October 12th is World Migratory Bird Day. This time of year, millions of birds are migrating south for the winter, many of which make stops here on Nantucket. World Migratory Bird Day falls around the peak of migration and has been around since 2006. This event brings awareness to the importance of protecting migratory birds since their populations are declining at an alarming rate largely due to human activity. Every year WMBD has a different theme that emphasizes the importance of protecting these birds. This year's theme is insects!

This year, the Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative (NBI) celebrates a remarkable milestone—its 20th anniversary! Since its founding, NBI has worked tirelessly to protect, study, and raise awareness of Nantucket's unique ecosystems and species by supporting researchers and naturalists in these efforts. To mark this special occasion, NBI invites everyone to join a week-long celebration from October 1st to October 6th, 2024, filled with engaging events for the whole community. It's a rare opportunity to meet the people behind these vital conservation projects and to actively participate in the work that helps safeguard Nantucket's diverse ecosystems.

In the past couple of weeks, there has been a flurry of humpback whale activity around Nantucket. They have been splashing around the south shore, putting on a show for those lucky enough to catch a glimpse. These sightings usually coincide with a boom of Sand Lance fish off Nantucket’s coasts; in the past few years the Sand Lance population has been booming, bringing more whales to Nantucket's waters to feed. If you’re anything like me, you’ve been keeping a close eye on where the whale action has been (via TheCurrent’s Instagram) in the hopes of spotting one yourself. While I have yet to see one, I’m glad to know these magnificent creatures are close by

The second annual Nantucket Climate Change Summit will be held September 4th from 4-6:30 pm, hosted at the Great Harbor Yacht Club and organized by the Linda Loring Nature Foundation and the Nantucket Conservation Foundation with support from the Nantucket Community Foundation’s Remain Nantucket Fund. This year’s summit will consist of a panel of speakers from various island industries discussing how their industry is adapting to changes and what they may be preparing for in the near future. Panelists were selected to represent a wide array of island life including historic preservation and tourism, commercial fishing and aquaculture, and landscape and garden design.

In the busy world we live in today, connecting with nature can seem like a daunting task. Nature is all around us, but it can be easy to overlook the wonderful sights and sounds the natural world has to offer. We are here to provide some easy and accessible ways that one can connect with nature throughout the day. Whether on your commute to work, walking downtown, or at your own home, there are free and simple ways to slow down and enjoy the outdoors!

Dog vomit slime mold, harlequin bugs, ghost pipe, searobins, American coot, and hickory tussock moths. What do these things have in common? They were all seen on Nantucket during the 2024 BioBlitz!

The Nantucket BioBlitz just wrapped up it’s fourth year of cataloging every living thing on the island in July. In a two-week period (July 13^th – July 26^th), volunteers, conservation professionals, students, and other community members canvased the island taking photos of living things (or clues to something alive) and uploading those observations to the iNaturalist app.

It is now noticeably summer on Nantucket and warmer weather has arrived. With it comes many flower blooms and in June, none more ubiquitous than roses. Whether it is the iconic rose-covered cottages in Sconset, your own backyard, the pathway to the beach, or an open grassland, you are bound to see a rose flowering somewhere on Nantucket at this time of year.

Birdsong is arguably one of the most accessible, iconic, and impressive sounds in nature. Whether you are relaxing in your backyard, strolling through the busy streets of downtown, swimming at the beach, or even driving to work; if you listen, you’ll hear the birds singing. I often find myself wondering, what are the birds saying? Are they gossiping about the latest drama? Are they chatting about where to find the best food? Are they calling their mates, their children, their friends? Are there meanings to their calls at all, or do they just like to sing? The answer to this is not a simple one, but in short, birds are definitely utilizing their songs to communicate with one another. Analyzing birdsong has allowed us to realize that birds have language, dialects, and the ability to learn!