noted before, Maria would act as their impromptu governess or teacher. Hawthorne was finally swayed in making a decision when his daughter, Una, noted that both Maria and Miss Shepard desired visiting Rome as did she.

JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Dr. Betsy Sherman for January Science Speaker Series

Tue, 13 Jan 2026 18:26:30 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA— The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) welcomes Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Sherman, MMA’s Marine Senior Science Advisor, for a discussion on what the most recent data from the MMA’s harbor monitoring buoy tells us about the health of Nantucket Harbor and the biodiversity we are working to protect. This event is free and will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, January 21 from 7 – 8:30pm.

During the presentation, Sherman will share update highlights on what high-frequency buoy data reveals: short-lived events; repeated excursions beyond biological thresholds; and the sequencing of changes across oxygen, temperature, pH, chlorophyll, salinity, and nitrate—patterns that are often invisible in grab samples collected days or weeks apart. She will also summarize progress on cross-platform integration – enabling buoy data to be compared with other local monitoring efforts and used to flag conditions that warrant closer attention and guide future questions.

Dr. Elizabeth (Betsy) Sherman is Senior Marine Science Advisor at the Maria Mitchell Association (MMA), a role she assumed in summer 2025. In this position, she has shaped the MMA’s Nantucket Harbor buoy program into a rigorous, decision-relevant monitoring effort focused on harbor biodiversity. She established verification procedures for continuous sensor measurements, cross-checked buoy data with other regional monitoring records, and strengthened data collaboration with partner organizations. She also advises on program design and provides public outreach talks that translate sensor records into ecological meaning.

Dr. Sherman’s work leverages continuous buoy data to address ecological questions that grab sampling rarely resolves, including how often conditions cross biologically meaningful thresholds, how short-lived events accumulate, and how multiple stressors interact across temperature, oxygen, pH, and nutrients. Her analyses have identified recurring temperature patterns consistent with sublethal stress, clarified nitrate dynamics in collaboration with Nantucket’s Natural Resources Department, and kept pH research focused on impacts to eelgrass, bay scallops, and the broader harbor community.

Dr. Sherman is Professor Emerita of Biology at Bennington College, where she spent more than four decades teaching and conducting research. Her scholarship focused on environmental physiology, evolution, and behavior in freshwater and marine systems, with a long-standing emphasis on coral reef biology. Her peer-reviewed publications span thermal tolerance and climate stress, amphibian physiology and disease, and coral reef dynamics. She also held a long-term appointment as a Visiting Scientist with the Cayman Islands Department of Environment and founded several field-based learning programs, including the Bennington College Coral Reef Project.

She earned a B.A. in Biology, High Distinction, from the University of Rochester; a Ph.D. in Zoology, High Distinction, from the University of Vermont; and completed postdoctoral research in Neurobiology and Behavior at Cornell University. A central theme throughout her career has been strengthening public understanding of science and its role in civic life through education consulting and extensive public speaking across New England. Her work has been supported by numerous awards and grants, including multiple grants from the National Science Foundation.

This event will be held via Zoom. Pre-registration is required. To register for the free, virtual event, use the registration link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JYOohlUpRkG-WQBDmIQ6QQ

The Science Speaker Series is generously sponsored by the Maria Mitchell Association’s lead sponsor, Bank of America.

people of all ages.

###

For Immediate Release

January 13, 2026

Contact: Joanna Roche

jroche@mariamitchell.org

Corn Niblets

Mon, 12 Jan 2026 14:52:06 GMT

I wrote this several years ago and have re-blogged it but the juncos are so adorable – little puffball corn niblets. And they are ubiquitous during New England winters.

We all know I am not an ornithologist. I would liken myself to a very amateur birder. While I worked a great deal with my friend and mentor, Edith Andrews, over the years, particularly on her book, I still am TERRIBLE at shorebirds and warblers. Even harriers and hawks.

I grew up watching birds – my parents are birders. My Dad had a primo seat at the bird venue in his study – close to the feeders and the hummingbird feeder right outside the shop keeper’s style window of his study.

But (as I tend to do), I digress.

What are corn niblets and birds doing in the same blog you wonder? Well, that’s what I think of when I see Dark-eyed Juncos. Their beaks remind me of a piece of a corn kernel – and thus the niblets term. Believe it or not, I had never really seen – or maybe noticed – a Junco until I was in my early 20s and my husband and I were living outside Washington, DC where he was an officer stationed with the US Coast Guard. We had a large second story deck and I was feeding the birds. It was November or December and all these little birds with white-greyish breasts and black backs with little beaks showed up. I called my Mom who said, “That’s’ a Junco!’ And probably also then thought, “Duh.”

If you haven’t seen a Junco, they’re absolutely adorable and a harbinger of cold weather around these parts. Last year, I never seemed to glimpse one at all. We seem to have waves from year to year where we have a lot or they are few and far between. But in any case, I was rather excited to see one under my feeder the other day. I went back to look in my bird list and realized I never saw one in 2020 nor in 2021!

Now, identification books state they have a pink-ish beak but I always see them more as a yellowy color – maybe it’s my eyes – but it’s really the size that reminds me of a kernel of corn! But take a look and let me know what you think.

JNLF

PEACE

Mon, 05 Jan 2026 15:07:23 GMT

As Walt Whitman once wrote, “Peace is always beautiful.”

Peace can mean many different things. I have used this Whitman quote above before – my Father loved Whitman. And when I quote Whitman, it makes me feel like my Father is here. Maria and her father, William, were close. In fact, even with a large family of twelve people, the Mitchells were all close. My family is close as well, though we have our moments as most, if not all, families do.

As we bring to a close another difficult year in which the world and its people continue to struggle, take a moment to be thankful and to find and give peace. May you always find peace in yourself and peace with others. May our world become more peaceful and may we all learn that this small space we inhabit is shared and meant for everyone. In the echoes of one of my favorite Maria Mitchell quotes, your small step, your small gesture to another or towards helping something happen, can make a difference – more than you think.

I’ll end with another quote – and a poem I have used the last few years – that is fitting and that also reminds me of another Whitman poem.

JNLF

In Memoriam, [Ring out, wild bells]

Alfred, Lord Tennyson - 1809-1892

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.

Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.

Keep Calm and Bird On: January 2026

Thu, 01 Jan 2026 16:03:11 GMT

“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.”

-Edith Andrews

Snow-covered Canada geese, carrying their own insulation like little swimming igloos.

January brings a whole different cast of characters to the winter birding scene. For most human visitors it is the “off” season—but for some birds, particularly those that nest in the arctic, it’s a nice warm spot with open water and abundant food. True, the neotropical migrants have—or should have—left for Central or South America by now. Many birders are content to put out a variety of foods and stay inside watching their feeders in comfort. It does ease the challenge of the raw winds, see-sawing temperatures, and possible ice and snow. But car birding is also an option.

Outside there is still a moveable feast for the eye, and with proper clothing we can still brave the elements and find plenty to look at. The ocean offers sea ducks, with three species of scoters, Common Eider in several plumages, gorgeous Harlequin Ducks, alcids like Razorbills and Murres, the ubiquitous Bufflehead, and for those who really love an identification challenge, several species of gulls.

Ponds are equally active, with Scaup, Redheads, Canvasbacks, Northern Shovelers and Gadwall; three species of merganser, two types of loons, three kinds of grebes, and more. When ponds freeze the ducks are concentrated in open water, making them easier to find.

As long as they can get food, birds spending the winter are well-adapted for cold; the inner layers of filoplumes, the tough waterproof primaries and wing coverts keep body heat in. Their feet and legs are mostly bone and tendon, with little to suffer from chill. Land birds have also found other useful strategies. Chickadees, for example, store food. They huddle together in cavities or birdhouses for warmth. At night they control their metabolism and body temperature, going into torpor, which is like a kind of temporary hibernation. When daylight returns, they are active again, raiding the sunflower seeds. There is really no bad time to go birding.

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Announces Strategic Property Acquisition and Appointment of Workshop/APD

Tue, 30 Dec 2025 17:36:00 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA—The Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) is pleased to announce two significant milestones in its ongoing Capital Campaign: the acquisition of three properties adjacent to its historic campus, and the appointment of Workshop/APD as the architectural firm leading the design of its future facilities.

After more than two years of discussion and planning, the MMA has acquired the Noyes family property, which includes 27 and 25R Washington Street and 10 Coffin Street, for $2.5 million. This acquisition secures critical land and housing that will play a vital role in advancing the Association’s long-term campus plan and mission-driven growth.

“This is a game-changing moment for the Maria Mitchell Association and for Nantucket,” said Joanna Roche, Executive Director, Maria Mitchell Association. “The acquisition allows us to thoughtfully expand our campus while deepening our ability to serve the community through science, history, and education.”

The acquisition also carries deep historical significance. The Noyes family’s relationship with the Maria Mitchell Association dates to the 1980s, when Robert Noyes served as President of the Board and volunteered extensively on behalf of the organization. The partnership represents a meaningful legacy and a full-circle moment for both the family and the Association.

In addition, the Maria Mitchell Association has selected Andrew Kotchen, Michael Luft-Weissberg and the Workshop/APD team to serve as architects for the project. Workshop/APD is a nationally recognized architecture firm with more than 25 years of experience working on Nantucket. Known for its thoughtful, context-sensitive design, the firm brings a deep understanding of the island’s architectural heritage and environmental landscape.

“I am truly excited to create this lasting legacy to Maria Mitchell and to this community,” said Andrew Kotchen, founding principal of Workshop/APD. “This project offers a unique opportunity to provide a view into the nature and science of this island while honoring its history and sense of place.”

With the property acquisition complete and Workshop/APD in place, the Maria Mitchell Association is prepared to advance into the next phase of the project. Engineering will be led by Nantucket Surveyors, construction oversight by Board Vice President John Wise, and architectural design by Workshop/APD. Over the coming months, the MMA will finalize campus plans incorporating the newly acquired properties, complete updated surveys, and begin the permitting process.

Any design renderings of the Aquarium & Discovery Center are conceptual and remain subject to Town approval for any use of Town property; there is no agreement with the Town for use of the Town parking lot on Washington Street. For more information about the Capital Campaign and the future of the Maria Mitchell Association, visit www.mariamitchell.org .

Founded in 1902, the Maria Mitchell Association is dedicated to the legacy of astronomer Maria Mitchell through education, research, and preservation in astronomy, natural sciences, and history. The Association’s programs serve thousands of learners annually and inspire curiosity, scientific inquiry, and stewardship of Nantucket’s unique environment.

###

For Immediate Release

December 30, 2025

Contact: Joanna Roche

jroche@mariamitchell.org

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 15:41:05 GMT

[1855] On the 12 ^th [December] at 8 o’clock, I found a comet in Cetus. It is probably that seen by Bruhns in Berlin on Nov. 12. It is round and bright and moved so rapidly that in an hour I was certain of its change of place. From 8 to 10 ½ it had moved about half the diameter of my field of view. I tho’t it varied in its light but of this I am not quite certain, as I at times changed from one instrument to another, and I cannot be certain that my eye was not somewhat affected by the size of different powers, so as to affect my judgement. I would give a good deal for it to be my own possession, because it would convince me that I was not declining in vigor.

This comet, unlike her won comet of October 1, 1847, is fairly fast moving – it would take many calculations and much time for her comet to illustrate its movement – beyond just the appearance of its “tail.” Maria had made earlier comments in the month about if being a hard year – the hardest of her life. The loss of friends, her mother’s illness. But this, with other matters, buoyed her spirit and she talked about her “blessings.” This comet was one seen by Maria only eight years after her comet discovery so it seems interesting that she feels she is slipping and not as “vigorous” – she is only thirty-seven years old at this date.

JNLF

A Swatch of Fabric

Tue, 09 Dec 2025 15:30:21 GMT

Another re-blog. I came across this recently while looking through my computer files. I want to re-blog it in memory of Jean Hughes, an incredibly gifted islander, who was directly influential in the lives of so many island children and those in need. She was the Coffin School Trustee’s President for many years and I had the honor to serve as a trustee under her. She passed away in the summer of 2025. Jeanie loaned me this from her family collections as she thought I would enjoy it. She knew me better than I thought she did. With love.

1830s Chinese silk to be exact. It literally floated into my lap as I sat reading a letter.

A letter from a young Nantucket girl to her grandparents. A young girl who just several years before had moved from tiny Nantucket Island to San Francisco with her mother to join her father. He had moved for better work and a better life. Nantucket was in an economic decline.

Reading this treasure trove of letters – loaned to me by a friend who is a descendant of these people I mention – was like spying on them. Now, when I read Mitchell family letters and writing it is slightly different for me. Having worked in the Mitchell House for so long, I feel like they are a part of my family. This batch of letters was different however. I felt like they know I read their letters – as if they were looking over my shoulder or sitting on the other side of the room aghast. I felt like they thought no one ever would – or at the very least an outsider – read this correspondence.

The worse letter one was the son writing to his mother upon receipt of her letter telling him of his father’s death. That was hard. Made harder because he thought his father was fine – he was as of the last letter a month or two before. Made harder as I lost my own Father a little over a year ago. I knew how he felt – but cannot imagine receiving a letter that is about a month old telling one of such horrible news. He had not seen his father in several years. I could speak to my Father, visited him monthly, and was there with him. That was not an easy letter to read.

The silk fabric piece is quite beautiful – and still pristine – as if it was just folded into the letter yesterday. She wanted to share with her grandparents the dress that her cousin had brought to her directly from Hong Kong. A cousin, who was likely pregnant – or “sick” as was written but it was obvious what “sick” meant (yes, pregnancy was looked at as an illness in a way – and there were high rates of infant and mother mortality during and immediately following birth). The cousin had travelled back and forth to Hong Kong on the China Trade with her husband it seems but due to the pregnancy had to be put off with family or others until the baby was born. This was a common practice for the wives of whale captains who might go to sea with their husbands. They were put off with other whaling families or missionaries in far off ports so that they could have their baby where others could help. Sometimes they were put off months in advance. And, did you know that Nantucket whale wives were the FIRST to go to sea with their captains husbands? They set the trend – after all, we were the whaling capital of the world. At least, until we lost that title for multiple reasons.

I digress.

The other piece that leads one to realize that money was to be had – at least for the cousin – is that she didn’t bring fabric – she brought the dress already made in Hong Kong. Yes, it would have been less costly there than in the United States but it shows there was extra money for spending. And, there was enough excess fabric inside the dress for this young girl to cut off a piece of it and send it to her grandparents. Making them feel as if they were a part of her daily life – and making her feel that way too. So far from home. On the other side of the continent with Nantucket Sound in the midst, to boot.

JNLF

Keep Calm and Bird On: December 2025

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 20:30:38 GMT

“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.”

-Edith Andrews

Common Loon by Tom Griswold

Winter birding is still great—in some ways better than summer birding. The picture changes, as lands and lakes to our north disappear in snow or freeze up. Many people used to seeing Common Loons, for example, on inland lakes find them an odd sight in the ocean. Loons in winter have molted into drabber plumage and sought out our still liquid salt water for access to food. But don’t necessarily expect to hear them call.

Probably nothing has changed birding culture more than the “Merlin” app from Cornell. Along with the much older “eBird” list-keeping app, both have given birders much wider access to a bigger picture, such as birds’ normal range in every season. Apps help birders identify what they see and or hear. And for science, it makes it easy to keep track of the effort expended, a factor in determining relative abundance and rarity.

Merlin is not perfect; new birders should also use visual references as they “learn the birds” in their area and beyond. But eBird is also a great way to keep in touch with what other birders are seeing in the area.

But no matter how refined the technology, some things remain the same: birds’ elusiveness; their speed; their maddening ability to disappear. No matter how fast reports come in, birds are still faster. Birding culture is full of quaint terms like “Birthday Bird” or “Christmas Bird.” We may go out looking for something in particular, either for a list or just for fun. Mostly we accept whatever shows up. But there is also the term “Nemesis Bird.” This is often one that everyone else seems to have found lately, except you. Luck and timing also have to come together in a moment of vision. This is what makes an experience in nature, like seeing or hearing a bird well, a gift. And although it may take patience to “unwrap,” it’s a gift available to all.

A Child’s Donation

Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:59:54 GMT

A past blog that I forgot I had written when I came across the letter written about below. Once I realized I had already written a blog about it, I decided it was worth re-blogging.

Over Christmas, a neighbor of my Mother’s gave her a copy of something she came across while cleaning things up in her house. She thought my Mother would enjoy it and by the same token, my Mother thought that I would.

Her note with it stated it proved she was as, “old as dirt.” She isn’t old as dirt. Believe me.

The letter she had copied was from the War Production Board and dated December 16, 1942. It was, “written at the request of President Roosevelt,” who wanted to thank this young girl for her donation of a rubber tire. This was not any old rubber tire you see. It was a pure rubber tire – very much needed for the war effort – from one of her toy airplanes and measured not more than half an inch or so in diameter. This young girl was distressed that everyone else, including in her family, was assisting in the war effort and that she wasn’t. So when she discovered the tire was rubber, she asked her mother to send it to Washington, DC. Which, obviously, her mother did do.

What does this have to do with Maria Mitchell you wonder? Well, it makes me think of collections and saving things. You have your own collections and archives at home – your family papers and photographs, your books (aka special collection books). These are valuable to your family and its history. They help you see what and who came before you and how your family became a family. What they endured. How they got to where they did and how where they came from helped, in part, to get you to where you are today.

And then, these papers and books are important for the larger community. We learn from our past and our collective past – and these items help us do that. Scores of researchers use Maria Mitchell’s papers and those of her family every year. Not everyone is doing research on the family – they can be doing research on astronomy or some science-related matter, someone whom Maria or her family knew. The possibilities are endless.

So, from this little letter, I know a young girl in Connecticut contributed to the war effort and what she gave. I know that rubber (not that I didn’t already but you get the idea) was important to the war effort in some way. I also know that many people contributed to the war effort and this was just one simple way to do it. I know she had a toy that had rubber components. And as a young girl in 1942, she was playing with toy airplanes. And I know that the war effort was all consuming to the point that a small child wanted to make sure she found a way to help too while seeing her family members helping.

Your paper is important. Always find a venue for these items if you no longer want them. They will help us to better understand our world – past and present.

JNLF

P.S. Remember that every donation, every gift to someone in need, matters. No matter how small it is – or you think it is.

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Mon, 24 Nov 2025 15:08:37 GMT

Nov. 15, 1876. Congress. The Woman’s congress met in Philadelphia. The papers were numerous and excellent. Mrs. Howe’s on paternity the most successful. Grace Anne Lewis, ABB [Antoinette Brown Blackwell], Mrs. Diaz [Abby Morton Diaz], Mrs. Perus and others had very good papers. The newspaper treated us very well. The institutions opened their doors to us, the centennials gave us a reception.

But – we didn’t have a good time!

1 ^st . The Hall was a very bad one to speak in, almost no one could be heard.

2 ^nd . The Women’s committee of Philadelphia led by Mrs. Bartol, attempted to control us . . .

Several women protested via passed note to Maria Mitchell that they did not want to discuss suffrage for women at the Congress. Really? Why were they even there then? Apparently, they were afraid (I can see that). Ultimately, papers were presented and discussed concerning women’s suffrage. They even had people oppose the nomination of Julia Ward Howe as President. A small group of women offered up other nominations with one finally saying that the new president needed to be from the west, implying there was too much northeast representation on the board. Maria was not pleased in the least. Ultimately, Julia Ward Howe became President.

