At the Linda Loring Nature Foundation, one of our volunteers, Tessa Husted, made it her mission to help out the solitary bees in need and created a Pollinator Hideout. A Pollinator Hideout is a specially designed space that provides shelter and protection for bees during the winter. These hideouts come in various forms, from simple garden structures to more elaborate bee hotels. The goal is to create a welcoming and safe space where bees can find a barrier against the biting winds and freezing temperatures.

The Linda Loring Nature Foundation (LLNF) launches a new visualization tool highlighting 5 years of grassland restoration work through invasive Japanese Black Pine removal. This LLNF Story Map is a communication tool that illustrates the goals and outcomes of a project using maps, photos, and data.

The National Audubon Society was celebrating the 124th year of the Christmas Bird Count program this year, and it was Nantucket’s 69th year of participating in it.

From the preliminary results, we counted 128 species and 83,626 individual birds. The rare species sightings included an Eared Grebe, Western Tanager, Lark Sparrow, Blue-headed Vireo, Common Gull (Kamchatka), Lincoln Sparrow, Painted Bunting, Common Gallinule, Tufted Duck, and Sedge Wren. 

We still have a few days of school vacation left, and the weather looks pretty favorable for an outdoor adventure. Check out a few ways you can get outside and enjoy some fresh air on Nantucket before the year’s end.

We are approaching the Winter Solstice, the shortest day and the earliest sunset of the year. Although people tend to think of the solstice as a day, the actual event is just a fleeting moment when the Earth is tilted as far away from the Sun on its axis as possible. In the Northern Hemisphere, this will happen on Thursday, December 21^st, 2023 at 10:27 pm, and will mark the start of Winter in the astronomical calendar. The good news is that after the solstice, days start getting longer again and sunsets will occur later.

As Nantucket Island prepares for its 69th annual Christmas Bird Count on December 31st, 2023, the call goes out to all bird and nature lovers—your help is needed! This event is a unique and festive way to celebrate Nantucket's spirit of giving and community. From its modest beginnings with three volunteers, this cherished tradition has flourished into a community-driven event with over 50 participants. Now, as we celebrate nearly seven decades of counting birds, we invite you to join the ranks and contribute to the success of this remarkable citizen science initiative.

It’s time to bring in the patio furniture, winterize faucets and dig out winter clothes from the back of the closet. As we ready ourselves and our homes for winter, nature is preparing for colder days too.

We know Nantucket is special for many reasons, among them the rich natural resources found here. The island is home to several rare species of birds, plants, and insects, and has large patches of habitat permanently protected. There are a number of organizations that serve as stewards of Nantucket’s natural resources, each with its own unique mission. The Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative is where all these groups come together in collaboration to accomplish more for our environment than any organization could alone.