Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Bird-Where-You-Are-A-Thon

Kelly Bernatzky • Apr 14, 2021

From 5PM on Friday, May 21 through 5PM on Saturday, May 22, the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) invites birders of all ages, experienced and novice, near and far, to participate in its Bird-Where-You-Are-A-Thon. For over two decades, the MMA’s annual Bird-A-Thon has helped collect important information on the biodiversity of our feathered friends on Nantucket. This year, the MMA is reimagining and expanding the effort to include birders all over the world as a Bird-Where-You-Are-A-Thon. MMA Members and Non-Members and Nantucket residents and non-residents can participate by birding, donating, or both!


The goal of the Bird-Where-You-Are-A-Thon is to encourage participants to notice birds in their daily lives. Adhering to social distancing and local COVID-19 protocols, the MMA invites participants to observe from their home, whether that be at a backyard feeder or a favorite local birding spot! The MMA hopes the accessibility of this event will enable more people on Nantucket and our friends and supporters elsewhere to participate. If you are new to birding or planning to participate with children, the MMA has put together a local Nantucket “10 Birds for Everyone To Learn” guide available on its website. To register as a birder for the event, please sign up at mariamitchell.org/bird-where-you-are-a-thon by Thursday, May 20 at 5PM.  


Participating birders should identify the species of birds they see in this 24-hour period and keep track using a list. For local Nantucket birders, the MMA has a downloadable bird checklist available on its website. For non-local participants, the MMA suggests looking for a local list or using e-Bird to record their data. Please submit your list to the MMA by Sunday, May 23 at 5PM to ensure your data is included in our results. If using e-Bird, please share your list to the MMA's e-Bird account at "MariaMitchellAssociation." If not using e-Bird, please email your list to Julia Blyth at jblyth@mariamitchell.org. Following the event, the MMA will host a live Zoom session on Tuesday, May 25 at 7PM to share the results and official count of species seen. Register for this event with the link below:

https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwqfumorzMiHNV2xlwSxHSxEKMaidt25Kio  


All donations to the Bird-Where-You-Are-A-Thon support the MMA’s conservation of its renowned Edith F. Andrews Ornithological Collection, biodiversity library, and activities related to the MMA’s work on bird conservation. As always, the event serves as a reminder of the variety and abundance of wildlife that surrounds us and our responsibility to preserve the habitats of our beautiful and varied bird species.


To participate, donate, and learn more about Bird-Where-You-Are-A-Thon, please visit mariamitchell.org/bird-at-home-a-thon.


This series is organized by the Maria Mitchell Association, 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.

For Immediate Release

April 14, 2021

Contact: Kelly Bernatzky, MMA Development Associate

kbernatzky@mariamitchell.org

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I have written of my love for sea glass and pottery shards in the past and the recent replacement of the sewer and water lines on Vestal Street created a small shard collection over the last month. Since the work required the asphalt to be completely removed (all twelve inches of it!) and the road to be dug up multiple times as they worked to remove pipe, relay new pipe, hook up the water meters, and install drainage and manhole covers, this resulted in the earth in the street being tossed about quite a bit. And, with that, came the shards! Some of these likely came from the sewer line (yes, yuck) but others came from being simply in the dirt of the road – which was not paved until 1946/1948. Pieces were likely tossed out at times, made to act as filler in holes, or simply tossed. So I found all sorts of pieces I will keep here at the Mitchell House. They included: a lovely piece with a red floral, many pieces of plates, glass, the top of a late nineteenth or early twentieth century (medicine) bottle, glass shards, a flattened spoon, a brass knob (found by a neighbor) some nails, a spike, pieces of a larger container or two based on the size and curve and coloring of the shards, and possibly a Wampanoag stone tool. One person’s trash is another one’s treasures! JNLF

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Yes. Well, almost. After about a month of working – and some living (staff and or neighbors) – on Vestal Street with all the sewer and water replacement work, the paving happened today (April 17, 2024). This is the first “layer” – a three-inch binder coat. In the fall, once time has passed, they will return for the final one inch of the finish layer. Some of the other things along Vestal Street will also be repaired and updated between now and the final coat – and a bit after that. But we are very happy, after all these years to have a modern system of piping – and all new drainage we never had before! While the curator in me loved the old clay pipes, they were riddled with roots from the trees, holes, and in some places, collapsed, and the twelve inches of asphalt had to go. Vestal Street was only paved in about 1946/1948 – and has not been paved in maybe twenty years so that is a lot of asphalt in about fifty years! And with climate change and the increase in how much rain we get in these heavy rain events, all that water rushed down Vestal Street with nowhere to go – except our cellars. I am sure the neighbors are happy too! A thank you to the Town of Nantucket’s Sewer Department, especially David Gray (who may regret giving me his cellphone number forever), N&M Excavating and Utilities (Dean, we appreciate you being so nice when we had too many questions), Victor-Brandon Corp for paving, and numerous others. We are looking forward to great flushing, powerful hose lines, and rainwater being whisked away via the new, never-before-had storm drains! JNLF And to all the N&M workers who wondered why I was constantly looking down as I walked along Vestal Street, you should see the trove of porcelain shards, glass, old nails, a bottle neck, 19 th century spoon, and even possibly a Wampanoag stone tool I found!
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