JNLF

Curator Almost Eaten By Large Lobster

Mon, 17 Nov 2025 16:29:42 GMT

Clementine has finally molted! We at the MMA have been awaiting this for quite some time so I decided to re-post an old blog about Clementine.

Well, not quite. But, part of my job is to also take care of all of the MMA properties. So, I headed over to check on one and what cleaning supplies are needed for the summer and for our staff spring clean-up of the site. In one room, some of the animals from the Aquarium over-winter. One of those is “our” lobster, Clementine, so-called because she is orange in color. (Orange lobsters are five times rarer than blue lobsters and only one in ten million lobsters are orange.) She is fairly active and though the hope is that she “sleeps” a bit for the winter, she doesn’t seem to.

So, enter curator into room who glances over and hopes the lobster does not “run” to the side of the tank asking to be fed. Yes, she really does that – she has gotten used to people. I always hate it because I feel guilty – I do not feed her because that falls to the Natural Science Department and I do not want to hurt her or her schedule in any way. In any case, “Whew!” She actually seemed quiet at the back of the tank. Maybe she was “sleeping.” I kept moving to the next room and glanced back. Low and behold, she was at the front of the tank waving her claws! Seriously? So I kept moving on – after telling her, “I can’t feed you,” – and she went to the back of the tank again! Another, “Whew!”

I decided to text Emily, our Director of Natural Science (at that time), and relay what happened. I get a text back. “You can feed her if you want.” “Really?” I texted back. “What do I give her?” So, Clementine then ran back to the front of the tank when she saw me opening the freezer and taking out the mussels and a shrimp. I got another text from Emily: “Use the forceps to hand them to her.” Well, I wasn’t about to put my hand in there! So, I get the shrimp, put it in the forceps, open the top of the tank and start to put my hand down, and INSTANTLY two HUGE lobster claws come out of the tank and grab not the shrimp but the forceps! I wish I had a picture. I was afraid she was going to take the forceps. And then, I was afraid my hand was going to be her lunch. I could not get her to release the forceps – it was a battle royale though the battle was more on her part because I was afraid I would break her claw! After some twisting of the forceps and tugging, she finally relented, took the shrimp, and began her lunch. Another, “Whew!” I was afraid I was either going to hurt her or I was going to be explaining to my three-year old what happened to Mommy’s hand at work. Veuve Clicquot with that, Clementine?

Apparently, someone else knew what transpired with the lobster. As I left the building, a male mallard duck was paddling around in the rather large puddle – if you can call it that – located on the property. We have recently had a large amount of rain. He was laughing (I mean quacking) at me.

In all seriousness, I have never met a lobster with so much personality. Yes, personality. Clementine may just have changed my tune on lobster rolls.

JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Travel Sommelier and Dr. Jackie Milingo of the MMA as November Science Speaker Series

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 20:45:08 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA—The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) welcomes Darren Humphreys, founder and CEO of Travel Sommelier, and Dr. Jackie Milingo, MMA’s Director of Astronomy, for a captivating discussion on the upcoming total solar eclipses in Spain (2026) and Egypt (2027). Learn how Travel Sommelier and the MMA are collaborating to craft unique, curated astro-travel experiences for travelers eager to witness these extraordinary celestial events. This event is free and will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, November 19 from 7 – 8:30pm.

During the presentation, Humphreys will share how Travel Sommelier is designing seamless, one-of-a-kind eclipse travel experiences, crafted with precision, passion, and purpose. These itineraries include a week-long journey in northern Spain (2026) featuring Barcelona’s culinary delights and Menorca’s wellness offerings, as well as a trip along Egypt’s Nile River (2027), exploring ancient temples and the storied landscapes of one of the world’s most historic civilizations.

The MMA will collaborate on these exclusive trips by providing the guidance and insights of its professional astronomers to enhance the experience and offer expert insights on the celestial events, giving participants an insider’s view of these extraordinary astronomical phenomena.

This presentation offers a unique opportunity for travelers, astronomy enthusiasts, and anyone curious about the intersections of culture, history, and the cosmos to learn about once-in-a-lifetime adventures to witness these extraordinary solar eclipses.

Darren Humphreys, after a successful career on Wall Street, followed his true calling and founded Travel Sommelier, fueled by a deep-rooted wanderlust and a desire to share the power of meaningful travel. Humphreys strongly believes in having fun along the way and finds gratitude in finding close friendships among his trusted partners and curious clients.

Humphreys has explored over ninety countries across every continent and continues to find magic in every destination—immersing himself in new cultures, complex histories, and unforgettable culinary and wine experiences. From introducing travelers to his native South Africa to uncovering hidden gems around the globe, he invites you to see the world through a richer, more personal lens.

Dr. Jackie Milingo is an observational astronomer who earned B.S. degrees in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Kansas, and a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Oklahoma. Her research is currently focused on understanding magnetic activity cycles in sun-like stars through long-term studies of star spots. Dr. Milingo joins the MMA after a year-long AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship at the U.S. National Science Foundation, where she was a Fellow in the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs, as well as the Astronomy Division in the Math and Physical Sciences Directorate. Before her fellowship, she was a professor in the Physics Department at Gettysburg College for over twenty years where her work included mentoring undergraduate research students.

Dr. Milingo joined the staff of the MMA in early September after a year-long, worldwide search for a new astronomer. She becomes the eighth MMA Astronomer and Director of the Astronomy Department of the MMA since Margaret Harwood, the MMA’s first astronomer, served from 1916 to 1957. Dr. Milingo has spent her career committed to generating transformative experiential learning opportunities, contributing to public education and outreach, removing barriers for students, and changing the conversation and learning spaces in astronomy, physics, and STEM in general.

This event will be held via Zoom. Pre-registration is required.

To register for the free, virtual event, use the registration link below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_iBdtLfUQRQuPH_Ytbh9u-Q#/registration

The Science Speaker Series is generously sponsored by the Maria Mitchell Association’s lead sponsor, Bank of America.

###

For Immediate Release

November 10, 2025

Contact: Jonelle Gurley

jgurley@mariamitchell.org

Miss Herschel

Mon, 10 Nov 2025 15:17:23 GMT

A re-blog from years past.

The item you see here is a small piece of what once was. Upon her visit to Europe as a young woman’s chaperone in 1857 –1858, Maria Mitchell visited many of the major observatories of Europe and met many of the movers and shakers in the scientific, art, and literary worlds of the continent.

While Caroline Herschel (1750 – 1848) and her brother, Sir William (1738 – 1822), were long dead, Maria was able to meet Caroline’s nephew (William’s son), Sir John Herschel (1792 – 1871). All three were astronomers, though Caroline found herself having to give credit – or have her brother accept credit – for much of her work because she was a woman. She has often been credited with the being the first woman to discover a comet. She was likely not – and the other woman who was the first lost credit through history as she had to “give” her comet discovery to her husband. See a pattern? Caroline was just one of many women in a long line of, “She couldn’t possibly do that – she is a woman!” As Maria once said, “But a woman, what more could you ask to be?”

But back to this small item. It was a page from one of Caroline Herschel’s notebook’s, torn from its home by John Herschel to serve a s a memento for Maria of her visit to the family’s home. Maria was a bit shocked but . . . she took it! Over the years, the paper tore and ripped and just crumbled away until Maria finally decided that to save it, she needed to past it into one of her own journals. And thus, we have what we have. I assume Caroline’s notations refer to her brother William – “Wol” and Woll.” It could be an “I” but it really looks like an “O.”

She is considered the world’s first professional woman astronomer – she would be compensated for her work after some time – and she warrants a greater look at – too much for a blog. So I encourage you to go take a look at her. Maria would want you to!

JNLF

From The Rear

Mon, 03 Nov 2025 15:36:12 GMT

I am not so sure our founders would love that title but the image is of the Maria Mitchell Vestal Street Observatory (MMO) “from the rear.”

I love this image as it is really the only one we have – unless you count the one that is taken from farther away and from further into the backyard of the Mitchell House. That one allows you to see the natural slope of the Mitchell House back lawn which would be altered when they added the Curator’s Cottage. Both of the images were taken before the Curator’s Cottage was added at the back of the Mitchell House in the early 1930s – and this one you see here was taken before 1922 when they added the Astronomical Study onto the MMO. It also shows the original dome – which was copper – before it was replaced in 1951 – which is the current dome. The copper did not hold up to our climate here – salt spray, damp, fog. But the new one, shipped over from England, has held up well. The current dome was donated by Margaret Underwood Davis (MMA board president at the time), in memory of her son, Cushing Davis who was an amateur astronomer. Margaret Davis served as president from 1930-1946 and again from 1949-1953.

The image tells you some other things too. For instance, the grape arbor behind the Mitchell House is supposed to be Peleg Mitchell’s (Maria’s uncle) grape vine – I have blogged about it several times before – and you can see it in this image. You can also see how the Milk Room connects to the 1850s kitchen. The 1850s kitchen was added by Peleg Mitchell Jr and it’s the first little wart you see with the white pipe attached. The next wart is the Milk Room – also added by Peleg – it’s the one with the shutters on the window. Both still exist it’s just the Curator’s Cottage was attached in the 1930s. You will see another chimney too. It appears alongside the white pipe. That is likely the original chimney to what is now the Astronomer’s Cottage at the MMA. We acquired the Cottage in the 1920s but I believe all of the additions, and the removal of the chimney, were done before we were given it.

Fun!

JNLF

Keep Calm and Bird On: November 2025

Sat, 01 Nov 2025 19:04:14 GMT

“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.”

-Edith Andrews

Scissor-tailed flycatcher, state bird of Oklahoma, very rare on the East Coast.

Photo by Trish Pastuszak.

November is potentially exciting for rarities, so it is not a time to give up on birding, rain or shine. But there is more going on this month, starting right with November 1.

Perhaps the most important of Robert " Dr. Bob” Kennedy's many legacies was the founding of the Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative in 2004 . He spearheaded an idea for all Island conservation groups, landowners, and other stakeholders to combine forces. With more than a dozen members including MMA participating, NBI is still going and stronger than ever. Collectively we offer small research grants and local facilitation to attract researchers from off-island institutions to work here.

This year we host our Biennial Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative Research Conference , when results are presented to the public, at the Great Harbor Yacht Club on Saturday, November 1. Starting at 8:30am. with coffee, more than 20 researchers will give presentations or posters of their work from the last two years. Lunch and snacks are included. Topics range from marine science, to birds, to plants, to insects (yes, ticks). The presenters will also be available for informal questions from the public. It is an unparalleled opportunity to find out new information about the Island and what is going on around us. On Sunday, there are field trips in the morning and afternoon. For more information and to register visit the website here .

This weekend also marks the annual Vern Laux Memorial Birding Weekend , when local birders and friends will set out to comb the Island for migrants and rarities. Anyone interested can either bird on their own or join a group. The local Bird Club, free and open to all regardless of experience, will meet as usual to car pool at Nantucket High School's Surfside Rd. parking lot Sunday morning at 8am.

Stone Monument Cleaning

Mon, 27 Oct 2025 13:44:09 GMT

I have discussed the process and importance of the proper cleaning and conservation of historic stone monuments – cemetery stones – several times before in this blog. This year’s Mitchell House intern, Talia, was also (happily) last year’s intern and due to her college graduation in early June, she missed the annual workshop I have been running concerning the proper care and cleaning of stone monuments. A stone monument enthusiast, I promised Talia we would clean a stone before she left this season. Happily, we did on September 26. We returned together to clean the stone of Charlotte Burdett, Captain of Barzillai Burdett, one of my favorites. I had come across his stone accidentally when prepping to clean another stone for the workshop in June. (I test stones about a month before I clean them to make sure the cleaner will be okay and there are not any issues with it among other things I check for.) I tested the two Burdett stones and after the workshop was over, I remained in the now fairly hard rain showers to clean his stone. At that point, I was sopping wet and I told Charlotte I would return. I always feel badly when I have to return months, or a year, later to complete the stones in a lot.

We made fast work of Charlotte’s stone – a little under an hour but the Burdetts’ stones are relatively small and simple. It was also a beautiful day to complete the work.

The remainder of this blog will be a bit long because I wanted to share some information on Captain Burdett. He and Charlotte had no children and I have long loved their simple, small gambrel house on North Liberty (not likely a gambrel when they inhabited it). So here we go.

In the history of catboats on the island, the Dauntless is my favorite catboat, likely because the owner/captain is a Nantucket “rockstar” of mine. His small gambrel roofed house still stands along North Liberty – a favorite house of mine before I learned a “rock star” inhabited it! The Dauntless was sometimes referred to as the “star boat” because a large red star was sewn on her sail. Built and captained by boatbuilder, Captain Barzillai Burdett, the Dauntless took visitors from the wharves out to the bathing beaches and on clambakes and fishing excursions, beginning in the early 1870s. Two logs of the Dauntless attest to her being a busy boat, enjoyed not only by the passengers, but by her crew as well. The logs live at the Research Library at the Nantucket Historical Association (NHA). At least one was kept by Benjamin Sharp. When he was young, he served aboard the Dauntless with Captain Burdett. Sharp would become a revered island resident. Born in 1858, Dr. Sharp, a zoologist, was a founder of the Nantucket Cottage Hospital, served as Nantucket’s representative in the state legislature, and was an avid sailor and fisherman. In 1904, with Henry W. Fowler, he wrote T he Fishes of Nantucket .

Times spent with Captain Burdett must have greatly influenced Sharp. One of the logs dates from July 2 through August 28, 1873, and is a daily record of fishing parties and clambakes the Dauntless provided. The log also includes the names of passengers and where they came from, as well as messages they left for Captain Burdett. Included in the log is this poem:

When you go to a clambake,

Plenty of chickens you should take,

As then you have a second dish

For those who do not like shell-fish,

For all should indulge, as best they might,

“The keen demands of appetite.”

The log also has lots of wonderful, comical illustrations − largely drawn by Sharp.

Burdett also built whaleboats during the heyday of whaling on the island. Fishing was also his economic mainstay. When summer was over, he would use the Dauntless to fish as many other catboat owners did. The tourist trade had come second to fishing and whaling on the island but, in many cases, may have made fishing secondary in income once tourism took off on island and became much more lucrative. In 1893, artist Elizabeth Rebecca Coffin (a distant cousin of Maria Mitchell’s and one of her students at Vassar), painted a lovely double portrait of Burdett and Benjamin Pease in Burdett’s shack on Old North Wharf called “A Tale of the Sea (Captain Burdett In His Boathouse).” Today, it is in the collection of the NHA.

PLEASE NOTE: ONE SHOULD NEVER CLEAN THE STONES IN A CEMETERY, WHETHER THEY ARE YOUR FAMILY’S OR NOT, WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM THE CEMETERY SEXTANT AND HAVING BEEN TRAINED TO PROPERLY CLEAN A STONE. There are quite a few TikToks and other social media posts and people are doing the work incorrectly and damaging and further eroding the stones.

JNLF

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Mon, 20 Oct 2025 14:01:09 GMT

1854, Oct. 23. Yesterday I was again reminded of the remark which Mrs. Stowe makes about the variety of occupations which an American woman pursues. She says it is this, added to the cares and anxieties which keep them so much behind the daughters of England in personal beauty. And today, I was amused at reading that one of her party objected to the introduction of wood floors in American housekeeping, because she could seem to see herself down on her knees, doing the waxing. Throughout Mrs. Stowe’s book there is an openness which I like, no pretense in affectation, religious cant but it is honest habit and not affectation.

While this was written many years before, Maria Mitchell and Harriet Beecher Stowe must certainly have been at least acquaintances as they shared things in common. While Beecher Stowe was not a member of the Association for the Advancement of Women, as Maria was (a founder and a term as president), her sister was actively engaged in several of the organizations that Maria was a part of and there must have been some cross-pollination there. Harriet Beecher Stowe, while working towards women’s rights, focused on slaves’ rights and was not an active member of many of the women’s organizations that her sister was a part of. Maria and Harriet shared friends and acquaintances in common and Mitchell made sure that Uncle Tom’s Cabin quickly appeared on the shelf of the Nantucket Atheneum when it was first published.

JNLF

A Gardener’s Woes

Mon, 06 Oct 2025 16:17:02 GMT

It used to be that whatever the deer or bunnies ate at my home garden, I could plant with relief in Town in the Mitchell House garden. But, over the years, it has become more difficult as we have a plethora of bunnies – multiple complaints made here in this blog – and deer that are now coming into Town year round. They have resorted, in winter, to eating ivy and while ivy is considered invasive, it has been a long-time, reliable ground cover in Town – as in a hundred or more years.

Now, we have voles – which do have cycles where their population booms for a year – or two – but we have not had them in the MMA gardens at least in my memory. Now, we do and I worry about them devastating the garden in front of the Observatory which is a large, native species garden we have worked on for many years. I know climate change is definitely playing a role – it’s affecting the birth cycles of voles and allowing them to have potentially more broods. Its also potentially affecting some of their predators that may not be as prevalent and thus fewer voles are being eaten. In any case, we have tunnels galore, which is why I was happy to have ONE blossom on the heirloom morning glories I plant for Mitchell House every spring. Out of 500 or more seeds – I got one lonely blossom!

The voles are attacking my own personal garden – the last two summers – and I have lost many of the mainstay lilies and perennials that have been there for forty years – or they have shrunken due to their root systems being undermined and eaten. Roses are failing too. So if anyone has better ideas then solar hummers, live trap, kill trap, or Juicy Fruit gum – let me know – poisons not allowed!

JNLF

Update: Got four more blossoms - but still!

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Dr. Jackie Milingo, MMA's Director of Astronomy, as Featured October Science Speaker Series

Thu, 02 Oct 2025 17:39:27 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA— —The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces that it will host its new

Director of Astronomy, Jackie Mlingo, PhD., as a featured presenter for its October Science Speaker

Series. The presentation will take place on Wednesday, October 15 at 7pm in person at the MMA

Research Center, 2 Vestal Street, and via Zoom. The event is FREE to all.

Have you ever noticed the dark spots that sometimes appear on the Sun’s surface? These “sunspots” are

just one example of star spots—mysterious patches that appear on stars across the galaxy. Far from

being simple blemishes, star spots reveal the powerful magnetic forces at work inside stars, forces that

also drive solar storms and shape the space weather that can impact entire planetary systems.

In this talk, Dr. Milingo will share her research on star spots and how she uses them as a window into

teaching undergraduates the process of scientific discovery. She will also explore how science can reach

far beyond the classroom—bringing STEM into everyday spaces and sparking curiosity across

communities, from kindergartners to lifelong learners.

Dr. Jackie Milingo is an observational astronomer who earned B.S. degrees in Physics and Astronomy from

the University of Kansas, and a Ph.D. in Astrophysics from the University of Oklahoma. Her research is

currently focused on understanding magnetic activity cycles in sun-like stars through long-term studies of

starpots. Dr. Milingo joins the MMA after a year-long AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellowship at

the U.S. National Science Foundation, where she was a Fellow in the Office of Legislative and Public

Affairs, as well as the Astronomy Division in the Math and Physical Sciences Directorate. Before her

fellowship, she was a professor in the Physics Department at Gettysburg College for over twenty years

where her work included mentoring undergraduate research students.

