Current Nature: Biodiverse Butterflies
As the weather gets warmer and more plants begin to flower, we will begin to see more flights of butterflies on Nantucket. Although some butterflies start their seasonal flights as early as April, May through August tends to see a flurry of activity, with a significant peak in June. Butterflies on Nantucket come in all shapes and sizes and are found in a variety of different habitats. Some butterflies, such as the Monarch, are well known, but I am going to highlight less talked about species.
Current Nature: Prairie Dogs Of Nantucket
Nantucket has a wealth of biodiversity, but not so much in the way of mammals. So when a new mammal comes to the island, it’s certainly something of note. That is as true today as it was decades and centuries ago. A lot of us know the story of how deer came to Nantucket. And maybe about the raccoon that was tracked around the island. But have you heard about 10 years of Nantucket’s history, where the island was overrun with prairie dogs?
Current Nature: Featuring Forsythias
Yellow is the definitive color of April on Nantucket as daffodils bloom and people gather to celebrate. Yet today I am going to highlight another beautiful blooming plant with yellow flowers, Forsythia.
Current Nature: Nature's Calendar On Nantucket
On Nantucket, the turning of a new season isn’t written on a calendar but can instead be seen from changes in the landscape. The sprouting of daffodils, tree swallows returning to the island, and a chorus of spring peepers are all signs that we are transitioning from winter to spring. And with the winter we’ve had this year on Nantucket, these cues from the natural world feel all the more significant.
Current Nature: Eyes To The Sky, Ospreys Are Returning
If you have driven down Polpis Road or out toward Madaket in the spring, you’re probably familiar with a particular sight. You glance up at impressive nest of intricately woven sticks, perched on a platform or tucked into the top of a tree, and you look to see if someone is home. Very soon, they will be. Our Nantucket Ospreys are on their way back!
Current Nature: Inside A Bird's Winter Survival Kit
This winter, the cold on Nantucket has been particularly intense. In recent years, many of our winters have been relatively mild, with open water lingering well into January and February. This year, the harbor froze so thick that the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter had to carve a path for the ferries. Watching that happen makes you realize just how locked in the island can become. For us, it means ferries that cannot run and plans put on hold. For birds, it means moving, gathering, and adapting to the cold.
Current Nature: Weathering The Storm
These winter storms have pummeled the island, delivering frigid temperatures and a blanket of snow that has since hardened into an icy crust. While many of us have faced the maddening tasks of shovelling out our driveways and defrosting cars, what has nature been up to? How have our flora and fauna fared? Surely this major snowfall has impacted the natural world… or has it?
Water, Water, Everywhere, But…
In June 2025, Nantucket was placed under a Level 1 drought by the Massachusetts Drought Management Task Force, prompting mandatory restrictions on outdoor water use. Then, over last weekend, we learned that the town’s primary water pump suffered a mechanical failure, leaving the island’s water storage tank at “critically low” levels. The ensuing water use ban has included all non-essential water use, and applies only to properties connected to the municipal water system.