Current Nature: Bee Hotels to Keep Your Pollinators Cozy
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.
Current Nature: Visualizing Five Years Of Habitat Restoration And Pine Removal
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.
2023 Nantucket Christmas Bird Count Results
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.
Current Nature: Year-End Nature To-Do List On Nantucket
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.
New Research on Deer Genetics Highlights the Origin of Nantucket Deer Herd
Researchers from Framingham State University, the Linda Loring Nature Foundation, and Eastern Connecticut State University announced that they have published an article investigating the origins of the Nantucket deer population. This research supports the hypothesis that only a handful of deer are responsible for the large population now on island.
Current Nature: Solstice Surprises
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 21st, 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.
A Very Merry Bird Count
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.
Current Nature: Survival Mode
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.