Dr. Milingo joined the staff of the MMA in early September after a year-long, worldwide search for a new

astronomer. She becomes the eighth MMA Astronomer and Director of the Astronomy Department of

the MMA since Margaret Harwood, the MMA’s first astronomer, served from 1916 to 1957. Dr. Milingo

has spent her career committed to generating transformative experiential learning opportunities,

contributing to public education and outreach, removing barriers for students, and changing the

conversation and learning spaces in astronomy, physics, and STEM in general.

This event will be held both in person and via Zoom. Pre-registration is required to attend either option.

To register for the free, in-person event, use the registration link below:

https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/October-Science-Speaker-Series--Dr-Jackie-Milingo

To register for the free, Zoom option, use the registration link below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5q4kXF2rRHi8iWbFPkLN5w

The Science Speaker Series is generously sponsored by the Maria Mitchell Association’s lead sponsor,

Bank of America

###

For Immediate Release

October 2, 2025

Contact: Jonelle Gurley

jgurley@mariamitchell.org

Keep Calm and Bird On: October 2025

Wed, 01 Oct 2025 17:49:12 GMT

“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.”

-Edith Andrews

The drought continues. So, our hope, our plea, for October is for rain, please, pretty please, with any drop or sprinkle welcome. Birds can make do, to some extent, by getting moisture from condensation on leaves, or dripping fog. Insects require plants, and plants require at least some groundwater. It is interesting to see which plants are less thirsty or have deeper roots. But, some of the inland ponds where we like to look for hidden shorebirds are out of the running this year.

Some ponds are naturally shallow: Almanack, Middle Pout, and Quaise Pond are all subject to drying up periodically. They fill in with grasses, leaving a chance for some rare plants to sprout once they are exposed to air. This is part of the natural cycle. But in August, Reyes Pond became a cracked, turtle-vanquishing glue-pot, becoming lower than long-time inhabitants could ever recall. As it dried, a Solitary Sandpiper visited briefly, along with one Least Sandpiper. But, they moved along as the mud dried. Maxie’s Pond also had an unusual amount of exposed shoreline. So, some of our usual “unusual” shorebird spots in the hills have suffered. The deepest kettle ponds have retained some water; some appear unchanged. The ground water is now so low that it will take more than one winter’s rain to replenish.

This is yet another reason to plant native species for birds. Bayberry, Viburnum, grapes, at this time of year come into their own with food for passing migrants. Berries that may not appeal to us also attract insects, and birds eat both. Look for Cedar Waxwings, Tree Swallows, Northern Flickers, and those confusing fall warblers. But don’t despise the Grey Catbirds. They have adapted themselves to us, both in North and Central America. Watch as they glean through the tangles; they blend in with the shadows, so it’s good practice.

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Mon, 29 Sep 2025 17:21:46 GMT

Sept. 25, 1854. . . . The best that can be said of my life so far is that it has been industrious, and the best that can be said of me is that I have not pretended to what I was not.

I think of two things when I read this. One is that Quakers believed in being industrious and not wasting time. The second point makes me think immediately of Holden Caulfield – The Catcher in the Rye if you don’t know that character’s name – and his various references and discussions to “phonys” as he refers to them though Maria’s mention here is not entirely in the same vain.

A materially successful Quaker was one who was living “in the light,” as Quakers referred to it. Even if gifted with material wealth, Quakers still lived frugally and were a hard working group of people. As Hector St. Jean de Crèvecoeur noted, “Idleness is the most heinous sin that can be committed in Nantucket . . . for idleness is considered as another word for want and hunger.” If you were not productive and industrious, you would starve – and it would affect others in the community since isolated Nantucket acted as a corporate family economy – everyone was relying on one another for survival. While Maria is also not necessarily going to this depth of industrious it is a Quaker ethic that was strongly imbued in her. She certainly was a hard worked with numerous accomplishments to her name and many different projects completed even by 1854 at age thirty-six.

And don’t forget October 1 ^st is the anniversary of Maria’s comet discovery – October 1, 1847.

JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association to Host Annual Aquarium Release Day

Tue, 23 Sep 2025 16:43:18 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA— The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces that its annual Aquarium Release Day will take place on Saturday, October 11, 2025 from 10am - 12pm at the MMA Aquarium at 32 Washington Street. A sensory-friendly half hour will be offered from 9:30 – 1oam. Join MMA staff for refreshments and tie-dying as you help the staff release this season’s Aquarium inhabitants back into the ocean. This event is FREE to the public and a great opportunity to learn and celebrate the marine life that lives in the waters of Nantucket Island.

The MMA Aquarium is dedicated to educating the public on the importance of biodiversity in our unique marine ecosystems found here on Nantucket. Each summer, the MMA Aquarium Manager, Christina Norman, as well as her team of dedicated college interns and volunteers, explore the shores of Nantucket and find and document an assortment of over 7,500 individual marine animals, most of which are recorded and released. They snorkel, seine, and beachcomb to collect over 300 different marine animals. These animals are studied and cared for so that the MMA can help people to learn more about these important marine organisms while they are featured at the popular Washington Street Aquarium throughout the season. These marine animals represent roughly seventy different species collected by the MMA staff in tandem with local fishermen.

Pre-registration is encouraged. Register at the link below:

https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/2025-Aquarium-Release-Day

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For Immediate Release

September 12, 2025

Contact: Christina Norman

cnorman@mariamitchell.org

Cecilia Payne Gaposchkin

Mon, 22 Sep 2025 14:11:59 GMT

Many well-known astronomers visited the MMO in its early days. Many of them with connection to the Harvard Observatory which continued its relationship with the MMO by sending astronomers, researchers, and others to assist in the MMO at various times. A British-born astronomer and astrophysicist, Payne Gaposchkin realized she could not advance in her career in the UK and thus came to the US via a program and became the first person to earn a Ph.D. in astronomy at Radcliffe College – the women’s college of Harvard. Barred from becoming a Harvard professor because of her gender, she completed research and was finally given the title “astronomer.” It was not until 1956 she finally was promoted to full professor.

JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Announces Scalloping Field Trip Program October 1 – November 19, 2025

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 20:01:30 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA— The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) is pleased to announce the launch of its 2025 Scalloping Field Trip Program, set to begin October 1. This hands-on, educational experience invites participants to explore the island’s coastal waters alongside MMA Aquarium Manager Christina Norman, while learning about the ecology and conservation of Nantucket’s iconic bay scallops.

Participants will head into the water to collect scallops while learning about their biology, life cycle, and the challenges bay scallops face in today’s changing environment. Hand nets and adult waders will be provided. A shellfish permit is not required to participate—unless attendees wish to take their catch home.

Scalloping Field Trips meet at one of multiple locations in Nantucket Harbor to account for changing scallop availability. Registrants will be notified of the exact location via email before the day of the program. Personal transport to and from the meeting location is required to participate.

Dates: October 1, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 29.; November 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 12, 15, 16, 19.

Cost per Participant: $50

Pre-registration is required for this event and closes two hours before the start time of the program.

Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Scalloping-Field-Trip-01Oct2025

For more information on obtaining an individual shellfish permit, visit the Town of Nantucket website: https://www.nantucket-ma.gov/2304/Shellfish-Permit

The Science Speaker Series is generously sponsored by the Maria Mitchell Association’s lead sponsor, Bank of America.

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For Immediate Release

September 12, 2025

Contact: Christina Norman

cnorman@mariamitchell.org

E. Dorrit Hoffleit, Ph.D.

Mon, 08 Sep 2025 14:31:23 GMT

Dorrit Hoffleit began her tenure at the MMO in 1957. A graduate of Radcliffe, Hoffleit earned a Ph.D. from Radcliffe in 1938. During World War Two, she worked for the U. S. government on missile trajectories and joined Yale’s Astronomy Department in 1956. Her directorship of the MMO allowed her to work part of the year on island and the remainder at Yale with the two organizations sharing her salary. She was the principal author of the Yale Bright Star Catalog – work that was continually added to over fifty years – and her work also focused on the study of variable stars. Hoffleit continued in the path of Harwood with research and public outreach, and bringing worldwide recognition to the MMO. Among her many accomplishments on behalf of the MMO, Hoffleit is known for her work with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and a grant she received in 1957 to allow for the summer training of female undergraduate students in astronomy. This was the pilot project for the national program of the Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) in various branches of science and technology, launched by the NSF in 1990. The MMA became a permanent REU site in astronomy, which is funded by the NSF based on periodically submitted proposals. Today, the MMO continues to have a lasting effect on its students. More than five percent of all the U.S. women becoming Ph.D.s in astronomy have participated in the MMA REU program. The probability of a current MMA REU student (either female or male) to become a Ph.D. is approximately sixty percent. Approximately fifty current professors of astronomy in the U. S. have participated in the REU program at the MMA. Hoffleit who retired from the MMO in 1978, continued her connections to the MMA up until the last weeks of her life. She passed away in 2007 at the age of one hundred.

JNLF

Keep Calm and Bird On: September 2025

Mon, 01 Sep 2025 19:38:21 GMT

“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.”

-Edith Andrews

September on Nantucket is a month of arrivals and departures, as our winter visitors begin to return, while our summer residents think about departing, and some transients are just passing through.

The relentless drought has probably impacted some of our breeding landbirds. Although not all data are in and it is hard to quantify its effect, birds eat bugs. And what’s a bug to do when the leaf of which it would like a tiny bite is withered and dry? Or sprayed to remove it? We still have to hope for rain.

So, arriving early and leaving early, some of our breeders like Yellow Warblers and Common Yellowthroats have already taken off. But still, those from further north may continue to pass through. Meanwhile, shorebirds continue to find food on sandbars and mudflats, as marine organisms—nereid and polychaete worms, along with crustaceans, and the beetles and flies that gather in beach wrack, keep them going. Least Sandpipers have been plentiful; Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Sanderlings; there is still a lot to look at.

At the end of the month the MMA will do fall checks of Barn Owl boxes, and, we hope, band some young. Skyler Kardell and I are now officially permitted to attach bands under the direction of master bander, Richard R. Veit. But will there be a banding office? The Supreme Court recently okayed the firing of Federal workers; the Banding Office was among Federal departments slated to be cut or eliminated. And while there are now sexier—and vastly more expensive—ways to track migration, a cheap, simple leg band is still the only true measure of individual longevity. That is a crucial data point for wildlife managers. It would be a shame to interrupt a data stream now running for over 100 years.

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes James Currie as Featured Guest for the September Science Speaker Series

Thu, 28 Aug 2025 19:51:48 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA— The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA), announces that it will host James Currie as a featured presenter for its September Science Speaker Series. The presentation will take place on Wednesday, September 10 at 7pm via Zoom. The event is free to all.

James Currie will present an engaging discussion, “The Last of the Big Tuskers,” focused on African “super tusker” elephants. In the early 1970s, there were estimated to be 1.2 million elephants in Africa. Today, there are approximately 350,000 to 400,000. Even more alarming, is the fact that we are losing Africa’s super tuskers (those elephants with at least one tusk weighing 100 pounds or more) at an astounding rate. Today, only about twenty remain. At the same time, entire elephant populations are increasingly becoming completely tuskless, a sort of human-induced evolution that is being fueled by the insatiable demand for ivory. Currie produced the multiple award-winning documentary on elephants “ Last of the Big Tuskers “ – filmed in part in 2018 at Great Plains’ ol Donyo Lodge set in Kenya’s Chyulu Hills. This fascinating presentation will give you insights into the immediate need to protect these giants of Africa through some intriguing conservation techniques.

Currie is a South African–born wildlife expert, elephant specialist, and Head of Sales & New Development for the Americas at Great Plains Conservation. A life-long conservationist, he is best known as host of “Nikon’s Birding Adventures” (ten seasons on Discovery/NBC), “A Wild Connection,” and the award-winning documentary “Last of the Big Tuskers.” He has also hosted National Geographic’s “Aerial Assassins,” appeared in “Twitchers,” and created two National Geographic video lecture series on birding and African safaris.

He has led wildlife and birding tours across the globe for more than twenty years and is a highly sought-after speaker, having presented at the Explorers Club in New York, the National Audubon headquarters, and international travel conferences. He is the author of When Eagles Roar and has contributed to major media outlets including, The Wall Street Journal and “Martha Stewart Radio.”

In addition to his media and guiding career, Currie holds a Master’s in Sustainable Environmental Management and has worked extensively to connect conservation with local community development in Africa. Originally from South Africa, he now lives in West Palm Beach, Florida, with his wife and three children.

This event is free and will be held via Zoom only. Pre-registration is required to attend:

To register for Zoom, use the registration link below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JAX95jRiR3qgovk7f2FKZQ?_ics=1755871368435&irclickid=~90VKGwndgafhimciklryofgnf8ab847261YXYNONIzohdc~2XROF&_gl=1*18q649z*_gcl_au*MTA5NjI5NDkxOS4xNzU1MjY5NjI5*_ga*MTQ0MjQ3MjM5LjE3Mzc1NzY0Nzk.*_ga_L8TBF28DDX*czE3NTU4NzEzNjgkbzE4JGcwJHQxNzU1ODcxMzY5JGo1OSRsMCRoMA..#/registration

The Science Speaker Series is generously sponsored by the Maria Mitchell Association’s lead sponsor, Bank of America.

###

For Immediate Release

August 1, 2025

Contact: Grace Kotchen

marketinginterns@mariamitchell.org

Astronomical Study

Mon, 25 Aug 2025 14:10:42 GMT

With Margaret Harwood’s growing collection of glass plates of the night skies needing better storage and Harwood in need of a warm place to work in the fall and spring, the Hinchman family gave $5,000.00 towards the construction of a study and storage area at the MMO. The MMA was able to raise the remaining $1,500.00 needed and the Astronomical Study was built in 1922 between the Observatory and Mitchell House. The Astronomical Study was built as a memorial to Eliza R. Mitchell, the Treasurer of the MMA from 1905 to 1918, and a family member.

JNLF

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Mon, 18 Aug 2025 14:59:22 GMT

August 17{1857}

Today we have been to the far-famed British museum. I carried as “open sesame” a paper given to me by Prof. Henry asking for me special attention from all societies with which the Smithsonian {is} connected . . . . The art of printing has brought us incalculable blessings, but as I looked at a neat manuscript book by Queen Elizabeth copied from another, as a present to her Father I could not help thinking that it was better than worsted work!

On August 2, 1857, Maria Mitchell and the young woman she was accompanying as a chaperone, Prudence Smith, arrived in Liverpool England for their European tour. Maria Mitchell’s “open sesame” was a letter of introduction – she went with several. She would find that the doors were thrown open for America’s first woman astronomer – she was that well known in America and abroad. She would become quite close to Sir George Airy, the British Astronomer Royal, and his wife Richarda, as well as the astronomical Herschel family.

JNLF

Maria Mitchell Vestal Street Observatory: Conserved, Refreshed, and Renewed

Mon, 11 Aug 2025 15:15:58 GMT

After many years on the making, we are happy to officially announce the re-opening of the Maria Mitchell Vestal Street Observatory – also fondly referred to as the MMO.

As you may have seen on the Maria Mitchell’s Attic bog, this has truly been more than a multi-year labor of love. Way back in 2016, we began the first steps with a structural assessment by structural engineer, John Wathne of Structures-North. That, coupled with an earlier Conservation Assessment Program grant from Heritage Preservation and supported by the Institute for Museum and Library Services that allowed the MMA to hire architectural conservator, Michael Devonshire, began us on our path to conserve the historic MMO.

Grants from the Community Preservation Act and the M. S. Worthington Foundation supported the conservation work on the 1908 Observatory and its 1922 Astronomical Study. Masonry and grout were repaired, rusted iron lintels over windows and doors were replaced with steel and work was completed to the “parapets.” This sounds simple – it was not – it was a multi- year project to work with the masonry and to create a matching grout. Wayne Morris, the mason, became a fixture on Vestal Street again – as he did all the masonry conservation and work on the exterior of the Research Center. Once the MMO’s exterior was weather tight and the interior masonry work completed, the rest of the crew moved in to conserve the plaster, re-paint, and conserve the original 1922 bookcases and woodwork in the Study. Paint was removed from the dome bringing it back to its original glory. Cement floors were cleaned and treated and electrical wiring was updated and new lighting put in the Study.

A major renovation was also conducted concerning the “Seminar Room” – a 1987 addition to the west of the MMO – which was completed in 2024. This was funded in large part by Mitchell family descendant and former (now honorary) MMA Board Member, Richard Wolfe. New office spaces were created for astronomy staff, updates were made to the astronomy intern workspace and meeting space, and a new accessible bathroom was completed. We also owe a huge debt of gratitude to two other board members in this work, particularly with the Seminar Room – Elizabeth Markel and John Wise.

We would like to thank everyone for their roles in making this long journey a success and for doing all of this important work. Thank you does not express it well enough – they have truly all been heroes of the MMO. We are beyond grateful. THANK YOU and WOW it all looks incredible!

Wayne Morris, Mason

John Wathne, Structures-North Consulting Engineers

Wise Construction – John Wise, Pat Marks, “Chip” and Crew

Elizabeth Markel, Elizabeth Markel Interiors

Ellis and Schneider Electrical

Benjamin Normand, Normand Residential Design

W. B. Marden Plumbing, Robert and henry Butler, Mike Gillies, and Derek

Kevin Wiggin and Crew, KW HVAC INC

Pen Austin, plasterer

Evita Caune, Riptide Finishes

Brian Connor and Crew, Brian Connor Electric Inc.

Adam Zanelli and Crew, Nantucket Heritage Painting

Michael Devonshire

James Lydon and Sons and Daughter

Michael Stefanski, Seed to Stone Landscaping

Matthew Anderson and Maxx Ray

Michael Gault

Pioneer Cleaning

Brook Meerbergen, M.A. Supply / Green Mountain Window Co.

Nantucket Networks

Polygon Group

JNLF

Nantucket MMA and Nantucket Lights Welcome James Lowenthal as Featured August Science Speaker Series

Thu, 07 Aug 2025 19:44:28 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA— The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA), in collaboration with Nantucket Lights , announces that it will host James Lowenthal, PhD, the Mary Elizabeth Moses Professor of Astronomy at Smith College, as a featured presenter for its August Science Speaker Series. The presentation, “The Magic of the Night... and How We Can Save It,” will take place on Wednesday, August 20 at 7pm in person at 33 Washington Street and via Zoom. The event is free to all.

Do you love seeing the Milky Way from Nantucket? Do you enjoy Nantucket's beautiful gardens by day? The naturally dark night is one of Nature's greatest gifts. Humans and all other life on Earth evolved to depend on bright days and dark nights, and for thousands of generations, humans have turned to the night sky for inspiration, connection to our ancestors and culture, religion, science, and awe. Pollinators, migrating birds, marine life and plants all need natural darkness at night to thrive. Join Smith College Professor of Astronomy, James Lowenthal, on an illustrated tour of the magic of the night and learn how, together, we can preserve that night magic by taming the growing threat of light pollution -- a global problem with a local solution.

James Lowenthal is the Mary Elizabeth Moses Professor of Astronomy at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. He received his BS in Physics and Astronomy from Yale and his PhD in Astronomy from the University of Arizona. He studies the formation and evolution of galaxies, especially actively star-forming galaxies. He leads the local advocacy group Northampton City Lights and the Massachusetts chapter of DarkSky International; chairs the Light Pollution Sub-Committee of the American Astronomical Society’s Committee for the Protection of Astronomy and the Space Environment; and is President of the International Astronomical Union's Commission on Site Protection (i.e., light pollution). He spends as much time outdoors under the night sky as he can.

