Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association Honors Outgoing Director of Education, Kim Botelho, and Welcomes New Education Coordinator, Camden Palm

Kelly Bernatzky • April 20, 2021

With profound gratitude and appreciation, the Maria Mitchell Association announces the departure of Kim Botelho, Director of Education.


The MMA has been extremely fortunate to have Botelho’s leadership, passion for education, and dedication to scientific learning. During her seven year tenure, and under her leadership as Director of Education, the Nantucket Science Festival has grown to be the largest off season event on the island with many incredible partner organizations; the Maria Mitchell Giving Garden has helped provide fresh produce to the Nantucket Food Pantry; the Summer Discovery programs have received a number of awards and now reach over 600 children each summer; and the MMA’s 5th Grade Trees in the Community Program has given out over 1,200 native trees with the help of our community partner, Annie Mendelsohn. Since the fall, Botelho has been teaching monthly STEM lessons with Nantucket Elementary School’s Kindergarten classrooms. Over the years, Botelho has also led and served as a mentor to nearly 100 interns through our environmental education internship program. When reflecting on this experience, she shares that, “Having the opportunity to pass on my knowledge, experience, and passion for the natural world to the next generation of environmental educators and science teachers fills my soul with joy and gratitude.”


Beyond our island, Botelho has served on the boards of the Massachusetts Environmental Education Society, the New England Environmental Education Alliance, as the partner representative for the National Informal STEM Education Network, and as a state affiliate representative for the North American Association of Environmental Education. In these roles, she was able to provide teacher professional development opportunities for hundreds of teachers across the Commonwealth and across the country. 

The MMA is grateful to Botelho and her dedication to sharing our mission. Botelho shares, “It has been one of the great honors of my life to represent Maria Mitchell, a truly, amazing woman whose convictions for science, learning by doing, and equal rights and opportunities for all resonate within myself. The educational initiatives and community partnerships I have been a part of over the years have been some of the most rewarding of my career. I hope Maria Mitchell would be proud of the work I have endeavored to do in her name. Before I leave, I want to send out a huge THANK YOU to all of the camp families, community partners, students, teachers, and coworkers who have helped make my time here so meaningful. I hope our paths continue to cross in the future.”


Next month, the MMA will officially welcome Camden Palm as its new Education Coordinator. Palm was born and raised in Southern California, and found a love for environmental education on an 8th grade field trip to Yosemite National Park. After spending many summers in New Hampshire and Connecticut, she is excited to be back working and exploring the New England ecosystems.

 

Her passion for environmental education was cultivated while attending the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) where she studied Environmental Studies and Statistics. During her time at UCSB, she volunteered with an environmental education organization teaching local students environmental stewardship and sustainability curriculum. After graduating, she worked as an Instructor and Assistant Director for the Catalina Environmental Leadership Program on Catalina Island, located off the coast of Los Angeles. Similar to the programs at the Maria Mitchell Association, this program promotes a passion for science and sustainability through land and sea exploration. Taking her experience from one island ecosystem to the next, she is excited to continue connecting students, participants, and campers to the natural world.


Palm will be leading the MMA’s summer programming, including the popular Discovery Camps, overseeing the 2021 Education Internship Program, mentoring this year’s Education Interns, and continuing the MMA’s school year STEM programming in partnership with Nantucket schools.

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.

For Immediate Release

April 19 2021

Contact: Kelly Bernatzky, MMA Development Associate

kbernatzky@mariamitchell.org

Recent Posts

By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger August 25, 2025
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
By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger August 18, 2025
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
By Jascin N. Leonardo Finger August 11, 2025
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
Show More