E-Comet Newsletter of the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association |
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Dear Friends of the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association:
I am excited to share my first experiences at the MMA with all of you! I am very grateful for the patience and expertise of the talented team and board members who have provided guidance this past month, and there is so much more to learn.
It was an honor to meet a relative of Maria Mitchell in late September, whose stories of his family brought her alive for me. Understanding Fast Radio Bursts and the extensive research the Astronomy Department is compiling through their observations of the galaxy, meeting Clementine, our rare orange lobster, and exploring the collections in the Research Center have given me a glimpse of the inspiration and impact we share with our members and our community. A few things I’d like to share with you this month are:
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October 1st is the anniversary of Maria's comet discovery from the roof of the Pacific National Bank downtown – this discovery propelled Maria to fame, making her the recipient of a gold medal from the King of Denmark and leading to her election as the first woman member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- October Open Nights at Loines Observatory on 10/8 and 10/9
- Fall Hours at the Natural Science Museum start on 10/9
- Recreational Scalloping begins this month – learn more about Dr. Val Hall's Nantucket Bay Scallop Research at the MMA
- Our Fifth Grade Trees in the Community Program has begun with support from the Nantucket Garden Club who have partnered with us on this project for many years
- Join us for the Island Fair this Saturday and pick up a free Everyday Science kit!
Like many, fall is my favorite season on the island. I’m looking forward to going scalloping with my boys and to stargazing at our Open Nights. Please join me in appreciating all the sky, sea, and land has to share.
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Joanna Roche
Executive Director
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Looking for a fun and interactive science activity? Celebrate the Nantucket Island Fair and come by 33 Washington Street tomorrow from 11am-1pm to pick-up a FREE Everyday Science Kit and learn about local marine life with our touch tank exhibit.
Investigate the forces behind beach erosion here on Nantucket with this take-home kit provided with support from the ReMain Nantucket Fund. Make sure to stick around for the NISHA Dog Show at 33 Washington from 1pm-2pm and check out the other Nantucket Island Fair activities here!
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The MMA is hosting two Open Nights this month! Join us at Loines Observatory from 7PM-8:30PM on Friday, October 8th or Saturday, October 9th.
Visitors to Open Nights will join the MMA’s professional astronomers for an impressive tour of Nantucket’s night sky. The MMA staff will lead constellation tours and guide visitors through different viewing stations outside the observatory domes. Visitors will get a chance to view the Moon, planets, star clusters, nebulae, and even other galaxies!
Programs take place at 59 Milk Street Extension and are weather permitting. No reservations are required; tickets will be available at the door. Open Nights are $10 for Non-Members and free for Members. For updates on weather cancellations, please call 774-325-1081, or check our website for updates.
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Ominous Animal October at the Natural Science Museum |
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Starting on October 9th, our Natural Science Museum will be open on Saturdays from 10am-1pm. Each month during the off-season, the museum will have a different theme with special exhibits, seasonal trivia, and live animals. This month, the museum theme is Ominous Animals. Come enjoy the spooky season with us and learn about mysterious and bizarre science!
Admission is $5 per person and FREE for Members! Included with admission is a 10am-11am Animal Feeding program with museum staff. No registration required; tickets will be available at the door.
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Fall Beach Biology Field Trips |
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Join us for our fall Beach Biology Field Trips beginning on October 9th. Each Saturday from 2–3:30pm, MMA Aquarium Director, Jack Dubinsky, will lead walking trips at Madaket Beach. Participants will discover shells and bones of over 15 species of marine animals and are likely to observe live mole crabs, sand fleas, shore birds, beach insects, and seals!
Beach Biology Field Trips are $10 for Members and $25 for Non-Members. Registration is required, so be sure to sign up in advance.
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Celebrate Scalloping Season |
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October 1st marks the start of recreational scalloping season! Since 2003, the MMA and Nantucket Shellfish Association (NSA) have collaborated on a long-term study of the Nantucket Bay Scallop to understand scallop longevity, reproduction and survival, and habitat preferences of the bay scallop.
Generously supported by the Great Harbor Yacht Club, MMA Research Associate Dr. Valerie Hall leads a unique research and mentorship program for students entering 9th grade through college. This summer, Dr. Hall and eight of her students presented their research in our Science Speaker Series. To learn more about this program (or get involved!) visit our research page and stay tuned for the summer 2022 application.
Watch our social media channels (@maria_mitchell_assocation on Instagram and @mariamitchellack on TikTok) this month to learn fun facts about scallops and more about Dr. Hall's on-going research with the MMA.
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“If you don’t look, you don’t see. You have to go and look.”
-Edith Andrews
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Keep Calm and Bird On
By Ginger Andrews
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The bird picture begins to shift faster in October, like a seasonal kaleidoscope. Winter ducks of pond and sea start to arrive: Wigeon, Canvasbacks, Redheads. scaup, scoters, mergansers.
Summer residents like Snowy and Great Egrets are getting more restless, gathering into flocks, rising up out of marshes, circling, and sinking back down again. Preparing. There is a term for it: zugunruhe, literally, “the urge to travel.” Snowys leave first, while Great Egrets may linger on.
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Nantucket Garden Club & The Fifth Grade Trees in the Community Program |
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Our annual Fifth Grade Trees in the Community Program has begun! MMA Education Coordinator, Camden Palm, has led her first class for this program at the Lighthouse School and will be visiting all Nantucket fifth grade classrooms by mid-October. Through this program students learn about tree biology and morphology, the importance of planting native trees, how to use a dichotomous key to identify species, and the benefits of trees for the community through an interactive hands-on program in their classrooms. Students then receive a native tree to plant in their own backyard!
This program is made possible with generous support from the Nantucket Garden Club. Since its start over a decade ago, the program has provided trees and hands-on learning to more than 2,000 fifth grade students on island!
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Did you miss our Science Speaker Series this summer? You can watch the recordings on our YouTube channel!
Watch the lecture, "The Comings and Goings of Climate Change - Thinking About Cape Cod’s Marine Ecosystems of the Future" with Dr. Jon Hare following the link below.
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Listen to the latest episode of "Looking Skyward," a podcast with MMA Director of Astronomy, Dr. Regina Jorgenson, on WCAI. In this episode, Dr. Jorgenson discusses a recent discovery that allows new looks at supernovas.
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MARIA MITCHELL ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Helene Weld, President
Judy MacLeod, First Vice President
Frances Symes, Second Vice President
Curt Burwell, Treasurer
Joseph E. Santucci Jr., Clerk
MEMBERS
Richard Bard
Margaret Falk
Chris Griffiths
John Hartner
Carolyn Holt
Toni McKerrow
Michael Nelson
Molly Paiement
Mary Archibald (Bebe) Poor, D.V.M., M.S.
Katherine Rhode, Ph.D.
Brian Sullivan
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HONORARY MEMBERS
Beverly Barlow
Howard Blitman†
Sally Charpie
John Daniels
Daniel Drake
Joan Gulley
Judith Lee
Malcolm MacNab, M.D., Ph.D.
Eileen McGrath†
Nathaniel Philbrick
Anne P. Strain
Edward Symes, III†
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The Maria Mitchell Association creates opportunities for all to develop a life-long passion for science through education, research, and first-hand exploration of the sky, land, and sea of Nantucket Island. |
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