This event will be held both in person and via Zoom. Pre-registration is required to attend either option.

To register for the in-person event, use the registration link below:

https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/August-Science-Speaker-Series---Nantucket-Lights

To register for Zoom, use the registration link below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Hbm6LI9HQ6CcAs9PHPId1A

The Science Speaker Series is generously sponsored by the Maria Mitchell Association’s lead sponsor, Bank of America.

Nantucket Lights, founded in 2021, is a nonprofit, all volunteer citizen advocacy group exclusively dedicated to preserving and protecting Nantucket’s nighttime environment and heritage of dark skies by raising awareness about light pollution on the island and advocating for environmentally responsible outdoor lighting.

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For Immediate Release

August 7, 2025

Contact: Joanna Roche

jroche@mariamitchell.org

Glass Plate Photographic Collection

Mon, 04 Aug 2025 15:15:51 GMT

With the help of Edward Pickering from Harvard, the MMA was able to develop a research program and realized that a photographic telescope would be necessary. Funds were raised and by November 1913, a 7.5-inch photographic telescope was installed. Using Maria Mitchell’s 5-inch Alvan Clark telescope as a guide for the larger photographic telescope, the photographic telescope had a lens from Thomas Cooke and Sons of York, England and a cast-iron pier, mount, and clockwork by Alvan Clark & Sons in Cambridge, MA. The pier, mount, and clockwork are still present in the MMO – the pier and mount still utilized but by a 17-inch research telescope purchased with a grant from the National Science Foundation.

The glass plates taken of the night sky at the MMO total more than 8,000 and they are still utilized for research. They capture a moment in the night sky that can never be captured again – just like a regular photograph. In order to capture the image of the night sky, exposures could last for as long as three hours or more. Glass plates were heavily used for researching variable stars. They also afforded opportunities for new discoveries that could go unnoticed when one looked through a telescope by eye. Glass plates are gelatin-coated dry plate negatives that first came into use in the 1870s. They were utilized well into the late twentieth century particularly because they did not shrink or deform like plastic film. At the MMA, we continued to take glass plates of the night sky until 1995 when we had the opportunity and funding to update to a CCD camera – charge-coupled devices. While the CCDs provided many improvements, they still did not have the detecting area and resolution of glass plates. Technology continues to evolve, and the MMA with it, as we work with new methods to capture the night sky photographically.

JNLF

Keep Calm and Bird On: August 2025

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 19:54:31 GMT

“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.”

-Edith Andrews

August is a great time to look for shorebirds. Yes, they are mostly brown and white in varying mixtures. But don’t let that intimidate you. Think of it as welcome relief from the struggle of plumage detail and look at location, size, and behavior, followed by bill and leg color. Admittedly, a telescope is best for seeing the latter, but sorting by location and behavior makes a good start.

Sanderlings are smallish-medium size birds of the ocean beach. Almost constantly active, they run like wind-up toys, feeding in the swash, probing with black bills and legs. They chase after a retreating wave, and scurry back up as the next one comes in. They often rest on one leg, tucking the other up out of sight. Be skeptical of reports of one-legged Sanderlings.

On calm flats and sandbars in bays and harbors, sort them first by size. Godwits (a rare and lucky sight) are biggest, with upcurving two-tone bills. Next are Whimbrel with crescent-shaped down-curved bills. Least Sandpipers are smallest and brownest. Dowitchers are a chubby medium. Think of them as the “sewing-machine” birds. They get into a line in or at water’s edge, mechanically moving their long straight bills up and down, as if stitching a hem of water. Yellowlegs, Greater and Lesser, actually do have yellow legs and sweep with thin bills in the water. Ruddy Turnstones, once described to me as “looking like a slice of marbled rye” (although possibly ‘cinnamon toast’ might better incorporate their ‘ruddy’ plumage) turn stones and flip shells over to seek the goodies beneath. Oystercatchers are unmistakable with their large red bill; Willets have a similar wing pattern but are otherwise brownish-greyish all over. White-rumped Sandpipers have white rumps visible in flight. Walking or running, Spotted Sandpipers bob their tails. Plovers have distinctive style: run-stop; run-stop; run-stop-look, peck. Black-bellied are largest, and if still in breeding plumage, have black tummies. Semi-palmated Plover are the color of wet mud; Piping Plover, the color of dry sand.

Shorebirds not at the shore include American Woodcock, Upland and Buff-breasted Sandpiper—the latter does have a buffy breast, the color of light toast.

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association’s National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates Interns Present Summer Astronomy Research Projects

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 19:44:24 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA— Please join us in person at the Maria Mitchell Association’s Research Center, 2 Vestal Street, or online via Zoom, on Wednesday, August 6,

5pm – 7pm, for a very special presentation of this summer’s astronomy research. The MMA’s National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) 2025 interns will present their research on everything from glowing supernovae and mysterious variable stars to ways dust affects the light we see.

The MMA’s Maria Mitchell Observatory operates the NSF-REU program each summer and has done so for decades. The program, funded by a generous grant from the National Science Foundation, allows the MMA to bring six top undergraduate students to the MMA each summer who are selected out of a pool of over 250 applicants from around the United States. The NSF-REU interns come to Nantucket for ten to twelve weeks during the summer to participate in astrophysics research projects. While on Nantucket, the NSF-REU interns also participate in the outreach efforts of the Astronomy Department, primarily by hosting public Open Nights at the Loines Observatory.

This summer’s five NSF-REU interns and their research presentations are:

Madison Gerard (University of Texas at Austin): How Low Can You Glow? Analyzing the Low-Luminosity SN IIP 2024abfl

Kaylee Perez (Texas State University): How Dust Changes the Light We See: Exploring the Link Between Dust Extinction and Attenuation with Simulated Data

Lauren Barkey (California Poly Pomona): Peek-a-Boo!: Exploring the NEOWISE Lightcurves of R Coronae Borealis Variable Stars

Aiden Agostinelli (University of Montana) & Ben Radmore (University of Michigan): When the Dust Settles: Late-Time Infrared Imaging of SN 2011ja

This event is free to the public. This presentation is offered both in person and online via Zoom.

Pre-registration is required.

Register for in person here : https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Science-Speaker-Series---MMA-x-NSF-REU-Interns-A

The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA), founded in 1902, is a recognized leader in inspiring and training the next generation of astronomers and scientists. Since the Astronomy Department’s inception, hundreds of undergraduate students, the great majority of them women, have discovered the joy of doing astronomical research surrounded by the natural beauty and dark skies of Nantucket Island. Many have gone on to successful careers as astronomers at leading universities, observatories, and other organizations. In fact, it is estimated that one of every twenty American women PhDs in astronomy today acquired their first research experience at the MMA’s Maria Mitchell Observatory. The organization’s success in STEM education was recognized in 2009 with the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring from President Obama for its half-century long program of mentoring student research in astronomy.

Over the years, several MMA NSF-REU interns have won the prestigious Chambliss Astronomy Achievement Student Award, including in each of the past five American Astronomical Society winter meetings, a testament to the quality of the MMA’s astronomy internship program. Approximately 90% of MMA astronomy interns have gone on to astrophysics Ph.D. programs.

The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. 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.

###

For Immediate Release

August 1, 2025

Contact: Grace Kotchen

marketinginterns@mariamitchell.org

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Announces Green Crab Week

Fri, 01 Aug 2025 19:36:40 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA— Join the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA), Nantucket Land and Water Council (NLC), and Sustainable Nantucket (SN) for the Sixth Annual Nantucket Green Crab Week! The MMA, NLC, and SN will be offering fun daily events August 3 to August 9 to learn about and take action against invasive European green crabs on Nantucket.

European green crabs were first introduced to North America in the 1800s, likely traveling in the ballast water of merchant ships from Europe. This invasive species is now abundant on Nantucket, threatening crucial aquatic resources, including eelgrass beds, shellfish populations, and native crab communities. Together, as a community, it is possible to help prevent green crabs from destroying the natural resources that make Nantucket’s waters so special! Please come join us during Nantucket Green Crab Week to learn more.

MMA Green Crab Identification Workshop and Derby Information Session

Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Nantucket-Green-Crab-Identification-Workshop-and-Info-Session-04Aug2025

Monday, August 4, 3:45 PM – 4:30 PM Price: FREE

Location: MMA Aquarium, 32 Washington Street

Join Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium staff to learn how to identify the European green crab ( Carcinus maenus ), an invasive species that threatens Nantucket's native species and habitats! We will compare these species to local crab species and determine their biological sex. This is a great chance to learn about our annual Nantucket Green Crab Derby and all its events!

MMA Nantucket Green Crab Survey: Seine Method

Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Nantucket-Green-Crab-Survey-Seine-Method

Tuesday, August 5, 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM Price: FREE

Location: Hither Creek Beach Access (Beach Access #52)

Annual Green Crab Fertilizer and Bait Pickup

Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Annual-Green-Crab-Fertilizer-Workshop-with-the-Nantucket-Land-Council-07Aug2025

Thursday, August 7, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Price: FREE

Location: MMA Aquarium, 32 Washington Street

Join Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium staff to pick up green crabs for free, fun, and exciting ways to help control the population of the invasive green crab, while creating environmentally friendly fertilizer for your garden or bait for your fishing! Registrants can drop by the Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium at 32 Washington Street on Thursday, August 7, between 10am and 12pm to pick up a take-home green crab fertilizer kit or bait crabs! Kits will include green crabs and instructions on how to make your own green crab fertilizer – you will need your own white vinegar.

Nantucket Green Crab Survey: Wading and Hand Net

Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Nantucket-Green-Crab-Survey-Wading--Hand-Net-08Aug2025

Friday, August 8, 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Price: FREE

Location: The Creeks/Harbor Flats, 99 Washington Street Ext

Join Maria Mitchell Aquarium staff on a survey for invasive European green crabs! This survey will be a part of the MMA Nantucket Green Crab Citizen Science Survey that you can do yourself at any time! In this session, we will be wading and using hand nets.

Annual Green Crab Derby

Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Annual-Green-Crab-Derby-09Aug2025

Saturday, August 9, 12:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Price: $10, Groups of Up To 4 Persons Can Compete

Help the Maria Mitchell Association and the Nantucket Land Council fight the green crab invasion by participating in the annual Nantucket Green Crab Derby! Participate in a team of up to 4 to help us maintain healthy marine habitats and for a chance to win prizes! Rules and prize details are detailed in the reservation process. Green crabs can be caught between 12am – 4pm and dropped off at the Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium between 12pm – 4pm!

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, and a research center, in addition to preserving 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. For more information on the Maria Mitchell Association’s environmental work and initiatives, please visit www.mariamitchell.org.

The Nantucket Land and Water Council is a 501(c)3 environmental advocacy organization – protecting and preserving open space, harbor, pond, and groundwater, and advocating for the environment at Select Board, Planning Board, and Conservation Commission meetings. The Nantucket Land and Water Council also hosts the State of the Harbor Forum and Oysterfest each year to educate residents on the state of our water resources, and what we can all do to help maintain this critical resource. For more information on the Nantucket Land and Water Council, please visit www.nantucketlandcouncil.org.

Founded in 2000, Sustainable Nantucket’s mission is to preserve the community character of Nantucket while sustaining its economic and environmental vitality. Sustainable Nantucket (SN) is a grassroots, local, non-profit organization that is building a more locally-based and self-reliant food system on-island through education, advocacy, training, and partnerships which include farmers, fishermen, local food producers, schools, restaurants, and other community stakeholders. For more information on Sustainable Nantucket, please visit www.sustainable-nantucket.org.

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For Immediate Release

August 1, 2025

Contact: Grace Kotchen

marketinginterns@mariamitchell.org

Happy 207th Birthday, Maria Mitchell!

Mon, 28 Jul 2025 15:11:03 GMT

August 1, 2025 marks Maria Mitchell’s 207 ^th Birthday!

Since just about the founding of the Maria Mitchell Association – way back in 1902 – the MMA has hosted some celebration or marked the occasion of our namesake’s birth.

From 3-5PM FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2025 , Vestal Street will be close to traffic and our Vestal Street properties will be open free to the public. We will have activities, games, art projects, live music with Susan Berman and Ray Saunders, and refreshments will be served.

So, stop by and say hello!

JNLF

P.S. If we actually get rain, we will move our celebration to Saturday, August 2 - so keep your ears out! We will decide Wednesday.

Margaret Harwood

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 15:30:10 GMT

The MMA found its first astronomer in Margaret Harwood, a 1907 Radcliffe graduate who worked in the Harvard Observatory. Her fellowship began in 1912 and over the first year, she researched, continued to conduct public lectures and open nights, and worked with students of all ages – including those in the public schools. She returned to Cambridge for the winter months where she continued to work at the Observatory. In 1915, she took her leave as was authorized by the fellowship and acquired her master’s degree in astronomy at Berkeley. She returned to Nantucket in 1916, accepting the position of Director of the Observatory. This made Harwood the first woman to head a small private observatory in the United States. Harwood continued her research, with a focus on variable asteroids, published results of her work in numerous publications, and continued to lecture and host open nights. She had assistance from others, including island carpenter and school teacher, Alvin E. Paddock. Harwood became a “first –class celestial photographer . . . accumulating a valuable set of Nantucket photographic plates of variable stars . . .” which are still part of the MMA collection and were the first in the world to be completely digitized. Over the course of her tenure, more than 3,600 plates of the night sky were taken – more than 2,100 by Harwood herself. In the 1950s, Harwood was the first woman to gain access to the Mount Wilson Observatory then the world’s leading observatory, where she was able to use the photographic instruments to further her research.

Harwood is seen in the photograph here as she looks for Venus during midday in the MMO using the Cooke-Clark telescope, guided by Maria Mitchell’s own Alvan Clark.

JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Kike Calvo as Featured July Presenter.

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 17:58:31 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA— The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces Kike Calvo, award-winning photographer, journalist, and author, as its featured presenter for its July Speaker Series. Calvo’s presentation, "The Power of Creativity: A Journey Through Storytelling, Exploration, and Hope," will take place on Wednesday, July 23 at 7pm at the Nantucket Atheneum’s Great Hall. This event is free.

Join the MMA for an engaging evening with award-winning photographer, journalist, and author, Kike (Kee-Keh) Calvo. A Fellow of both the Explorers Club and the Royal Geographical Society, he has traveled to over 120 countries, photographing everything from belugas in the Arctic to traditional dances in Vanuatu. His work has been featured in National Geographic Magazine, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and more.

In this engaging presentation, Calvo explores how creativity can be a catalyst for connection, storytelling, and meaningful change. From documenting remote villages to diving with great white sharks, from defying the odds as an author to inspiring thousands of children in the Amazon, Calvo shares the invaluable lessons he has learned along the way.

As a National Geographic Certified Educator and Safina Center Fellow (2020-2023), Calvo combines his passion for photography with teaching, having lectured at prestigious institutions such as Yale University. A pioneer in drone photography for art and conservation, he founded the “Little Explorer, Big World” initiative, which brings education to remote communities and has donated over 35,000 bilingual books.

Described by anthropologist Wade Davis as, "a fresh voice in visual anthropology," Calvo has a gift for capturing the intersections of human existence.

Calvo’s new book, Luminous: A Field Guide for Visual Explorers and Storytellers, isn’t just a book—it’s an invitation to slow down, look deeper, and photograph with soul. It’s a roadmap where photography meets presence, anthropology meets art, and storytelling becomes a path to connection.

Discover how creativity can illuminate pressing global issues—such as plastic pollution—and empower each of us to make a difference. This presentation is free and open to the public, graciously hosted for the MMA by the Nantucket Atheneum in the Great Hall. No registration required.

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For Immediate Release

July 14, 2025

Contact: Joanna Roche

jroche@mariamitchell.org

The Work Begins

Mon, 14 Jul 2025 13:58:05 GMT

As we are now complete with the conservation of the historic Maria Mitchell Vestal Street Observatory (MMO), I thought it would be good to post a series of blogs concerning it history and activities, as well as some of the remarkable people who have made it what it is over the last 100 plus years. Therefore, over the next few weeks, the focus will be on the MMO. And it is now open for tours – Monday through Saturday 11-1PM.

In 1906, the MMA was given Maria Mitchell’s five-inch Alvan Clark telescope which Mitchell purchased with money raised by the Women of America in 1859. With the telescope, a fireproof observatory was needed to house it and the activities surrounding its use. A campaign was developed to raise the funds for an observatory and in approximately four months, a small observatory was built at a cost of $4,800.00.

Completed in 1908, the Maria Mitchell Observatory now was in need of a permanent astronomer. An Observatory Committee was developed and chaired by Annie Jump Cannon. From 1909 through 1911, the MMA was able to employ an astronomer to teach classes, observe, provide lectures, and open the observatory for public observing for approximately a month each summer. As the demand grew, the MMA realized that a more extensive program was needed and the Astronomical Fellowship Committee began to raise funds for an Astronomical Fellowship Fund. With the support of many generous donors and a matching gift from Andrew Carnegie, by 1911 the MMA had the funds it needed to support the fellowship and began its search for an astronomer who would conduct research, provide lectures and classes, and conduct open nights for the public from mid-June through mid-December. The fellow would spend the remainder four months in research and study – every fourth year a full year of study would be spent in an American or European observatory.

JNLF

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Mon, 07 Jul 2025 14:48:22 GMT

July 31, 1883. I had two or three rich days! On Friday last I went to Holderness, N.H.. to the Asquam House; I had been asked by Mrs. T to join her party. There was at this house Mr. Whittier, Mr., and Mrs. Cartland, Professor and Mrs. Johnson, of Yale . . . The house seemed full of fine, cultivate people. We stayed two days and a half. And first of the scenery. The road up to the house is a steep hill, and at the foot of the hill it winds and turns around two lakes. The panorama is complete one hundred and eighty degrees. Beyond the lakes lie the mountains.

The Asquam House sat atop Shepard Hill and was built in 1881. A hotel, it has space for fifty guests, it was located near Squam Lake and became part of a summer enclave that developed there in the later part of the nineteenth century. Today, the area is a National Historic Landmark, but sadly, the hotel was demolished in 1948. Maria would have been familiar with these people seen here – and others I did not include – but particularly John Greenleaf Whittier who was something of a family friend. He was close to one of her younger brothers, William Forester.

JNLF

Keep Calm and Bird On: July 2025

Tue, 01 Jul 2025 14:18:33 GMT

“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.”

-Edith Andrews

July is a hazardous month for birds on Nantucket. This year is a season of second—or third, even fourth, nesting attempts, after a cold, stormy, spring. Higher than usual tides, strong winds, delayed food availability, naturally affect beach-nesters. Predators can wipe out eggs or young. Ravens on Tuckernuck were reportedly eating Plover and Oystercatcher eggs “like popcorn.” Gulls, crows, feral cats, loose dogs, and heedless vehicles hold danger.

Even if adult birds passed the initial gauntlet, young birds are most vulnerable when they begin encountering the world for the first time. Adults may discover that what seemed like a safe yard a month or six weeks before is suddenly occupied by human activity, with dogs or cats, sudden lights, noise, machines, toxic sprays, that were not there in April or May. Traffic has tripled; many birds in the Maria Mitchell Association collection were salvaged after being hit on a road. Windows are cleaner; so, what looks to a bird on the outside like a patch of open sky, or a route through a yard, may turn out to be hard as a rock, breaking necks or concussing skulls.

