INSIDE OPEN SPACES
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT
As the warmth of summer envelops our beloved island, I am delighted to share with you updates and exciting work from the Nantucket Conservation Foundation. It is a time to reflect on our collective achievements and to look forward to the endeavors that lie ahead.
First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude for your unwavering support and dedication to the mission of the Nantucket Conservation Foundation. Your generosity and commitment have been instrumental in stewarding over 9,000 acres of precious land, ensuring that future generations can enjoy the natural splendor of Nantucket just as we do today.
This summer, we are thrilled to introduce several new initiatives aimed at enhancing our conservation efforts and fostering a deeper connection between our community and the environment. Our trails at Windswept Bog include several new interpretive signs that provide insights into our ground-breaking restoration project to bring this retired cranberry bog back to a thriving wetland. I encourage you to walk these trails and immerse yourselves in the narratives they tell.
We are also excited to share our summer programming. These excursions, designed for all ages, offer a range of activities, including guided nature walks, bird-watching, and educational
talks by leading conservationists. These events not only inform but also inspire a greater appreciation for the natural world and the importance of conservation efforts.
Our ecology and land management teams have been hard at work this year managing invasive species, restoring native habitats, and conducting vital research. Their efforts have yielded significant progress in maintaining the ecological health of our open spaces and endangered habitats. I invite you to learn more about their projects through these pages, as well as following along with our social media and monthly e-newsletter updates.
I would like to thank our dedicated volunteers and staff for their tireless work and passion for conservation. Together, we are making a difference. I look forward to seeing many of you at our upcoming events and out on the trails.
Wishing you all a joyful and nature-filled summer!
With appreciation,
Cormac Collier, President & CEO
President & CEO
Cormac Collier
Vice President of Science & Stewardship
Karen C. Beattie
Director of Research & Partnerships
Dr. Jennifer M. Karberg
Director of Land Management
Nicholas J. Larrabee
Director of Advancement
Whitney Dayton Brunet
Marketing & Outreach Manager
Allison Levy
Development & Donor Relations Manager
Mara Weiner
Accounting & Administrative Manager Korilynn Adams
Stewardship Technician/Wildlife Technician
Gracie Bell
NCF Graduate Research Assistant – MS
Candidate at Northeastern University
Coleman Miller
Development & Communications Assistant
Callie Platt
STAFF
Wildlife Research Ecologist
Danielle O’Dell
Plant Research
Ecologist/Botanist
Kelly A. Omand
Interpretive Education Coordinator/Ecologist
Neil P. Foley
Environmental Educator
Isaac Hersh
Coastal Ecology Research Technician
Jisun Reiner
Properties Maintenance
Donald J. Mack
Richard H. Mack
Land Management
Assistant
Angel Landaverde
SEASONAL STAFF
Seasonal Field Assistant
Meredith Broadus
Seasonal Wildlife Field Assistant
Jordan Gass
Seasonal Botany/Ecology Field Assistant
Gabby Robinson
Facility Maintenance & Land Stewardship Technician
Greg St. Aubin
Seasonal Botany/Field Ecology Assistant
Spencer Kimble
Coatue Ranger
Collin Jackson
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
OFFICERS TRUSTEES
Chair
John G. Macfarlane, III
Vice Chair
Todd M. Knutson
Secretary
Lucinda Young
Treasurer
Charles K. Gifford, Jr.
Clerk
Marianne R. Stanton
Assistant Clerk
Mary West
Stephen Bartram
David A. Champoux
Colby Crenshaw
Charles K. Gifford, Jr.
Ande Grennan
Karen Grip
Lindsey Gund
Laura Hanson
Patrick Hehir
Katie Keith
Todd M. Knutson
John G. Macfarlane, III
Jennifer Matthews
James Meehan
Daphne F. Mitchell
Sherwood Newell
Ann B. Oliver
Diane R. Pearl, MD
David Rattner
Marianne R. Stanton
Dr. Geoffrey C. Trussell
Rick Ulmer
Patrick S. Wayland
Mary West
ADVISORS EMERITUS
Arthur Gosnell
Isabelle Loring
Richard L. Menschel
Kate Miller
Susan Rein
Jeanne W. Riggs
Susan R. Shapiro
Marcia Weber
Nathan R. Allen, Jr.
