Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Announces Fifth Annual Green Crab Week 2024

July 31, 2024

NANTUCKET, MA - Join the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA), Nantucket Land and Water Council (NLC), and Sustainable Nantucket (SN) for the Fifth Annual Nantucket Green Crab Week! The MMA, NLC, and SN will be offering fun daily events August 5 to August 10 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 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 here on the island. Together, as a community, it is possible to help prevent green crabs from destroying the natural resources that make Nantucket’s waters so special! So please come join us during Nantucket Green Crab Week to learn more.


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, 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 each year and Oysterfest each November 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.


MMA Green Crab Identification Workshop and Derby Information Session

Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Nantucket-Green-CrabIdentification-Workshop-and-Info-Session

Monday, August 5, 4:00 PM – 5:00 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: Bait & Line

Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Nantucket-Green-Crab-Survey-Baitand-Line-Method-06Aug2024

Tuesday, August 6, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Price: FREE

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

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


Green Crab Fertilizer Workshop with the Sustainable Nantucket and Nantucket Land and Water Council

Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Annual-Green-Crab-FertilizerWorkshop-with-the-Nantucket-Land-Council

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

Price: FREE

Location: Mt. Vernon Farm, 168 Hummock Pond Road

In collaboration with the Nantucket Land and Water Council and Sustainable Nantucket, please join us for this free workshop on how to help control the population of the invasive green crab. Green crabs can be turned into an environmentally friendly fertilizer for your garden. Participants should bring completely waterproof boots they are comfortable crushing dead crabs with, as well as a sealable bottle or jar to take home their fertilizer. We will provide crabs, coolers, vinegar, and take-home fertilizer instructions.


MMA Nantucket Green Crab Survey: Wading & Hand Net

Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Nantucket-Green-Crab-SurveyWading--Hand-Net-09Aug2024

Friday, August 9, 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM

Price: FREE

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

Join Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium staff on a survey for invasive European green crabs! This survey will be a part of the MMA Nantucket Green Crab Community Science Survey that you can do yourself at any time! In this session, we will be using the wading with hand net method. 2024 Nantucket Green Crab Derby Registration Link: https://112458a.blackbaudhosting.com/112458a/Annual-Green-Crab-Derby10Aug2024 Saturday, August 10, 10 AM – 3 PM Price: $10 per team, each comprised of up to four participants Location: MMA Aquarium, 32 Washington Street Help the Maria Mitchell Association and the Nantucket Land and Water Council fight the green crab invasion by participating in the 5th Annual Nantucket Green Crab Derby! Participate in a team of up to four people to help us maintain healthy marine habitats and for a chance to win prizes.
  

###  

 


For Immediate Release

July 31, 2024

Contact: Allison Lowe

marketinginterns@mariamitchell.org

Recent Posts

Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • July 7, 2025
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

July 1, 2025
“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.” -Edith Andrews

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

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger • June 30, 2025
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
Show More