Even if there are quiet areas in a yard, spraying trees could drench a female sitting tight on a nest in hazardous, sticky, or irritating, foul-smelling, toxins. Killing insects also removes birds’ major food source: insects. Even birds content to eat seeds in winter prefer to raise their young on beetles, caterpillars, or adult insects, to give them the high-fat, high-protein food they need for quick growth. They do not have a long time to get the job of reproduction completed.

Danger comes from below as well as above; poisoned rats and mice do not die immediately; as they suffer, they become easy prey. Thus, they are fatal to secondary consumers like hawks and owls. In the case of Barn Owls, one highly toxic rodent can wipe out the whole family when it kills the male who provides for them.

Can we live with “Nature?” Too many people, these days, seem to answer “No.” But to disconnect from the natural world endangers our health too.

The Birth of the Maria Mitchell Observatory: Celebrating Over 100 Years of Discovery

Mon, 30 Jun 2025 16:55:55 GMT

As we are now complete with the conservation of the historic Maria Mitchell Vestal Street Observatory (MMO), I thought it would be good to post a series of blogs concerning it history and activities, as well as some of the amazing people who have made it what it is over the last 100 plus years. Therefore, over the next few weeks, the focus will be on the MMO. And it is now open for tours – Monday through Saturday 11-1PM.

Founded in 1902, the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) had its beginnings in the Mitchell House where Maria Mitchell was born. Over the first few years, the preservation of the Mitchell House, family artifacts, and the collection and display of Nantucket’s native flora and fauna, as well as a small library, were the key components of the MMA. Special “Moon Evenings” were held on the lawn and people observed Nantucket’s night skies using several small telescopes, including William and Maria Mitchell’s two-and-three-quarter-inch Dollond telescope.

The popular evenings led to the inevitable – a desire and need to expand based on the demands of the visitors to, and members of, the MMA. In 1906, Lydia Hinchman, a founder of the MMA and a family member, purchased the house and lot adjacent to the Mitchell House. The house – once the home of William Mitchell’s father and mother – was taken down.

The MMA began a dialogue with the Harvard College Observatory and its director, Edward Pickering, Ph.D. The connection to Harvard was to become essential to the success of the beginning years of the Maria Mitchell Observatory and continued a legacy of friendship and work – Maria Mitchell and her father worked with the Bonds who once ran the observatory at Harvard and the families were close friends.

Besides his assistance, Pickering asked a member of his staff, Annie Jump Cannon, to assist the MMA. This “provided an indispensable collaboration for Nantucket astronomy,” with Cannon spending two weeks on the island in 1906 and 1907 lecturing and teaching. While back at Harvard, she continued to teach the students on Nantucket by mail. Cannon would go on to be recognized as the leading woman astronomer of her generation and as the founder of the MMA’s Astronomy Department.

JNLF

Putting Things By

Mon, 23 Jun 2025 13:49:38 GMT

An older term, that we seem to not use that much anymore but maybe that’s in part because not many people “put things by” anymore. It is having a bit of a resurgence as people try to return to the garden and focus on local produce. My in-laws used to spend a lot of time – before I knew them – canning and preserving many different things – from jellies to string beans that became “dilly beans.”

I, on the other hand, do not can produce. Frankly, I fear messing up the process and making my family sick. So, for now, I stick to making refrigerator jams and pickles. I have made some chive vinegar – that is frankly, amazing, and a brilliant shade of pink! But in any case, Bartlett’s Farm opened for pick-your-own strawberries on June 7 and I made my way over on June 8. My son has been asking for strawberry jam since about February – I told him I wait for fresh and local but he wanted some so badly he was begging for store bought. I almost caved but then I told him – out of season and they taste like cardboard – and also made a LONG journey to get to us. Once people ate with the seasons – now we do not have to with trains, planes, and ships crossing all over. It is also, why, oftentimes, fruit has no flavor. Produce is picked often before it ripens and “ripens” as it ships – or with sprays – and since many varieties have been crossed with others or engineered, we have lost the taste. I remember tasting a peach a few years back from North Carolina – fresh off the tree. After rubbing it to get all the “fur” off, I bit into an exquisite peach that tasted like a peach of my youth.

So, Maria was not eating a strawberry in January but she was eating them in June – local and full of flavor. And likely, putting some by as well.

JNLF

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Mon, 16 Jun 2025 14:44:04 GMT

June 1851

My Dear Sister . . . . Mrs. Dassel has painted me kneeling at my telescope. It looks like Adeline Coffin and is of course not handsome. If thee was here thee would have Mitchell’s {William Mitchell Barney, son of Sally and Matthew Barney} painted at once. She has a head of a child N. P. Willis that is very lovely. She has taken a room at the Atheneum and put up about a dozen pictures – very beautiful – Isabel is lovely. She has not tried to make a portrait, but a very pretty picture . . . . She is now engaged on Abra’m Quary – he is much flattered by it and it will be a fine portrait. I think we shall buy it or a copy for the Atheneum . . . . She will paint father also for herself – having made a pencil sketch . . . .We like her very much . . . .

The above is from a letter sent by Maria Mitchell to her eldest sister, Sally Mitchell Barney. In it, Maria details what everyone in the Mitchell family is up to. She includes some details about Herminia B. Dassel, an artist who came to Nantucket to paint the last Native Americans and also took an interest in the famous Mitchell family. This was of course four years after Maria’s discovery of the comet. At the time of this letter, Maria was still the librarian for the Atheneum and the portrait of Quary that she mentions possibly buying for the Atheneum, she did buy as it hangs in the Atheneum by the front door today. Another Dassel portrait of Quary is in the collection of the Nantucket Historical Association and the portrait of Isabel Draper is currently on display at the NHA’s Whaling Museum – on loan from a museum in Rhode Island. The portrait Maria states she posed for at the start of the letter is in the collection of the MMA. It was given to us in the early 1990s by Sally’s great granddaughter – the granddaughter of Mitchell whom she mentions above as well. Maria and Dassel would become good friends – Maria was named the godmother of Dassel’s daughter. And the sketch of William made by Dassel that Maria states would become a portrait? It likely did come to fruition. It made its way down a side of the family but was unfortunately lost, likely sold as part of a family estate though we do have a photograph of it and one can tell it is the brush work of Dassel.

JNLF

At Long Last!

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 15:49:17 GMT

After several yes’s and then several no’s, not going to have time, we have indeed received the final layer of asphalt on Vestal Street. This goes back to last March and April when we finally had our sewer and waterlines replaced. While I am all about preservation, 1903 piping is a bit old and tired and filled with tree roots to make the passage of sewer sludge quick and easy. While we still await some fixes to curbing – we have our original concrete curbs from 1946/1947 when Vestal Street was first paved – it was dirt until then! – some of them have been buried by time and just need some suavity to pull them up and get them back where they go. Thank you to the Town, N&M, and Victor Braden for completing the work thus far.

But, with the paving completed, we may possible begin the replacement of some of our picket fencing and we have permission to restore our fences to what originally existed along the street in the 1920s and earlier – the rail was a rolled, thick top – and we are excited to use some grant funding to make that happen.

Stay tuned!

JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Darren Humphreys of Travel Sommelier for June Science Speaker Series

Fri, 06 Jun 2025 13:53:44 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA—The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces that it will host Darren Humphreys, founder and CEO of Travel Sommelier , for an inspiring conversation about the science of transformative travel. Discover how his award-winning boutique travel company crafts seamless, one-of-a-kind itineraries to some of the world’s most captivating destinations—each experience tailored with precision, passion, and purpose.

After a successful career on Wall Street, Humphreys followed his true calling and founded Travel Sommelier, fueled by a deep-rooted wanderlust and a desire to share the power of meaningful travel. He takes pride in curating journeys that do more than check boxes—they change lives. Humphreys strongly believes in having fun along the way and finds gratitude in finding close friendships among his trusted partners and curious clients.

Having explored over ninety countries across every continent, Humphreys continues to find magic in every destination—immersing himself in new cultures, complex histories, and unforgettable culinary and wine experiences. From introducing travelers to his native South Africa to uncovering hidden gems around the globe, he invites you to see the world through a richer, more personal lens. Join him and his team as they reveal the thoughtful process behind Travel Sommelier’s approach—and prepare to be inspired.

When Humphreys is not traveling, he resides in Duxbury, a seaside town in Massachusetts with his wife Caitlin, his two energetic boys, and his sweet black lab.

This presentation is free and held on Zoom.

Pre-registration is required.

Pre-registration is required. To register for this event, please follow the link below: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ZodpUFoVT-2uqVG4U_TqjQ#/registration

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For Immediate Release

June 6, 2025

Contact: Molly Mosscrop

mmosscrop@mariamitchell.org

A Graceful Lady

Tue, 03 Jun 2025 20:25:40 GMT

We have finally gotten out of significant drought status into mild drought. I would say we had nothing to do with it, but with climate change, we do. However, I appreciate Mother Nature’s recent gifts though these days they come hard, fast, and extreme.

I always say that the May rains create a “whoomph factor.” With each rain, it seems the leaves grow over night to a new stage, of the underbrush does, of the plants in your garden. Its several “whoomphs” over the month as it rains.

One “whoomph” brought about the Pink Lady Slippers. They seem a bit early this year – I usually look for them in early June – but on a walk the other morning at 6AM with our Siberian Husky, I decided to look at two places – one along the street behind where an old pine tree, now dead and gone, was located, and along our driveway in the scrub oak. And low and behold, they were there – one at the pine tree stump and two in our driveway. These are endangered in many places, including here on island. These are all plants that Maria Mitchell would have found in abundance depending on where she was walking on the island. Unfortunately with overdevelopment and someone thinking, “Oh what a lovely flower, I will take it home,” and over mowing along roads, these are quickly disappearing along with other plants like the Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus, Pearly Everlasting, Sea Lavender – the list goes on and its depressing.

So please, make yourself aware, and try and find ways to avoid mowing or digging these up. Mow AROUND them instead. Leave their areas undisturbed. They are not just lovely to look at; they are important parts of our ecosystem.

JNLF

Keep Calm and Bird On: June 2025

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 16:56:28 GMT

“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.”

-Edith Andrews

What is so rare as a day in June? We wonder, as last winter reappeared with snow and ice after a three-year absence and spring turned chill after a warm beginning. Will we have Juneuary? But weather aside, breeding birds are here and going about their business.

Ospreys are sitting on nests, some since early March. So, some will be hatching soon. Females lay one to four eggs; average: three. Young hatch up to five days apart.

When you see only the top of the female’s head, down in the nest, she is incubating. If she is glued to the nest, tearing up fish with her beak and bobbing her head up and down, she’s probably feeding young.

The first to peck its way out of the shell has the advantage of a head start, growing faster, and perhaps monopolizing food. If there is not enough for all, its siblings may starve. This may sound cruel, but it’s a reality of the bird world. Dad, as the provider, eats first, then Mom, then junior, and the rest in order of appearance. Ospreys live 20 to 25 years, so even complete lack of success in any one year is of less importance for them than for shorter-lived birds. And since DDT was banned in 1972, they have doubled their population every five years in New England.

Nantucket’s Ospreys have been very successful over recent years, with about 40 nests currently active. Not all of them are necessarily going to raise young this year. Some may be young birds just “housekeeping” and do not yet have the hang of things. Experienced females, from four to six years old, start sooner in the season. They’ve learned the intricacies of incubation, brooding, and feeding. They are better at protecting chicks from excessive cold or heat. Osprey parents often reunite as pairs; males with good fishing skills raise more young. Of course, fish have to co-operate by being plentiful; but that’s luck.

Osprey Images by Tom Griswold.

The Ancient Vine

Tue, 27 May 2025 15:33:09 GMT

This is what our landscaper for MMA calls it. “The ancient vine.” He tells the people who work for him not to touch the “ancient vine.” I have probably made him – and all of them – terrified of it. I am even terrified of it to some degree.

I refer to the grape vine behind the Mitchell House this is supposed to be Peleg Mitchell Junior’s grape vine – Maria Mitchell’s uncle who inhabited the house from about 1836 to his death in 1882.

It has two trunks but one died several years ago. Because of that, each year I try to root shoots. It’s fairly easy to do – when you cut back the vine in late fall/early winter. I have had success but not success protecting the shoots I baby all winter from bunnies and other critters try as I might. I started doing this when the one trunk died – I was PANICKED!

The landscaper stays away because I have told him if anyone is going to accidentally harm or worse yet, kill, this grape vine it would be me so I only have myself to blame. So each November/December – once ALL the leaves have fallen off – I climb my ladder and quietly, carefully, and fearfully cut back the stems typically to two buds. I have been somewhat successful in spurring grape production – and these grapes attract some amazing birds in the fall. It takes me some time – and I pretty much hyperventilate the entire time – and then, I stare at it all winter. Passing under it multiple times a day to reach my office. Hoping, and yes, praying, it will come out in the spring. It’s a late budder so just recently the buds started to show themselves – thank goodness! – and I was rewarded today (May 5, 2025) with this wonderful hot pink color on the edges of the leaves as they are uncurling.

JNLF

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Mon, 19 May 2025 15:41:15 GMT

May 27. {1857} There is this great difference between Niagara and other wonders of the world, that is you get no idea from descriptions or even from paintings. Of the Mammoth Cave you have a conception from what you are told, of the Natural Bridge you get really a truthful impression from a picture. But Cave and Bridge are in still life, Niagara is all activity and change. No picture gives you the varying form of the water of the change of color; no description conveys to your mind the ceaseless roar. So too the ocean must be unrepresentable to those who have not looked upon it.

Maria Mitchell would tour the Mammoth Cave and the Natural Bridge during her trip to the southern United States as Prudence Swift’s chaperone – I have written of these travels and Prudence before. Niagara Falls is a place she likely saw on her way to visit her younger sister Phebe Mitchell Kendall, who once lived with her husband in Pennsylvania. I was a bit surprised that she feels the way she does about the Cave and Bridge being well-represented by images but I do kind of se her point. But Niagara, the ocean, any moving body of water – she is right. You don’t fully comprehend it until you hear it, touch and taste it, see its colors, and feel it splash, sprinkle, or mist across your face. Niagara certainly mists across your face – sort of like a breezy day at the beach and the salt mist that slowly builds across your face and coats the beach grass so that it shimmers in the sunlight.

JNLF

Lily of the Valley

Mon, 12 May 2025 14:13:52 GMT

I have been watching it. Waiting. Today, I was rewarded with the scent as they have now started to open.

From late fall, all through the winter and early spring, there is a very large patch of dirt with traces of roots and purple-like portions of some sort of plant. Then, they slowly start to send their shoots forth – up from that dusty pile of dirt come little greenish pips that become the leaves. Then, you start to see the stems tightened against the leaves and then lovely chartreuse buds are visible that then turn to white and slowly open from top to bottom. As soon as they star to open, I wait. Knowing that one morning I will walk by soon and then I will get a delicious waft of Lily of the Valley.

I have written about this patch at the Mitchell House before. I have always been fascinated by the fact that these grow in full sun – they have no shade whatsoever. And this patch is old. I’m not sure how old – I do not think late nineteenth century but possibly – or maybe very early twentieth century. We have one or two images in the collection from the early 1900s but one does not show the ground, and the other not so much either. I also think this is one of the earliest flowering patches of Lily of the Valley on island – let me know if you’ve seen others this early. And in FULL sun to boot!

But in any case, today was the day – May 5, 2025 – that I got the first waft. Saturday when I was here, they were not ready yet. But now, they are! And when I smell it, I know why it was my mother-in-law’s favorite flower.

JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Richard Sotell, CFP as Featured Guest for May Science Speaker Series

Tue, 06 May 2025 18:29:57 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA—The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces that it will host Richard

Sotell, Certified Financial Planner (CFP) as its May featured Science Speaker Series presenter. His presentation “The Science of Money: The History of Tariffs and Taxation” will take place on Wednesday, May 21 from 7 – 8pm EST. The presentation will take place on Zoom and pre-registration is required. This event is free to all.

Join the MMA and financial expert and top 401(k) advisor, Rich Sotell, for a discussion on the history of tariffs and taxation. Taxes and tariffs have played a major role in shaping nations. In America, British taxes and tariffs on goods like tea and paper helped spark the American Revolution. Later, U.S. tariffs were used to protect young industries from European competition. Today, taxes fund public services such as education, healthcare, and infrastructure, while tariffs are still used strategically—sometimes to encourage domestic production, other times as tools in international negotiations. Rich Sotell will discuss in detail how taxes and tariffs began and their relationship to our global economy.

Sotell has been involved in the financial industry since 1975 and is a founder of the Kraematon Group and is responsible for the operations of the 401(k) division. He has developed marketing programs for both banks and mutual fund companies in the areas of IRA and 401(k). Sotell is a tax law expert concerning distributions from qualified retirement plans and IRA’s. He has lectured on these subjects to insurance company executives, on radio, and at several professional education programs. Sotell is currently a contributing member to several high level 401(k) advisory boards in the mutual fund and payroll industries. He was named by the Financial Times as a 2015 and 2016 “Top 401 Retirement Advisor,” a list of 401 elite professionals specializing in U.S. defined contribution plans.

The Kraematon Group is a leading 401(k) consulting firm headquartered in Wellesley, MA. In addition to providing 401(k) consulting services to Allied American Insurance Agency and its former parent Arbella Insurance, Kraematon consults with over 3% of all Massachusetts based public companies regarding their 401(k) plans.

Pre-registration is required. To register for this event, please follow the link below: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Bnb-sSBXSoqzss6aiArh9w#/registration

About the Maria Mitchell Association: The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. 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.

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For Immediate Release

May 6, 2025

Contact: Molly Mosscrop

mmosscrop@mariamitchell.org

The Evil Four Inches

Mon, 05 May 2025 15:19:44 GMT

I have posted this during Women’s History Month before but because it is March and Women’s History Month, I think it’s worth repeating. It’s clever and helps to tell an important story in women’s history while giving it a bit of a 21 ^st century twist. It comes via the National Women’s History Project .

JNLF

Keep Calm and Bird On: May 2025

Thu, 01 May 2025 16:11:34 GMT

“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.”

-Edith Andrews

This month could be extraordinary. No, I don’t have a crystal ball. But if April was any guide, we can expect something unusual. By this final week of April, Nantucketers have already seen a baker’s dozen Glossy Ibis. They fall into the “rare but regular” category—not the usual suspects, but typically doled out one at a time when they do arrive.

Add in a Painted Bunting—again, unusual for this time of year in our neck of the woods—a Prothonotary Warbler, a Worm-eating Warbler, a couple of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, a Tri-colored Heron, a Western Cattle Egret, a Vesper Sparrow, and a European Whimbrel subspecies, and you’ve got an unusual embarrassment of riches.

Spring records are of particular interest. Spring migrants have already survived two long journeys and a winter—a process that claims many birds of the year. Adults will now be looking for territory and a mate to raise a family, possibly extending their breeding range.

But spring adds another question: why? What is going on in our world?

This year has brought some brutal weather to the center of the country. We've seen a wild roller coaster of heat and cold, rain and snow, tornadoes, floods, wind, hail, and fires. Perhaps these unexpected birds are just... getting out of the way?

We know birds have survived many cataclysms over their millions of years of evolution. Two tagged birds flew back to where they hatched, then took off on a 400-mile flight south, avoiding a bad storm—returning two days later once it had passed. How?