John H. Davis
David B. Poor
David Ross
Richard G. Verney
UPDATE AT THE WATER’S EDGE
THE NANTUCKET EEL PROJECT
This May, NCF wrapped up work on its pilot year of the Nantucket Eel Project, headed by NCF’s Coastal Ecology Research Technician, Jisun Reiner, and Environmental Educator, Isaac Hersh. This community science project is intended to help us gain a better understanding of the migration patterns of the American eel. To accomplish this, we placed eel mops in several locations around the island to catch eels at their juvenile stage, glass eels. Eel mops are passive monitoring devices that attract eels by mimicking their natural habitat but allow them to come and go as they please. The goal for this pilot part of the study was to assess locations around the island that will be best for further study and to spread the word about the project. We had lots of community engagement from several conservation organizations, the NHS Youth Climate Change Committee, and a handful of community members. The project will start up again in February 2025 where we hope to expand both the scope of the study and the community involvement.
HORSESHOE CRAB MONITORING
Each year the Foundation is involved with a statewide effort to monitor the population of horseshoe crabs. From May to June horseshoe crabs approach the shore to mate and lay eggs in the shallow waters. Because much of the population is nearshore during this period, it makes for the perfect time to go out and count the crabs. This season NCF’s Wildlife Research Ecologist and Wildlife Technician, Danielle O’Dell and Gracie Bell, organized staff from NCF and volunteers from the community and other conservation groups to gather data on horseshoe crab numbers. They sampled on high tides around new and full moons, tallying male and female horseshoe crabs along a stretch of beach in Madaket Harbor. This data helps us understand the health of the local horseshoe crab population. The compiled data is sent to the Mass Division of Marine Fisheries to inform state and nationwide decisions on horseshoe crab conservation and harvesting practices.
OYSTER REEF PROGRESS
Over the past few years, the Foundation and the Town of Nantucket Natural Resources Department have partnered to design and build an intertidal oyster reef at Medouie Creek. The reef was installed in November 2021in Polpis Harbor - the first of its kind in Massachusetts. Each year, ecologists at NCF, headed by Dr. Jen Karberg, monitor the health of the reef and the salt marsh it guards. The results of this project have been very promising. Researchers have observed increased biodiversity around the reef and salt marsh shore. The oysters have been growing and reproducing,
which increases the size and height of the reef over time, keeping pace with sea level rise. Trapping sediment behind it, NCF’s ecologists hope to show how the reef allows the salt marsh to expand out towards the water. This will create more marsh area, critical to slowing the effects of sea level rise. This season, NCF continues the marsh and oyster reef monitoring led by Jisun Reiner and Northeastern University graduate student Coleman Miller.
OYSTERCATCHER BANDING
Each year Nantucket sees dozens of American Oystercatcher pairs arrive in the early spring, nest, fledge chicks, and leave again in the fall. These shorebirds travel thousands of miles each year to end up back on our shores where they nest in and around the island’s salt marshes. In the winter, many voyage to the coasts of Florida and even as far south as El Salvador! How do we know where these birds travel to? Because of the diligent efforts of NCF staff to catch, band, and release oystercatchers as chicks. Banding the birds involves placing a small tag on each leg before the chicks start flying. These bands will stay on the oystercatchers their whole lives and allow us to track them up and down the coast. The bands are readable through binoculars so any amateur birder can read and report a banded bird if they see one. This provides far more data on the migration patterns of oystercatchers than conventional bands which can only be read if a bird is recaptured. Between 2005 and 2023, NCF has banded 474 individual oystercatchers on Nantucket!
SALT MARSH RESTORATION
Since the construction of Polpis road, the Folger’s salt marsh near Fulling Mill has been divided into two parts: the north marsh opening into Nantucket Harbor and the south marsh. These two marshes are connected only by an undersized and occasionally clogged culvert under Polpis road. The small culvert size means not as much saltwater gets into the south marsh at each high tide and more saltwater backs up and floods the north marsh. Creeks in the north marsh have widened over time and salt marsh soil has eroded away while on the south side, freshwater plants have moved in. Less salt marsh means less area to hold storm waters as sea levels rise. Since Polpis road is so low where it crosses this marsh area, storms are already flooding over the road each winter. NCF and the Town of Nantucket Natural Resources Department are working together to adapt Polpis road to be more resilient and restore areas of Folger’s Marsh. This year, NCF’s ecologists are collecting data to understand water flow, sediment movement, marsh elevation, and vegetation at Folger’s Marsh. These studies will inform restoration of the salt marsh as the Town moves forward with making Polpis road more resilient. With work taking place over the next several years, this project will benefit harbor water quality, local neighborhood resilience, and continued access on Polpis road.
PLANT PROPAGATION
This season at NCF, we are growing our plant propagation program. Guided by Plant Research Ecologist and Botanist Kelly Omand, we have continued our greenhouse propagation to include over 20 species of native plants this season. In the works are plans for increased seed collection and storage in the future, with production and storage of native plant seeds to provide to the public and island restoration projects. We also are thinking year-round with this exciting endeavor by adding new staff to help with plant propagation and tending to the harvest at the Milestone Cranberry Bogs.
