Nantucket Conservation Fdn

Turtles Are On The Move 🐢 If you see a turtle crossing the road this spring, slow down and give it space. It knows exactly where it is going! If you help it across, always move it in the direction it was already heading. Snapping turtles and painted turtles leave the ponds and brackish waters they call home each nesting season seeking the soft, sandy soil along roads and trails to lay their eggs. Their presence is a sign that Nantucket's freshwater habitats are healthy, and giving them safe passage ensures they stay that way.

Runners, walkers, families, first-timers, longtime island friends: this one's for you! 🏃 Join us for the 25th annual Race for Open Space on Saturday, June 27th. Pick your pace with a 5K, 10K, or 2-mile walk through the scenic Middle Moors and celebrate the open spaces that make this island so special. Register at the link in our bio. We'll see you out there!

Southern Pine Beetle Forest Watch Training Saturday, May 16 | 1:00pm - 2:00pm Nantucket's pitch pine forests are part of what makes this island look like nowhere else. The dense, twisted pines at Ram Pasture, Trott's Hills, and throughout the Middle Moors are iconic. Southern pine beetle arrived on Nantucket in 2023 and moves through pitch pine forests quickly, killing trees before most people notice anything is wrong. Want to help protect these landscapes? Join us for a free training to learn what to look for. Danielle O'Dell, NCF Director of Research, will teach you how to spot the signs and report your findings. Registration required. Sign up at the link in our bio. 🌲

One of Nantucket's most iconic views is waiting for you. 🥾 Join us this Friday for a guided walk to Altar Rock, part of our free weekly walk series. We'll start in the flat, open fields of the Serengeti and wind through rolling hills and ridgelines to one of the island's most beautiful vistas. Friday, May 15 | 8:30-10:30am Registration required. Sign up at the link in our bio. See you on the trail!

We need more eyes on our forests and would love your help! If you love to walk on our trails then you can help us manage southern pine beetle outbreaks. Join our Director of Research Danielle O’Dell Saturday, May 16th from 1-2pm at Ram Pasture to learn southern pine beetle infestation signs and “adopt a forest” by watching a Pitch Pine stand on island. Visit our events calendar to sign up!

Please join us in welcoming Collin Jackson to the NCF team! Collin is back for his third season living and working on Coatue, keeping the refuge open and accessible while protecting the nesting shorebirds that return here every year. He holds a bachelor's degree in Ecological Restoration from Paul Smith's College. When he's not in the field, you'll find him sailing the harbor or photographing around the island. Welcome back Collin!

Fifteen years ago, we banded an American Oystercatcher we called Yellow 1C. This week, we found her on Coatue, her journey complete after two decades summering on Nantucket's shores. Over those years, 1C raised more than a dozen chicks, survived storms and predators, and returned to nest in the same spot year after year. She taught us how oystercatchers navigate beaches shared with beachgoers, what drives them to abandon nests, and how they build resilience in a changing environment. Banding and tracking birds like 1C gives us long-term data we share with the American Oystercatcher Working Group. That data helps us protect nests, reduce disturbance, and keep these populations stable, especially on Nantucket, where our beaches are critical breeding habitat. Every bird carries a story. Protecting Nantucket's shorelines means ensuring those stories can continue. Rest easy, 1C. 💙

Ready to explore the island on two wheels? 🚴‍♀️ Saturday, May 9 | 7:30-9:30am | Join avid cyclist and NCF Trustee Jim Meehan this Saturday morning for a Guided Bike Tour through Windswept Bog and into the Middle Moors. Early morning. Fresh air. A scenic route. The perfect way to start your weekend! Helmet and mountain bike suitable for rough roads required. Registration required. Sign up at the link in our bio. See you out there!

A tiny runner with a big story. The Piping Plover nests right on our beaches, where eggs and chicks are incredibly vulnerable to disturbance, pets, and habitat loss. We protect nesting areas, monitor chicks, and share the shoreline so they can safely grow and migrate. These birds are indicators of healthy coastal ecosystems—when they thrive, it means our beaches are working for wildlife and people alike! #Plovers #Conservation #Nantucket #PipingPlovers

The ecology team found a juvenile spotted turtle in Windswept Bog last week during their routine surveys. Understanding where this threatened species is found within the bog helps us inform future restoration projects and conserve beneficial habitat. Want to learn more about the ecology of Windswept Bog? Join us Saturday, May 9th to learn from our Wildlife Ecology team about the creatures that can be encountered in this beautiful wetland complex. Want to get active and explore more of Windswept and the Middle Moors? Join avid cyclist and NCF Trustee Jim Meehan to tour the trails and dirt roads of the Middle Moors or Ram Pasture. See you at Windswept Bog! #HabitatRestoration

Our summer programming has officially kicked off with our first Wellness Series event—Breathwork & Meditation with Andrew Viselli! Over the next few months we’re offering free, public programs across Nantucket. Join us for: - Weekly Walks: discover the ecology and history woven into our trails with expert guides - Ecology Excursions: behind-the-scenes looks at the research and restoration shaping our landscapes - Tidal Treks: explore wildlife and coastal resilience at the water’s edge - Wellness Series: bike tours, outdoor yoga, breathwork, and photography in our open spaces - Special events: notable gatherings outside our regular programming Want to join us? Check the excursion calendar on our website to learn more and sign up — all events are free and open to the public!

We are very excited to share that our Windswept Bog Wetland Restoration Project has been nominated by the Environmental Business Council of New England’s Advancement and Promotion of Environmental and Energy Excellence (EBC APEX) Award Program for its Outstanding Collaboration Community Choice Award. These awards are presented every June to recognize innovative climate change projects, technical excellence, outstanding collaboration and inspiring leadership by companies, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and environmental professionals who model and further the mission and objectives of the EBC. After our project was selected as a finalist by the Awards Committee, we submitted a one-sheet summary highlighting our achievements through collaboration with project partners and funders. Starting in late April, EBC will announce all the finalists and invite the public to vote for their favorite project online. Voting will remain open until the EBC APEX Awards ceremony on June 10th in Boston, when the winner will be announced. Click the link in our bio to learn more and cast your vote!