One theory is that birds may be able to hear the low-frequency sounds of storms still far away. We don’t know how. But with birds, no matter how much we do know, there is always more to learn.

Image of an adult Glossy Ibis by Tom Griswold.

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 14:54:08 GMT

Lynn, Ap. 25 1869

My dear President,

I am not sure I told you how long I must be away from the College. If I took only the Sunday’s rest, it would be possible for me to reach the Obs. By Tuesday, but I feel the need of more than one day of quiet, before I enter upon the new and incomprehensible life before me . . .

William Mitchell died on April 19, 1869 and for the first time, Maria Mitchell was alone. Save for her trip to the southern United States and Europe in 1857 and 1858, her father was always by her side. She did not know much of a day in her life without him nearby and she knows that. It was difficult for her – and her siblings worried about her and this new world she was now in. She had been – expect for that trip – the caregiver for both of her parents. Her mother, Lydia Coleman Mitchell, died in 1861 on Nantucket and Maria had cared for her as well. She was the child who became the caregiver of the family – both in her youth as her siblings sought her out for care, humor, love, and adventures while their mother was busy with younger children and household duties – and then her parents as the only child who did not marry and remained by their sides.

JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Re-Launches Marine Science Research and Mentoring Program for Students

Tue, 15 Apr 2025 20:52:07 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA—The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) is proud to announce its 2025 Marine Science Research and Mentoring Program for students grades eight through twelve. In collaboration with the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation (GHYCF), the Nantucket Shellfish Association (NSA), and the Town of Nantucket Natural Resources Department Brant Point Shellfish Hatchery (ToN BPSH), the Marine Science Research and Mentoring Program is an immersive two-week marine science program for students passionate about marine science and environmental stewardship. This summer, the program will include various interactive activities with an extraordinary opportunity to engage in real-world Nantucket Bay Scallop science research, gain hands-on experience in field studies, and work alongside expert mentors in a dynamic scientific environment all while giving students a comprehensive understanding of marine biology and environmental science.

Instituted in 2016 by Dr. Valerie Hall, the program will continue this summer with a special emphasis on the impact of climate change on the timing of bay scallop reproduction and larval development and include a special focus on economic impact of the last remaining wild fishery. The program will offer a unique blend of professional guidance, scientific exploration, and academic career development. Participants will have the chance to contribute to ongoing Nantucket Bay Scallop research, assist in data collection, and learn about marine ecosystems and conservation strategies. As part of their mentoring experience, students will be paired with expert mentors, receiving personalized support and academic advice. For more details on the program and application instructions, visit the Maria Mitchell Association website.

Program Dates and Application Process:

The Marine Science Research and Mentoring Program will run across five, two-week sessions during the summer of 2025. The sessions are as follows:

• Session I: June 16 - June 27

• Session II: June 30 - July 11

• Session III: July 14 - July 25

• Session IV: July 28 - August 8

• Session V: August 11 - August 22

Each session runs Monday through Thursday from 9am to 1pm, with extended hours on Fridays from 9am to 3pm. For Session II, the hours will be adjusted to Monday through Thursday, 9am to 1:30pm, with a special Friday schedule on Thursday July 3rd from 9am to 3pm to accommodate the July 4th holiday. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis and students are encouraged to apply early for their preferred session.

To register, visit the MMA’s registration page here .

Scholarship Opportunities: Through generous grants from the Nantucket Shellfish Association (NSA) and the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation (GHYCF), the Marine Science Research and Mentor program has available varying scholarships for Nantucket. These scholarships are intended to assist with program costs, ensuring that more local students have the opportunity to gain experience in marine science and research.

History of the Bay Scallop Research and Mentor Program: Founded by Director Emeritus, Dr. Valerie Hall and since its inception in 2016, the program’s predominant focus has been on population, ecology, and reproductive biology of the Nantucket Bay scallop (Argopecten irradians). The program has since served over sixty students since 2016, ranging in age from eleven to twenty-two. Students participate in all aspects of ongoing research, as well as designing and carrying out their own independent projects, and enhancing both their scientific method, written, and oral communication skills.

Support and Sponsors: This exciting program is made possible through the generous support of both paid and in-kind sponsors, including the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation, the Nantucket Shellfish Association, the Town of Nantucket Natural Resources Department, local businesses, and individual donors who are committed to advancing marine science education and conservation on Nantucket.

About the Maria Mitchell Association: The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. 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.

###

For Immediate Release

February 18, 2025

Contact: Jónelle Gurley

jgurley@mariamitchell.org

Rain

Mon, 14 Apr 2025 14:38:30 GMT

After having a very dry fall and even early winter, we are now making up for it with a LOT of rain. They say April showers bring May flowers but I am starting to wonder. We have been in a drought – less severe than the rest of our New England friends but still, a drought.

I do like rain – particularly when I can be nicely cozied up with a good book and a cup of tea – and oh, a few good cookies or some tea bread makes it even more perfect! Another thing I like is the sound of it. Living in a timber frame home – and working in a timber frame historic house, I get the benefits of hearing the rain on the roof (and hopefully no sounds of drips!). Another unique sound is the one that rain makes on the dome of the Maria Mitchell Vestal Street Observatory that I am sharing with you in this video piece (that’s not heating or some sort of mechanical item running – that’s the rain). Enjoy!

JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Anya Freeman of KindDesigns as Featured Guest for April Science Speaker Series

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 18:15:26 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA—The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces that it will host Anya Freeman, Founder and CEO of KindDesigns, a Miami start-up, as featured presenter for its April Science Speaker Series. The presentation will take place on Wednesday, April 16, at 7pm via Zoom. This event is free to all.

KindDesigns was founded to protect Miami’s coastlines by combating the destructive flooding and degrading of marine habitats happening in Freeman’s home state. Freeman put together a team of engineers, designers, researchers, and materials experts to develop sustainable, cost-effective solutions that could be scaled to all coastal cities.

Join Freeman as she discusses her flagship product, 3D- Printing Living Seawalls™, which tackles the challenges posed by rising sea levels while healing damaged ecosystems. Everything KindDesigns does is driven by their unwavering commitment to create resilient communities.

These Seawalls are structurally identical to traditional concrete seawall systems, but also function like artificial reefs, dissipating waves and improving water quality. Kind Designs installed the world’s first 3D-Printed Seawall in Miami in May 2024 and has since printed seawalls across coastal cities, and won both US Air Force and US Navy grants to bring the solution to coastal bases.

Originally from Ukraine, Anya, together with her family, has lived in Israel, South Africa, and China before settling in Miami to attend law school. Anya worked for the US Attorney's Office of Miami/Fort Lauderdale and clerked at the United States District Court in central California before opening her own law firm focused on environmental policy. Frustrated with a lack of innovation around rising sea-levels which threaten Miami, Anya took on the challenge of finding technological solutions to this global challenge that both supports the environment and has economies of scale.

Pre-registration is required to attend Zoom. To register for Zoom, use the registration link below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Tt8TlLUTRZmwklMzy0ONYA

This series is generously sponsored by our lead sponsor, Bank of America.

The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. 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

###

For Immediate Release

February 18, 2025

Contact: Jónelle Gurley

jgurley@mariamitchell.org

Let There Be Light: Updates on Conservation at the Maria Mitchell Observatory

Mon, 07 Apr 2025 17:14:18 GMT

The concrete floors have been cleaned and stabilized in the Astronomical Study cellar and the Dome Room. The Pillar Room floor will need warmer temperatures as the epoxy we are putting on the floor cannot cure properly. This is because the floor of the Pillar Room sits directly on the ground – there is no cellar beneath– and the pillar for the telescope located in this space goes directly down into the ground. This is done so that if there is any movement in the building, the telescope itself will not move or shake.

While we wait for that final treatment of the Pillar Room floor, the electrician has moved in. He has replaced the very old wiring – but kept the original switch knobs for the glass plates built into the bookshelves. These glass plates are from the 1920s – most were taken at the Maria Mitchel Observatory. We have restored push button light switches – they more than likely had those as we had them in our former Science Library – now Research Center – and bronzed switch plates that are more in keeping with the time period. We have removed the 1980 track lighting and placed four larger ceiling lights in their place. The Study never had ceiling lights or sconces – just task lighting – but we do need better lighting than that so we located some lighting that is in-keeping with the period and the use of the building. Other switches and lights are being updated – the wiring in particular. Pen Austin will some come in to make a few small lime plaster repairs from the track lighting – interesting construction that revealed itself upon taking down the track lights. Lime plaster, concrete, chicken wire, wood, and some much older looking nails than I expected for 1922. A thank you to Brian Connor Electric and to Elizabeth Markle for help sourcing the lights.

JNLF

Celebrate International Dark Sky Week with the Maria Mitchell Association, Nantucket Conservation Foundation, and Nantucket Lights

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 18:20:47 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA—In celebration of 2025 International Dark Sky Week, the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, Nantucket Lights, and the Maria Mitchell Association invite the community to an unforgettable evening of stargazing at Altar Rock in the Middle Moors. This free, family-friendly event, set for April 23, 2025, provides a rare opportunity to experience Nantucket at night and gain a deeper appreciation for the environmental significance of dark skies and how to preserve them.

Guided by expert stargazers, attendees will explore the night sky — all its constellations and celestial wonders — in a pristine, low-light environment. This collaborative community event presents an ideal opportunity to connect with nature, engage with like-minded individuals, and be inspired by the beauty of the night. Advance registration is strongly encouraged for weather-related updates.

Event Details:

• Date: Wednesday, April 23, 2025

• Rain/Cloud Date: Thursday, April 24, 2025

• Time: 8:00PM – 9:30PM

• Location: Altar Rock, Middle Moors, Nantucket

• Parking: Free parking will be available along Altar Rock Road, with volunteers on hand to guide attendees to the event site. Carpooling is strongly encouraged.

• Registration link: http://support.nantucketconservation.org/site/Calendar?id=101941&view=Detail

• Open to all ages. To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience, children must be accompanied by at least one adult.

• Attendees are encouraged to dress appropriately for current weather conditions and wear comfortable footwear, as the event will involve a short walk up to Altar Rock. For added comfort, we recommend bringing blankets or chairs.

About International Dark Sky Week:

International Dark Sky Week is a global initiative of DarkSky International to celebrate the dark and natural night sky, raise awareness about light pollution, and promote the use of environmentally responsible outdoor lighting during the week of the new moon in April each year.

About the Nantucket Conservation Foundation: The Nantucket Conservation Foundation owns, protects, and stewards over 9,000 acres of land and coastal shoreline, conserves Nantucket’s rare and significant natural resources, and engages in impactful ecological research to inform resource management and further our knowledge of Nantucket’s unique ecosystems and species. Through conservation, education, and stewardship, the Foundation aims to maintain Nantucket’s unique ecosystems and natural beauty for future generations.

About Nantucket Lights: Nantucket Lights is an all-volunteer citizen advocacy group committed to preserving and protecting Nantucket’s nighttime environment and heritage of dark skies by raising awareness about light pollution on the island and advocating for environmentally responsible outdoor lighting.

About the Maria Mitchell Association:

The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. 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.

###

For Immediate Release

April 1, 2025

Contact: Jónelle Gurley

jgurley@mariamitchell.org

Keep Calm and Bird On: April 2025

Tue, 01 Apr 2025 18:07:42 GMT

“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.”

-Edith Andrews

April marks the true spring transition, as “winter birds” begin heading north and migrants begin to drop in. All winter we enjoyed the relatively drab—except for a dab of yellow—on the Yellow-Rumped Warblers. But they are already beginning to get their yellow waistcoats at the end of March and will be nearly unrecognizable as they molt into breeding plumage.

Pine Warblers will be arriving in greater numbers and singing in the tops of, yes, pine trees. They can have variable plumage so a good question to ask as you wonder what you are seeing is, "If it isn’t a Pine Warbler, what is it?”

We will be saying “good bye for now’” to Loons and Grebes while awaiting the arrival of Snowy Egrets, and keeping an eye out for Little Blue Herons and Cattle Egrets.

We will be awaiting the Blue-Winged Teal while continuing to enjoy Bufflehead, and listening to the keening wail of Black Scoters as they stage for migration.

Song Sparrows are ubiquitous year-round regulars, found in every part of the island where there is some cover. But they will soon be joined by Savannah Sparrows, which prefer open fields and grasslands. Listen for their buzzy, insect-like vocalization in Head of the Plains. Chipping Sparrows are also arriving, but their preferred nesting turf is under the cover of shrubby tangles in the pines at The Gardner Farm off of Hummock Pond Road.

But we never know what rarity might show up. Will a stray Sandhill Crane find its way to one of our golf courses? Will a Tricolored Heron suddenly appear in a marsh? It is worth keeping your eyes open, but also an open mind. Even if something seems outrageous and totally unexpected, check all the details, and write them down or sketch if you cannot get a photo. Good observation makes the difference between a record and a maybe.

Image by Tom Griswold.

Women’s Suffrage and Lady Gaga

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 13:07:44 GMT

JNLF

Women’s History Month

Mon, 17 Mar 2025 14:51:24 GMT

March is Women’s History Month (though all months should be women’s history month.)

Maria Mitchell was one of the founders of the Association for the Advancement of Women (AAW), was its president (1875), and founded its Science Committee, which she chaired for the remainder of her life.

She is not saying that women cannot be scientists – she is saying they need to be given the opportunities.

Maria was incredibly busy with the AAW – it took up a great deal of her time – and at the next meeting in November of that year some aspects of the meeting were wonderful according to her account –“excellent” papers, “newspapers treated us very well. The institutions opened their doors to us, the Centennial gave us a reception. But – we didn’t have a good time!” It appears there was discord among the women. A few opposed the subject of “Woman Suffrage,” but Lucy Stone was able to present her paper on the subject despite this. And, some women felt that the West was not well represented and was overshadowed by New England thus women representing the western states protested the nomination and election of Julia Ward Howe as president of the AAW. But she won. Whew! It was not always easy and controversies constantly abounded with many schisms over time within the women’s rights movement.

I often wonder what Maria might think of the place of women today – how far things have come from her time or would she be surprised that there still can be inequality?

In honor of Women’s History Month, take a look at other organizations that represent different women in our history and their legacies. A good place to start is the National Collaborative for Women’s History Sites .

JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Tara Riley, Emma Morgan, Dr. Rich Blundell, RJ Turcotte, and Charles Johnson as March Science Speaker Series

Tue, 11 Mar 2025 17:21:52 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA—The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces that it will host Tara Riley , Emma Morgan , Dr. Rich Blundell , RJ Turcotte , and Charles Johnson , with moderator, Joanna Roche , for a panel discussion on monitoring Nantucket Harbor’s water quality for its March Science Speaker Series. The panel presentation will take place on Wednesday, March 19 at 7pm via Zoom. This event is free to all.

“Harbor Health: A Collaborative Approach to

Water Quality Monitoring on Nantucket”

Join us for an engaging panel discussion on water quality monitoring in Nantucket Harbor. The discussion will feature: the Town of Nantucket (ToN) Shellfish and Aquatic Resources Manager, Tara Riley; ToN’s Water Quality Specialist, Emma Morgan; MMA Scientist, Dr. Rich Blundell; Nantucket Land and Water Council Waterkeeper, RJ Turcotte; ToN Storm Water Manager, Charles Johnson; and be moderated by MMA Executive Director, Joanna Roche. During this panel discussion, you will learn about the Nantucket Harbor Monitoring Project, a 2024 water quality monitoring initiative launched by the MMA, now expanding in collaboration with the Town of Nantucket Natural Resources Department and Nantucket Land and Water Council. The initial project, generously funded by the ReMain Nantucket Fund at the Community Foundation for Nantucket, the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation, the Osceola Foundation, the Sociable Weaver Foundation, and through collaboration with the Town of Nantucket's Harbormaster, aims to establish a continuous water quality monitoring system for Nantucket’s lower harbor. The data collected thus far provides a vital baseline for ongoing environmental assessment and conservation efforts. Thanks to ongoing generous support from the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation, we’re excited to expand upon this project in collaboration with the Town of Nantucket and the Nantucket Land and Water Council and to continue our work to protect and preserve Nantucket’s beautiful harbor. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from local experts in resource and conservation management and learn more about how this project is helping to safeguard our treasured harbor for future generations.

Tara Riley is the Shellfish and Aquatic Resource Manager, for the Town of Nantucket Natural Resources Department – Brant Point Hatchery. After obtaining a degree in Marine Biology and a Masters in Fisheries and Aquaculture, Riley has had twenty-five years of experience in the field of producing saltwater fish and shellfish for research, profit, and now restoration. She has been involved in regional and global hatchery renovations and has served as a consultant for WHOI for the development and operation of a hatchery in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Since coming to Nantucket in 2009, Riley has worked on the development and implementation of shellfish enhancement initiatives and water quality and habitat monitoring for Nantucket Island’s waters. By 2015, she had garnered enough community support and stakeholder buy-in to secure funding for the 2-million-dollar design and renovation of the Brant Point Shellfish Hatchery. As a hatchery specialist, she designed and installed the internal hatchery components to create a fully integrated year-round shellfish hatchery. Riley has been intimately involved in the development of the town’s first shellfish management plan and now the town’s first eelgrass management plan. She is passionate about everything related to recreational and commercial fisheries and strives to create a more sustainable and healthy future for Nantucket’s natural resources.

Emma Morgan is the Water Resource Specialist for the Town of Nantucket's Natural Resources Department. Morgan earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from St. Mary's College of Maryland, followed by a Master of Science in Applied Coastal Ecology from the University of Central Florida. Her job on Nantucket focuses on managing the Town's water quality monitoring program, which involves sampling the island's recreational waters, monitoring harmful algal blooms, analyzing water quality data and trends, and collaborating closely with science organizations on and off the island to maintain the health of Nantucket's water bodies.

Dr. Richard Blundell is the Visiting Scientist at the Maria Mitchell Association and is an ecologist and philosopher working at the convergence of art, science, nature and culture. As the founder of Oika , his research examines how transformation happens across the scales of person, place and planet. As a communicator, Rich tells a scientific story of the universe that includes art and human creativity as natural phenomena. Dr. Blundell’s research and work has received numerous grants and awards including, an ongoing TIDES innovators award, The National Science Foundation grant for Science Out There, the Michael Brinkman Award, The Deep Time Values video award for An Earth Story , The Macquarie University Innovation in Scholarship award for The Cosmosis1 Explorer app, an Oculus Creators Award for In the Light of the Forest VR, and nomination for the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival Best New Media for Saving Grey’s Zebra. Blundell’s creative video work has appeared on PBS, National Geographic and numerous social media platforms. He is currently the Visiting Scientist at the Maria Mitchell Association.

RJ Turcotte has worked for the Nantucket Land & Water Council for the last six years, first as Resource Ecologist and then as the Nantucket Waterkeeper. He started his career in Rhode Island with Save The Bay and the Blackstone River coalition, assisting with salt marsh restorations, environmental education, and heading a volunteer water quality lab. As Waterkeeper, he works on eelgrass restoration, water quality monitoring, coastal resilience and environmental advocacy across the island community.