With the help of her field assistants, Kelly carefully separates seedlings in our greenhouse, starting with deep-rooted native prairie grasses like little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium) and big bluestem (Andropogon gerardi) which will help to repopulate upland areas around our Windswept Bog Restoration project for grassland habitat restoration. Tiny plants grown from wetland species like Slender Blue Flag Iris (Iris prismatica) and Common Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor) will soon be ready for larger pots and then will be a welcome addition to plants already emerging from the recently turned-over bogs. Other Nantucket natives grown on island include Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus) and Native Geranium (Geranium maculatum) raised locally by Cinda Gaynor in her incredible garden (Thank you Cinda!). Many of our seedlings are destined for our NCF office wildflower meadow and native garden landscape beds that showcase the beauty and diversity of our island species in landscaping, a transition away from non-native or invasive
ornamentals used widely around the island. Kelly’s work in propagating plants is paired with her guided Native Landscape Tours which continue throughout the summer at our office (118 Cliff Rd). You can sign up for these excursions on our website now and get to see how these meadows and garden beds have blossomed since 2020!
This spring, the Foundation also hired Jason Pearl to serve as the Plant Propagation and Cranberry Bog Assistant. Coming from an agriculture and taxidermy background, Jason is excited to learn more about native plants from Kelly and help her build our native plant and seed capacity, but helping Nick Larrabee to bring the Milestone Cranberry Bogs back into increased production is really what he is most proud of. “I base a lot of what I do in a day off the Larrabees. The guidance from Nick and Tommy has been amazing, and they really tested me to make sure I could handle what it takes to run a cranberry bog. It is a big job, but it is so worth it.” Jason is studying up on the farm plan that Nick has put together, the proper
soil conditioning required by the cranberry vines and the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques we are using to manage problems throughout the growing season. “These are critical to my job while staying ahead of the weeds and the insects. I really want to bring cranberries back for the Island to enjoy.”
Jason’s enthusiasm and passion for what he is doing are apparent, and he has a real respect for the place he is working and the species that live alongside him. “I love Milestone Bog and the wildlife around the bogs. From the first honk of the day to the last quack at night, there has been some incredible opportunities to see waterfowl out here!” With Kelly’s and Nick’s expertise and Jason’s drive, this plant propagation program has room to grow and expand. We hope that with the right care, this can develop over the upcoming years into seed available to the public while stabilizing cranberry production for the island community.
TRUSTEE PROFILE: LAURA HANSON
Laura joined the Foundation as a Trustee in 2021. She serves as the Chair of the Development Committee and sits on other committees related to governance, fundraising and facilities. Her professional background, honed at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, is in special events, expertise that she continues to use in her volunteer and personal life. Laura has held multiple leadership roles and served on several nonprofit boards focused predominantly on the environment, education, and mental health. She and her husband Alex have three grown children which they raised in the Princeton, NJ, area. Alex’s family has been coming to Nantucket for generations. Laura enjoys tennis, golf, cycling, yoga, gardening, reading, cooking and entertaining while on Nantucket. One of her greatest joys is to jump on a mountain bike and explore the miles of trails and dirt roads on NCF properties. Laura also enjoys bringing friends together in different settings to learn about the organization.
STAFF PROFILE: WHITNEY DAYTON BRUNET
Whitney Dayton Brunet joined the NCF team in January as the new Director of Advancement. Whitney brings to NCF more than twenty years of professional fundraising experience. Over the course of her career, Whitney has led large strategic fundraising initiatives and has been responsible for individual giving strategy, leading to the raising of significant resources for a number of organizations across sectors from education to human services to politics. She finds great reward in understanding what inspires one’s philanthropy and aligning personal interests with organizational priorities. Whitney lives between Boston and Nantucket with her husband and three sons and takes advantage of every opportunity to spend time on the island. When she is on island, you can most often find Whitney on the trails in Squam Farm.
PROPERTY PROFILE: TUPANCY LINKS
One of the most popular trail networks on the island, Tupancy Links is frequented by dog walkers and lovers of Nantucket’s wide open spaces. The Nantucket Golf Club was built here in 1897 with help from famed course designer Donald Ross, representing the first course on the island. Before the advent of gas mowers, hundreds of sheep and goats were used to maintain the fairways. The course was purchased by Oswald ‘Tup’ Tupancy and Sallie Gail Harris Tupancy in 1950 and kept open for public play until 1958. Tupancys began donating the land to the Nantucket Conservation Foundation in 1979 along with their charitable giving through the Tupancy Harris Foundation. The former fairways are now amazingly representative sandplain grassland habitat, reclaimed after years without herbicide applicators or conditioning for golf games. Seeds of stabilizing native prairie grasses are harvested from these fields each fall and used in restoration projects around the island to promote more of this globally rare habitat.
