Attending The Ohio State University, I spent much of my undergraduate experience working in the hardwood forests that dominate the East Coast, walking under towering black cherry trees in a forest that would seem to continue forever. It was a memorable shock when I arrived at Nantucket and those same 60-foot-tall, thickly barked trees were here in a completely new form.

Is it possible to identify and collect data on thousands of animal and plant species across Nantucket? Are there even that many living organisms on the island? Where do they all exist?

Just a few hours participating in the Linda Loring Nature Foundation and The Nantucket Land and Water Council’s BioBlitz event at the Creeks, led by Dr. Sarah Bois (LLNF), enlightened me to the variety of living organisms that inhabit the island. This beach and salt marsh habitat held more diversity than I could have ever imagined!

As the Linda Loring Nature Foundation’s Conservation Research and Stewardship Intern, I spend much of my day trudging through a mosaic of wetland habitats, including bogs, pond edges, and ditches.

Equipped with waders and a backpack full of data collection tools, I head into thick vegetation and deep mud in search of one thing, the ever-elusive spotted turtle (Clemmys guttata)… or so I thought. Here’s the thing: although spotted turtles are relatively abundant across other parts of Nantucket, an adult spotted turtle hasn’t been officially recorded and measured since 2006, despite an abundance of habitat, anecdotal accounts, and hatchlings

As we sit inside during the rainy days of spring, warm coffee in hand to beat the chill and stay dry, Sphagnum moss thrives. Formed by the last glacier’s retreat, Nantucket island is home to numerous bog and wetland ecosystems, and Sphagnum is a major contributor to these unique and highly valued environments.