 Charles Johnson is the Stormwater Manager for the Town of Nantucket’s Sewer Department. Charles has recently been asked to oversee the Town’s Stormwater System for the Nantucket Sewer Department. He has been working for the Sewer Department for 7 years as Treatment Plant Operator and Engineering Compliance Officer. For the 17 years prior to working year-round on Nantucket, he taught Mathematics, Tech Ed. (boatbuilding and STEM classes) to high school students in New Haven and Bridgeport, CT. During that time, he coached sailing and coached and started a Girl’s Ice Hockey Program in Guilford, CT. with his daughter. Before returning to school for a Teaching Certificate in CT, he worked as an Environmental Engineer, first with the DEP’s for New Jersey and Connecticut, and then for private consulting firms. Charles graduated from Lehigh University with a degree in Civil Engineering, is a Registered Professional Engineer in the States of Connecticut and Massachusetts, and as a Grade 7 Wastewater Operator in Massachusetts. He was first taken in by the beauty and the water quality of Nantucket Harbor when vacationing with his family on Brant Point in 1970 and has vacationed here summers at his wife’s family summer cottage in Quidnet since 1975. He keeps his boat in Polpis Harbor and enjoys sailing, swimming and fishing.

Pre-registration is required to attend Zoom. To register for Zoom, use the registration link below: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_IIhpmYJIQmSb057MJoR0YQ#/registration

This series is generously sponsored by our lead sponsor, Bank of America.

The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. 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.

###

For Immediate Release

February 18, 2025

Contact: Jónelle Gurley

jgurley@mariamitchell.org

Remember the Ladies (With Apologies To Abigail Adams)

Mon, 10 Mar 2025 15:34:46 GMT

In the late nineteenth century, 1881 to be exact, Nantucket erected a monument at the burial site of some of the first English settlers on the island. But, given the times, they forgot the ladies – more than a century after Abigail Adams wrote to her husband,

I desire you would Remember the Ladies, and be more generous and favourable (sic.) to them than your ancestors. Do not put such unlimited power into the hands of the Husbands. Remember all Men would be tyrants if they could. If perticuliar (sic.) care and attention is not paid to the Laidies (sic.) we are determined to foment a Rebelion (sic.), and will not hold ourselves bound by any Laws in which we have no voice, or Representation. (March 31, 1776)

Now, given the time, this is not at all surprising. I will not now go into the history of this site – that can be for a later post – but suffice it to say that it then took almost a century more for the “ladies” to be remembered. The woman who toiled next to their husbands, worked together as two heads and four hands, who gave birth to eighty English children on the shores of an island twenty-eight-miles at sea. In 2008, I was asked to be part of a group that created a monument to the first female English settlers of the island. It stands next to the earlier stone from 1881 overlooking what was once the original settlement site, as well as Washing, Maxcy, and Capaum Ponds (once a harbor), and out into the sound.

JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association's 11th Annual Nantucket Science Festival

Thu, 06 Mar 2025 17:48:06 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA—The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces its eleventh annual Nantucket Science Festival (AckSciFest) to be held March 15, 2025, in collaboration with over fifteen Nantucket community partner organizations. The MMA will host its FREE STEAM-inspired day of hands-on learning and exploration on Saturday, March 15 from 10:30am – 2pm, with the addition of a designated sensory-friendly hour, for diverse families, starting at 9:30am.

This year’s theme focuses on “Waves of Discovery” and a mission to engage the Nantucket community in intersectional STEAM experiences. This event exemplifies 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. This festival has become the largest late winter event in our community!

This year, the festival will reinforce discovery by collaborating with a diverse portfolio of community partners to demonstrate the diversity of STEAM. “We are thrilled to return for yet another year with an intersectional festival offering,” said Jónelle Gurley, coordinator of AckSciFest and Director of Science and Programs at the MMA. “The enthusiasm of our collaborators each year certainly drives the community engagement and interest.”

This year’s community partner organizations include: the Artists Association of Nantucket, Egan Maritime Institute, Girl Scouts - Nantucket, Linda Loring Nature Foundation, Mass Audubon, Nantucket Atheneum, Nantucket Community School, Nantucket Conservation Foundation, Nantucket Dreamland, Nantucket Fire Department, Nantucket Police Department, Nantucket Historical Association, Nantucket Land and Water Council, Nantucket Islands Land Bank, Nantucket Lights, Nantucket New School, Nantucket Shellfish Association, Oika, UMASS Boston Field Station Nantucket, US Coast Guard Station Brant Point, Nantucket S.T.A.R, and Sustainable Nantucket. All will be highlighting the incredible opportunities to discover STEAM on Nantucket.

This event is FREE of charge and takes place at the Nantucket High School Gymnasium. Attendees will be able to participate in a range of hands-on activities and experiences. This year’s activities include, but are not limited to, “Ice Painting,” “Oceans: Waves for All Story Walk,” “Solutions for Plastic Pollution,” “Ocean Sensory Bins,” “My Summer Garden,” “Bird Banding Bonanza,” “The Unbel-Eeel-vable Adventure,” “Mobile Touch Tank Exploration,” “Waves in Action,” “The Simple Machines that Power the Olde Mill,” and many sensory crafts, general chemistry and astronomy related activities, and engineering and space exploration fun. The Nantucket Public Safety Departments will also be present for “Touch a Cruiser” and “Touch a Truck” and the US Coast Guard Station (USCG) Brant Point will be in attendance to display coming lifesaving gear and a trailered USCG vessel. The Nantucket Science Festival is made possible thanks to the generosity of its volunteers, partner organizations, and generous sponsors.

ABOUT THE NANTUCKET SCIENCE FESTIVAL

Founded in 2015, the Nantucket Science Festival is a mid-March collaborative community event, featuring hands-on science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics activities. It is an initiative of the Maria Mitchell Association in partnership with various Nantucket non-profit organizations, schools, and businesses. For more information, please visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/nantucket-science-festival

The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. 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

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For Immediate Release

March 5 2025

Contact: Jónelle Gurley

jgurley@mariamitchell.org

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 16:42:29 GMT

Thursday, Mch. 4 {1869}

My dear Sally,

Father seems better again today and the Doctor thinks it merely a “flurry.” But he is so feeble that any “flurry” is a serious thing. He has been up an hour today, has eaten a little dinner in bed. I slept in his room last night and shall whenever it is necessary.

MM.

William Mitchell died a little over a month later on April 19, 1869. He had lived with Maria at Vassar College from the day she began her tenure – he was the one who encouraged her to take the job – the one who told her they really wanted to hire her and that they were not just looking for her opinion of a new women’s college. He had in fact lived with her in Lynn, Massachusetts as well. The two of them left Nantucket after Lydia Coleman Mitchell’s death in 1861. Maria gave the only bedroom in the Observatory to her father for his use – feeling it was more appropriate that way and in deference to her father, her elder. This did cause some issues – Maria was forced to make-do with by using a settee in one of the sitting areas off the dome making for a cold and non-private space. She also found that if her father needed her, she could not hear him since he was on the ground floor – on the other side of the Observatory.

JNLF

Keep Calm and Bird On: March 2025

Sat, 01 Mar 2025 17:41:06 GMT

“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.”

-Edith Andrews

March is a transition time, when we expect the earliest of early spring migrants: Piping Plover, Ospreys, American Oystercatchers. It is also a time when some of our winter visitors will begin to think about heading north again: Harlequin Ducks, Green-winged Teal, Purple Sandpipers. So, it is a good time to catch up if there are gaps in your winter lists. Look for Iceland and Glaucous Gulls. This year, there is a Black-headed Gull to look for too. Or, if there is (ever) a calm night, listen for Woodcock.

But what if the weather is even more dreadful than usual? What if it’s just the usual suspects, day after day? Every birder goes though phases of interest, once the first excitement of learning the common birds for the season and locale is complete. What’s next? Some people go chasing further afield, travelling to exotic places for Toucans, Parrots, Manikins. This has the dual benefit of getting away to someplace warmer.

But what if you are not planning a trip? What if there is a sudden dearth of rarities to chase on Nantucket? Although we have been blessed with quite a few recently: Northern Lapwing, Tufted Duck, European Green-winged Teal. But, say you saw them all; what then?

If even the beacon-red head of a Eurasian Wigeon has lost its luster, watch behavior. Try to think like a bird, figure out what it is doing, and how it does it. You might notice one Red-breasted Merganser using the edge of a pond, with its little points and wrinkles, to trap fish against the shore as it herds them in. Or see a Great Blue Heron, usually so stately, make a lightning strike to nail an unexpected food, like a vole.

The thing about birds is: no matter how much you know, there is always more to learn.

Image by Trish Pastuszak

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Pam Murphy and Kim Schulam of Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket as Featured Guests for the February Science Speaker Series

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 20:58:34 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA—The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces that it will host Pam Murphy and Kim Shulam of the Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket (MMAN), as featured presenters for its February Science Speaker Series. Their presentation will take place on Wednesday, February 26 at 7pm via Zoom. This event is free to all.

Join Pam Murphy, the MMAN Executive Director, and Kim Schulam, the MMAN Vice President and Stranding Coordinator, in a discussion on the importance of seals and other marine mammals in maintaining a healthy marine ecosystem, and how we can all help keep these populations safe.

The mission of the Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket is to monitor, rescue, and protect marine mammals on Nantucket, advocate for their well-being, and educate the public. MMAN belongs to the Greater Atlantic Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and is among thirteen organizations dedicated to protecting, rescuing, and advocating marine mammals along the Atlantic coast from Virginia to Maine. You can learn more about the animals they rescue, their partner teams, useful tips, and statistical maps here: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5d29b842996d44eea0c4517f71ecca4d

Pam Murphy has been involved in animal rescue for many years, from creating a Be Kind to Animals Club at the age of seven, to being one of the founders of Nantucket Island Safe Harbor for Animals (NiSHA) in 2011; serving eight years as board president. Her extensive board experience with TWN, NiSHA, and NAC put her in a solid position to manage MMAN’s board and see it develop into a stronger organization, capable of attracting the donor support the mission deserves. A lifelong vegetarian, Pam has never been able to stand idly by when an animal is suffering. To be allowed to approach injured and entangled marine mammals legally and help was what drew her to MMAN. She became Level A trained, learning to restrain and disentangle seals and went on to attend a Cetacean Stranding Workshop with IFAW. “I have learned a great deal about marine mammals and how to help through the vast knowledge of my teammates.”

Kim Schulam began visiting Nantucket in 2013 and fell in love with the remote, natural qualities of the island. A Biological Sciences major in college, she initially considered the fields of Marine Biology or Veterinary Medicine but ultimately pursued a career as a Physician’s Assistant. Now retired from medicine, she met former Stranding Coordinator Scott Leonard and learned of MMAN. She immediately joined the team and became Level A trained. She regularly attends IFAW’s Marine Mammal Mass Stranding training, and is 24-Hour HAZWOPER certified for oil spill wildlife rescue. Now a full-time resident of Nantucket, she serves as the team’s Stranding Coordinator and Board Vice President. She coordinated MMAN’s first team-conducted large whale necropsy last year and works closely with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to maintain the team’s Stranding Agreement as Nantucket's sole agency legally permitted to handle marine mammals. She feels strongly that humans have an obligation to marine life to help them survive given all we have done to injure them and destroy their environment.

Pre-registration is required to attend Zoom. To register for Zoom, use the registration link below: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_7UnSEop1RKyxgl0LBio2Kw#/registration

This series is generously sponsored by our lead sponsor, Bank of America.

The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. 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

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For Immediate Release

February 18, 2025

Contact: Jónelle Gurley

jgurley@mariamitchell.org

Good Neighbors

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 15:39:46 GMT

Good neighbors seem hard to come by these days. And, by these days, I mean the last thirty or more years. There are still good neighbors out there but many neighborhoods are not what they once were. People tend to be more insular, inside more often on devices, not outside tending to their yards or just sitting on the front porch. Children do not run rampant over yards and fences, multiple ages playing outside until the last gasp of daylight. Grown-ups are not inviting one another over for dinner or giving each other a hand as they once did. In elementary school, my best friend’s family moved in across the street (how lucky was I?!). Our bedrooms were directly opposite one another and we developed a flashlight signal to share from our windows. After Hurricane Gloria, without power for days, our two families gathered to clean out the refrigerators and freezers before things spoiled. Our father’s grilled it all on charcoal grills so we could have a hot feast – and save the food. Does that happen anymore? We are all more focused on ourselves than one another.

The MMA recently lost a good neighbor. Nancy lived on Vestal Street for twenty-five or more years with her husband in a house that was once occupied by another good neighbor. I think a little osmosis might have been at work but also, simply, Nancy was a good neighbor. I would liken her to the “Mayor of Vestal Street.” She looked out for people, paid attention, invited her neighbors for dinner, and helped them out. She certainly helped the MMA out. She offered to garden – and re-did our Astronomer’s Cottage garden and side yard. She painted window boxes. She donated an old door she had so we could replace a rotting door we had. She donated a refrigerator – still humming along nicely in one of our dorms. She welcomed a Mitchell House intern into her home to look at the grain painting in her home from the nineteenth century as the intern worked to study the grain painting in the Mitchell House’s 1825 Kitchen. She attended our events. She was a member. She helped out in other areas of the MMA with advice and support. She swept at least weekly – if not more – the stones from our driveway that constantly tumbled into the street. She gave us plants, kept her eye on things, and looked out for our staff and interns, too. She even gave me a few dresses she could not wear and a baby gift when we brought our son home. She was a mensch.

Finding out about her death knocked me down. I keep expecting her to be outside sweeping or walking her beloved dog or putting a new flower arrangement in her front window. She loved her historic home and she and her husband worked very hard to preserve it and also restore details that were lost over the last 100 or more years. She was an incredibly talented and smart person and had a whole other life in Boston where she worked for many years in human resources. I could not think of a better person to have such an occupation. She always had a smile on her face and was ready with support.

Good neighbors are hard to come by. I hope that Nancy and her memory inspire a few more people to be good neighbors in this world.

The step, however small, which is in advance of the world, shows the greatness of the person, whether that step be taken with brain, with heart, or with hands. – Maria Mitchell

JNLF

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Mon, 10 Feb 2025 15:15:05 GMT

Feb. 15, 1853. I think Dr. Hall (in his “Life of Mary Ware”) does wrong when he attempts to encourage the use of the needle. It seems to me that the needle is the chain of woman, and has fettered her more than the laws of the country.

Once emancipate her from the “stitch, stitch, stitch,” the industry of which would be commendable if it served any purpose except the gratification of her vanity, and she would have time for studies which would engross as the needle never can. I would as soon put a girl alone into a closet to meditate as give her only the society of the needle.

The art of sewing, so far as men learn it, is well enough; that is, to enable a person to take the stitches, and, if necessary, to make her own garments in a strong manner; but the dressmaker should no more be a universal character than the carpenter.

I believe MM’s words are self-explanatory, no commentary needed on my part.

JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association and Nantucket Lights Releases Report on the Nantucket Sky Quality Monitoring Project

Fri, 07 Feb 2025 21:01:22 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA—– The Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) and Nantucket Lights are pleased to release the Nantucket Sky Quality Monitoring Project (SQM) report by Dark Sky Consulting , LLC. The joint program, launched in 2022, involves collecting night-sky brightness data from around Nantucket Island from citizen-scientists using handheld Unihedron Sky Quality Meters (SQMs) as measurement devices to study light pollution.

Observations were made from June 2022 to November 2024 at eight sites (Nantucket Town; Madaket Beach; Nantucket Elementary School; Nantucket Memorial Airport; Altar Rock; 'Sconset; Wauwinet; and Surfside Beach), a ninth site (Cisco Beach) was added in August 2024, for which only three months of data are available. These efforts establish a baseline for assessing the effectiveness of actions to mitigate light pollution going forward.

The distributions separate into two broad populations (high development: Nantucket Town; Nantucket Elementary School; and Nantucket Airport) and low/no development: (Madaket; Sconset; Wauwinet’; Surfside Beach; Cisco Beach; and Altar Rock). The darkest readings among the latter tend to occur in spring and summer. For high-development sites, the width of the distribution increases distinctly in summer and its mean shifts toward brighter values. We interpret this as due to an increased population on the island during the summer season.

The group follows the data collection procedure recommended by DarkSky International. Readings are taken under conditions intended to minimize interference from environmental influences. For example, reading does not commence until the end of astronomical twilight, which occurs about 90 minutes after sunset. Observers are encouraged to report only data taken under conditions of clear skies, which is sometimes not possible due to the vagaries of Nantucket weather. Additionally, they avoid obtaining data when the Moon is above the horizon to limit the contaminating effect of its light. Readings are taken after the conclusion of astronomical twilight during the week between the last-quarter and new Moon phases.

Analysis of the night-sky brightness measurements since 2022 show that the data are broadly valid and reproducible, and that outlier values can largely be explained by the influence of environmental conditions. Distributions of measurements across various cuts (location, year) are normal as expected for random sampling of the assumed underlying “populations” of night-sky brightness values. And there is not a great deal of night-sky brightness variation from one year to the next, either on a per-site basis or island-wide. From this, we can broadly conclude that light emissions on Nantucket have, in recent years, increased only at a very slow rate. The Nantucket Dark Sky Monitoring Project continues to be monitored, and data is being collected and analyzed.

You can find more detailed information on the Nantucket Island Night Sky Quality Report here:

Nantucket-Report-FINAL-250123.pdf

Nantucket-Annex-FINAL-250123.pdf

The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. 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

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For Immediate Release

February 7, 2025

Contact: Joanna Roche

jroche@mariamitchell.org

Maria Mitchell Vestal Street Observatory Conservation Update: February 2025

Mon, 03 Feb 2025 15:19:35 GMT

We are still quietly working away. Now that the paint and plaster repairs are done, the woodwork and shelving has been conserved, and the floor has been redone in the Astronomical Study, we have turned to the concrete floors. These are being worked on by Evita Caune of Riptide Finishes – she had done Hinchman House’s cellar floor and those in the Research Center. The Observatory cellar floor is coming along and she is also working on the Pillar Room – so named because it houses the pillar that supports the telescope in the Dome Room. If there was an original finish on any of the three concrete floors – the Pillar Room, the Dome Room, the cellar under the Astronomical Study – it is gone. They applied many layers of paint that eroded and chipped with time. I do now know why the Pillar Room had a red floor at one point (took me long enough) – probably to match the red tile they put on the original wood floor in the Astronomical Study. Evita is giving us a nice clean coating in the Pillar Room and the cellar and we may have a bit more fun with the floor in the Dome Room – all of this is reversible which comes from a conservation perspective. All the interior conservation work was funded by the Community Preservation Act – as was the exterior conservation.

One note – the Astronomical Study’s original floor was a total loss as far as finish is concerned. I may have noted this before. It was truly sad. The original wood floor was covered in multiple layers – tarpaper glued to the wood. Then a layer of red tile (tested and was safe), then another layer of tarpaper and glues. Then foam padding and a 1980s blue wall-to-wall carpet – they liked that carpet so much it used to be in the Astronomer’s Cottage too! We thought the tar paper beneath the tiles would be easily removed from the wood. It was not. It had basically melted and seeped into the floor so we have to lightly sand the floor and then refinish it. That was quite sad – but at least we have the original wood floor intact.

JNLF

Keep Calm and Bird On: February 2025

Sat, 01 Feb 2025 18:53:26 GMT

“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.”

-Edith Andrews

Thus far this winter has actually been, well, undeniably… wintry. After three years without a hard freeze, it takes a bit of getting used to. And who would venture out if they didn’t have to? Birders, that’s who. Birds are not sitting home watching TV, they are still out there. And Nantucket’s winter bird life looks as different from summer’s as the human crowds of July and August are from bundled-up Islanders.

There is no better time to find unusual gulls, alcids, or sea ducks. True, a telescope vastly improves ocean birding. But, perhaps you might be lucky enough to find “Gull Soup.” This is an unpredictable condition where a near-shore sandbar collects masses of seaweed, plankton, small crustaceans, shrimp, and fish. It draws winter birds like the Juice Bar draws summer humans, and pulls seabirds into easy view.

But what if motivation is lacking? It’s cold. Just replace that word with “invigorating” and keep moving. Wear down clothing, insulated boots, wind-proof hats, and gloves with hand-warmers. Pick your location according to the wind. If blowing strong from the north, you can often find a lee from a south shore dune. Use your car as a windbreak, or do car-birding if the wind blows from every quarter.

But, if nothing works but an easy chair with a hot cuppa and a cozy fire, take advantage of inside time to improve your birding skills. Spend time looking at field guides. Browse possibilities and note what birds catch your eye, your imagination. Look at the field marks. Read about the birds, turn on your Merlin app and listen to them, look at the maps. See where they were, where they are, where they—maybe—will be. Whether you decide to brave the cold, plan a trip, or just wait for summer, study will make you a better birder.

Image by Ginger Andrews

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Announces New Habitats for Their Tortoise Ambassadors at the Hinchman House Natural Science Museum By Nantucket Pack 92 Cub Scouts

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 18:58:21 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA—The Maria Mitchell Association is thrilled to announce the generous contribution of time, talent, and hard work from the Nantucket Pack 92 Cub Scouts, who have graciously lent their efforts to create new, custom homes for our beloved tortoises at the Hinchman House Natural Science Museum, Mzee and Melvin.

Over the course of 2024, both Mzee and Melvin experienced considerable growth, and it quickly became apparent that their current habitat would no longer meet their needs. Recognizing this, Pack 92 eagerly rose to the occasion, taking on the task of designing and constructing two new, spacious enclosures. Through their ingenuity and craftsmanship, the Scouts meticulously resized, lined, and decorated wooden crates to transform them into ideal homes for the tortoises, ensuring a comfortable and secure environment for them to thrive in for years to come.

On Sunday, January 18th, the Scouts gathered at the Hinchman House Natural Science Museum to assist in the relocation of Mzee and Melvin into their new homes. It was a busy morning filled with activity, as the Scouts moved rocks, prepared a suitable substrate, constructed protective covers, and—inevitably—got a little muddy in the process. Throughout the day, their enthusiasm, creativity, and teamwork shone brightly, as they worked tirelessly to ensure the tortoises' comfort and well-being.

Mzee and Melvin have since settled into their new enclosures and are enjoying the extra space and improved surroundings. The tortoises, as always, are eager to welcome visitors to their new homes. The Hinchman House Natural Science Museum, at 7 Milk Street, invites all to stop by and see Mzee and Melvin in their new habitats, with visiting hours on Fridays from 3 – 7pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 10am – 2pm. The Maria Mitchell Association extends its heartfelt thanks to the Cub Scouts of Pack 92 for their selfless dedication to this project, which will undoubtedly benefit Mzee and Melvin for many years to come.

Image by Christy Baker.

The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. 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

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For Immediate Release

January 27, 2025

Contact: Christina Norman

cnorman@mariamitchell.org

At Rest

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 15:17:32 GMT

I blogged this back in 2019 but with our cold temperatures of late, I was reminded of it.

Under a blanket of cold.

When the ground freezes and seems like stone or metal, I am always reminded of Christina Rossetti’s In the Bleak Midwinter – a poem later turned into a hymn that is most commonly sung during the Advent season. It was one of my Father’s favorites but he found it very sad. I once saw it making him cry when I was a child. The line in particular: “Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone.” I was again reminded of this today (January 30, 2019) as I was the other day, and many cold winter days. The line pops into my head often in this season.

Today, as I took my lunchtime walk, I went past Old North Cemetery. Everything was peaceful – everyone asleep under the blanket of a cold, iron-like earth. Windswept, quiet, grey. Grey clouds moving along the horizon with peeks of blue.

The cemetery is sometimes referred to as the Gardner Burial Site – some of the earliest who were interred there were from the Gardner family and originally the site was a private family burial site for the family. Appropriate, since West Chester Street is just a few steps away and the Gardner clan as half-shares (in the early settlement of Nantucket by Europeans) lived along West Chester as they lived farther afield from the full-shares who lived closer to Washing Pond in Sherburne. The road is basically the oldest on Nantucket – leading from the original settlement at Sherburne into Town and the later settlement at Wesco – which is Town and which provided a better harbor.

Maria was, of course, related to people on both sides of the aisle so-to-speak.

JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association REU-NSF Interns Attended the 245th American Astronomical Society Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Fri, 24 Jan 2025 18:54:36 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA—On the occasion of the 245th American Astronomical Society (AAS) Meeting , and the 178th anniversary year of the discovery of Miss Mitchell’s Comet, interns from the Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) of Nantucket Island, journeyed to Washington, D.C., to represent the MMA and present their work. Building on the legacy of Maria Mitchell, the first female American astronomer, the MMA offers STEM research and education opportunities to interns from across the country via their paid internship programs.

The MMA’s Maria Mitchell Observatory has operated the National Science Foundation- Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF-REU)- program each summer for decades. The program is funded by a generous grant from the National Science Foundation, which allows the MMA to bring six top undergraduate students to the MMA each summer who are selected out of a pool of approximately 380 applicants from around the United States.

January 12 -16, the MMA’s Summer 2024 NSF-REU interns presented their research on fascinating subjects, from finding baby stars, to understanding how galaxies grow over time, and how dark matter influences galaxy cluster collisions. MMA Executive Director, Joanna Roche, attended the conference and presented each student with a bound book of their cohort’s papers. “The research and projects that this year’s REU interns presented are as fascinating as they are well done. We are so proud to continue the tradition of nurturing young scientists through our REU program.”

This summer’s NSF-REU interns and their research presentations which they presented at the AAS are:

Naija Bruckner | Rice University , majoring in Astrophysics, presented “Probing Circumgalactic Medium Turbulence with Synthetic Absorption.” Her topic was turbulence in the circumgalactic medium (the gas around galaxies). By examining snapshots of simulated galaxies at different redshifts, she found that higher ions are better tracers of turbulence and movement of gas in the CGM than low ions. This finding can be used to improve our interpretation of observed CGMs and the movement of gas within by looking at absorption lines particular to higher ions in actual observation.

Sophia Chan Davis | University of Michigan, double majoring in Astronomy & Astrophysics and Interdisciplinary Physics with a minor in Museum Studies, presented “Shining the X-ray light on Planetary Nebulae in Globular Clusters.”. She focused on investigating the origins of planetary nebulae in globular clusters, utilizing advanced X-ray observations to enhance our understanding of stellar evolution. Her findings suggest its X-ray emissions come from shock interactions within the nebula, making K648 the most distant planetary nebula with X-ray emission ever observed.

Jillian Epstein | Cornell University, majoring in Engineering Physics and minoring in Astronomy, presented “Searching for X-ray Counterparts of Protostellar Cores.” She is interested in optics and astrophysics with a particular interest in high-energy astrophysics, cosmology, and astrophysical instrumentation. She used archived Chandra X-ray Observatory data to research the X-ray components of protostars under Dr. David Principe from the MIT Kavli Institute. Epstein utilized the CAIO suite of tools in Python to analyze X-ray spectra.

Fiona Lopez | Texas A&M University , majoring in Physics and Astronomy, presented her research titled “Understanding the Interplay Between Dust, Gas, and Stars in High-Redshift Galaxies with ALMA and JWST” in collaboration with Dr. Mónica Relaño from the University of Granada, Spain. Her work explores the complex roles of interstellar dust, gas, and stars in high-redshift galaxies, leveraging observations from ALMA and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to gain deeper insights into these distant cosmic systems.

Nicolas Mazziotti | University of Arizona, majoring in Astronomy and Physics, presented, “Exploring Dark Matter and Galaxy Clusters.” His presentation at AAS was about his MMA research with Dr. Lindsay King (UT Dallas) on simulations of merging galaxy clusters.

Gada Tefera | Pomona College, majoring in Computer Science, presented “Investigating the Impact of sub-DLAs on the Neutral Hydrogen Mass Density of the Universe.” He focused on investigating the contribution of sub-Damped Lyman Alpha systems to the neutral hydrogen content of the early universe using spectra from the KODIAQ DR3 sample of 727 quasars. He developed and implemented spectroscopic analysis methods using Python tools, including LineTools and XSpectrum1D, to identify and characterize absorption systems. He led a systematic search resulting in the identification of 555 absorbers, including 415 sub-DLAs, representing one of the largest high-redshift sub-DLA samples ever assembled. He performed analysis of absorption features and metal line systems to determine column densities and metallicities across redshift range 2 < z < 6.

The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. 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.

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For Immediate Release

January 24, 2025

Contact: Joanna Roche

jroche@mariamitchell.org

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Welcomes Gail Walker, Geoff Clayton, and John Barentine as Featured Guests for the January Science Speaker Series, “How Dark is Nantucket’s Night Sky?”

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 18:49:27 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA— The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) announces that it will host Gail Walker, Geoff Clayton, and John Barentine, with moderator, Joanna Roche, as featured presenters for its January Science Speaker Series. Their presentation will take place on Wednesday, January 22 at 7pm via Zoom. This event is free to all.

“How Dark is Nantucket’s Night Sky?”

Join Gail Walker, founder of Nantucket Lights, Dr. Geoff Clayton, Interim Director of Astronomy at the MMA, and Dr. John Barentine, founder of Dark Sky Consulting, in a panel discussion moderated by the MMA’s Executive Director, Joanna Roche. Learn about the Nantucket Sky Quality Monitoring Project, a joint initiative of Nantucket Lights and the MMA launched in 2022 to collect ground-based measurements to determine how dark Nantucket's night sky is. The data collected to date establishes a baseline for assessing the effectiveness of efforts to mitigate light pollution going forward — and helps us understand how close we are to losing the ability to see the Milky Way with the naked eye.

Nantucket Lights and the MMA will be explaining how this project works and plans going forward. John Barentine, retained to independently analyze the data collected so far, will discuss his findings and recommendations.

Gail Walker is the founder and president of Nantucket Lights ( https://nantucketlights.org ), an all-volunteer, citizen advocacy group exclusively dedicated to preserving and protecting Nantucket’s nighttime environment and heritage of dark skies. A long-time summer resident of ‘Sconset, she began working on light pollution as a board member of the 'Sconset Civic Association following her retirement from the U.S. Department of Justice where she was a trial attorney for almost twenty years. In addition to leading Nantucket Lights, Walker serves on the Executive Committee of the Nantucket Civic League.

Geoffrey Clayton received his Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the University of Toronto. He has worked for the Universities of Wisconsin and Colorado, as well as for NASA. He spent twenty-seven years as a professor at Louisiana State University. His association with the MMA goes back almost sixty years. He attended lectures and attended Open Nights at the MMA when he was a child visiting Nantucket. He still appreciates the dark skies of Nantucket now that he lives on the island full time.

John Barentine is the Principal Consultant and Executive Officer at Dark Sky Consulting, LLC. He earned a Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Texas at Austin and previously held staff positions at the National Solar Observatory, Apache Point Observatory, the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and the International Dark-Sky Association. He is a member of the American Astronomical Society (AAS), the International Astronomical Union (IAU), and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), and is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS). He serves on light pollution committees of the AAS, IES and IAU, and co-leads the Community Engagement section of the IAU Centre for the Protection of the Dark and Quiet Sky from Satellite Constellation Interference.

Pre-registration is required to attend Zoom. To register for Zoom, use the registration link below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_--Lju9KeTGGrxRJ4Dzihzw

The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. 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

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For Immediate Release

January 13, 2025

Contact: Joanna Roche

jroche@mariamitchell.org

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Announces Winter Hours and Programs at the Hinchman House Natural Science Museum

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 18:41:26 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA—The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA), your portal to Nantucket’s natural world, announces its winter program schedule at the Hinchman House Natural Science Museum – full of science education, research, and exploration of the sky, land, and sea of Nantucket Island.

MMA Hinchman House Natural Science Museum at 7 Milk Street Hours: Fridays, 3 – 7pm, Saturdays and Sundays, 10am – 2pm.

Winter Public Programs:

Ravenous Reptiles is offered Fridays, from 2:15pm – 3pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 9 – 9:45am. Learn about the unique adaptations of turtles, frogs, snakes, and more at the MMA Natural Science Museum! You will get to touch or hold several of the MMA Natural Science Museum animal ambassadors. If you love animals, this is a fantastic way to learn about native and non-native species up-close. Pre-registration is recommended. At least one adult must sign up with children. This program is designed to be interesting for adults and children ages 4 and up.

Nature Story Time is offered Saturdays and Sundays from 11 - 11:45am. Enjoy this program specially designed for the young explorer in your family! During each session, a MMA educator will read a nature or science related book, introduce you to one of the MMA’s animal friends, and will finish with an activity related to the story! This is a recurring program, but the specific focus and materials provided will change each week. This program is appropriate for children ages 3 and up. All children must be accompanied by an adult and all participants must register.

Pajama Story Time is offered Fridays from 7 – 7:45pm. Enjoy this program designed to delight children of all ages. During each session, a MMA educator will read science-based children's stories and lead activities that promote discovery and imagination. This program encourages children to develop a lifelong love of nature, reading, and learning and introduces them to the culture of reading. A story related craft is included. At least one adult must sign up with children. This program is designed to be interesting for children ages 3 and older. Pajamas are encouraged but not required.

STEAM Sensation is offered Fridays from 5 – 5:45pm, and Saturdays and Sundays from 2 – 2:45pm. Join MMA naturalists for an exploration into the world of science! We will deep dive into the microscopic world, investigate shark biology, create agar art with bacteria, or collect and examine phytoplankton. Together, we will tap into our curious nature to uncover more secrets of the natural world. Each week, this program will specifically focus on a dedicated scientific topic! This program is appropriate for adults and children ages 5 and older. All registered children must be accompanied by a registered adult to participate in this program.

View the MMA’s calendar for all upcoming programs, including Bird Walks , Owl Prowls , and Birding 101 programs with Ginger Andrews, and our new Learning Lab Series featuring a range of topics designed to spark curiosity, brought to life by MMA experts and special guests: https://www.mariamitchell.org/calendar

The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. 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

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For Immediate Release

January 13, 2025

Contact: Jónelle Gurley

programs@mariamitchell.org

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

Mon, 13 Jan 2025 15:35:10 GMT

Given our recent weather, I wanted to reblog this from 2014.

1857 Jan 22. Hard winters are becoming the order of things. Winter before last was hard, last winter was harder and this surpasses all winters known before. We have been frozen in to our Island now since the 6th. No one said much about it for the first two or three days. The sleighing was good and all the world was out trying their horses on Main St. – the race-course of the world. Day after day passed and the thermometer sank to a lower point and the minds rose to a higher, and sleighing became uncomfortable and even the dullest man longed for the cheer of a newspaper. The Inquirer came out for a while, but at length had nothing to tell and nothing to Inquire about and so kept its peace . . . .

Inside the houses we amuse ourselves in various ways. Frank’s family and ours form a club, meeting three times a week and writing machine poetry in great quantities. Occasionally something very droll puts us in a roar of laughter. Frank, Ellen and Kate I think are rather the smartest, tho’ Mr. Macy has written rather the best of all.

Some things never change and Maria Mitchell and her family were confronted with a cold and snowy winter, rendering them – and the island – house-bound due to the bitter weather. Maria writes in her journal of the sitting room at the Pacific Bank − where the family lived on the second floor − not getting above forty degrees in the evening, though she implies this was fairly snug which helps you get a better feeling for what winter home interiors were like in those days. With constant clouds, Maria found that she could not observe but it seems she likely got to know her sister-in-law, Ellen, much better (Ellen married Francis “Frank” Macy Mitchell – younger brother of Maria in April 1853), as well as Mr. Macy – Alfred Macy – a lawyer and the head of the Coffin School for several years. Alfred would marry Anne Mitchell (younger sister of Maria) in May of 1857 – perhaps the confined quarters help to kindle the romance all the more!

JNLF

Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Announces 2025 Discovery Camp Registration

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 18:52:19 GMT

NANTUCKET, MA—The Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA), your gateway to Nantucket’s natural world, is excited to announce its 2025 Discovery Camp registration. Registration for children ages five through sixteen will open during the week of January 13.

Camp registration is open to MMA Members only who have an active Family Membership or Year-round Island Family Membership. Family or Year-round Island Family Memberships can be activated or renewed at https://www.mariamitchell.org/membership . Membership gives you many benefits including unlimited free admission to the Aquarium, Natural Science Museum, Loines Observatory, and the Historic Mitchell House, discounts on programs and merchandise, invitations to special member-only events, and much more.

The MMA will offer age specific weekly sessions this summer full of hands-on science education, research, and exploration of the sky, land, and sea of Nantucket Island. The MMA’s award-winning Discovery Camps kick off in June and continues for ten weeks of curiosity, wonder, and exploration. The popular camps featured include: “Animal Signs & The Five Senses,” “Aware in the Wild,” “Underwater Explorations,” “Exploring Art in the Ecosystems,” “Marine Biology Boot Camp,” “Cosmic & Climate Connections,” “Green Guardians,” “Junior Historians – A Walk Through Nantucket,” “Junior Astronomers – Reaches of the Universe,” and “Nantucket Nature Bound” programs for ages 13 – 16 which include “Coastal Resiliency and Nantucket Ecology,” “Marine and Terrestrial Ecology,” and “Cross Island Habitat Hike.”

Visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/camp-programs to check enrollment availability and to register. Year-round Island Family Membership Registration will begin January 13 at 6am, and Family Membership Registration will begin January 15 at 6am.

Thanks to a generous gift from EGCF, a non-profit foundation, the MMA offers scholarship opportunities for eligible Nantucket Island residents and visitors. This financial aid program provides an 80% discount off the price of camp sessions. Any family who can demonstrate a need is encouraged to apply. To learn more, visit https://www.mariamitchell.org/scholarships-discounts . 

Please review the camp programs webpage at https://www.mariamitchell.org/camp-programs

to learn about the variety of camps offered for each age level and come explore with us!

The Maria Mitchell Association was founded in 1902 to preserve the legacy of Nantucket native astronomer, naturalist, librarian, and educator, Maria Mitchell. After she discovered a comet in 1847, Mitchell’s international fame led to many achievements and awards, including an appointment as the first female professor of astronomy at Vassar College. Maria Mitchell believed in “learning by doing” and today that philosophy is reflected in the MMA’s mission statement, programs, research projects, and other activities. 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

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For Immediate Release

January 6, 2025

Contact: Will Evans

wevans@mariamitchell.org

William Mitchell Kendall and the Surround at Plimoth Rock Memorial

Mon, 06 Jan 2025 15:46:38 GMT

The design for the surround at Plimoth Rock was created during William Mitchell Kendall’s tenure at McKim, Mead, and White. He would play a role in, and design, numerous other well-known structures including: the Boston Symphony, Harvard University School of Business and many of Harvard’s gates, the American Academy in Rome, the Army War College and Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., the Washington Square Arch, Bellevue Hospital, Low Memorial and Morgan libraries, and several buildings at Columbia University.

JNLF

PEACE

Thu, 02 Jan 2025 16:23:24 GMT