SPECIES PROFILE:
NORTHERN LONG-EARED BAT ( Myotis septentrionalis)
This endangered species of bat has been shown to thrive in the isolated refuge of Nantucket’s pitch pine forests where they feed on moths in the warm summer months. The cracks and hollows of scraggly pitch pine trees are excellent roosting habitat for these small bats during the season and cement crawl spaces provide valuable overwintering habitat. Over the last 20 years White nose fungus has destroyed the North American population of this species (and others), leading to a decline of 95% across their entire range. Despite this threat, a healthy and robust breeding population of Northern Long-eared Bats was discovered on Nantucket in 2015 by Zara Dowling, PhD and our Wildlife Research Ecologist Danielle O’Dell. Since then, Danielle has worked with PhD students from UMass Amherst and SUNY Albany to document the health and movement of our island bats, leading to breakthrough documentation of the importance of coastal refugia for the survival of this species.
The Nantucket Conservation Foundation relies upon independent contributions from individuals who value the island’s natural beauty and its future. Your support allows NCF to protect the 9,000 acres of land, 100 miles of trails, and 17 miles of coastline it owns and stewards, to conserve Nantucket’s natural resources, and to engage in impactful ecological research. Each and every gift makes a difference. Thank you for joining us in our work to preserve Nantucket’s fragile and beautiful environment.
Scan to support the Nantucket Conservertion Foundation
OUR SEASONAL STAFF
GRACIE BELL
Hometown: Memphis, Tennessee
Alma Mater: Mississippi State University
NCF Position: Stewardship Technician/Wildlife Technician
COLEMAN MILLER
Hometown: Beverly, Massachusetts
Alma Mater: University of South Florida
NCF Position: NCF Graduate Research Assistant –
MS Candidate at Northeastern University
MEREDITH BROADUS
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
College: Tufts University
NCF Position: Seasonal Field Assistant
JORDAN GASS
Hometown: Costa Mesa, California
Alma Mater: North Carolina State University
NCF Position: Seasonal Wildlife Field Assistant
GABBY ROBINSON
Hometown: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Alma Mater: Iowa State University
NCF Position: Seasonal Botany/Ecology Field Assistant
SPENCER KIMBLE
Hometown: Granby, Connecticut
Alma Mater: University of Vermont
NCF Position: Seasonal Botany/Field Ecology Assistant
COLLIN JACKSON
Hometown: Germantown, New York
College: Paul Smiths College
NCF Position: Coatue Ranger
EXCURSIONS: AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER
AUGUST
Friday, August 2nd, 830-1030am Squam Farm
Saturday, August 3rd, 830-1030am Squam Farm
Monday, August 5th, 8-10am Guided Bike Tour
Tuesday, August 6th, 10am-12pm Polpis Harbor Kayak Paddle
Friday, August 9th, 830-1030am Windswept Bog
Sunday, August 11th, 9-10am Free Outdoor All Levels Yoga Flow
Tuesday, August 13th, 9-11am Folger’s Marsh Restoration Walk
Wednesday, August 14th, 830-1030am Masquetuck
Thursday, August 15th, 9-11am Southern Pine Beetle Walk
Friday, August 16th, 9-11am Folger’s Marsh Kayak Paddle with Egan Maritime Institute
Sunday, August 18th, 5-6pm Free Outdoor Restorative Yoga
Monday, August 19th, 8-10am Guided Bike Tour
Friday, August 23rd, 830-1030am The Serengeti
Thursday, August 29th, 9-11am Native Plant Landscaping Tour
Friday, August 30th, 830-1030am Leedsmoor
Free, open to the public. Sign up at www.nantucketconservation.org/events
SEPTEMBER
Wednesday, September 4th, 830-1030am Windswept Bog
Saturday, September 7th, 830-1030am Windswept Bog
Sunday, September 8th, 9-10am Free Outdoor All Levels Yoga Flow
Tuesday, September 10th, 9-11am Climate Change Awareness Walk
Wednesday, September 11th, 8-10am Birding with Woody
Thursday, September 12th, 9-11am Native Plant Landscaping Tour
Thursday, September 12th, 1-3pm Polpis Harbor Kayak Paddle
Friday, September 13th, 830-1030am Tupancy Links
Saturday, September 14th, 830-1030am Tupancy Links
Sunday, September 15th, 9-10am Free Outdoor All Levels Yoga Flow
Tuesday, September 17th, 8-930am
Birding Folger’s Marsh with Linda Loring Nature Foundation & Egan Maritime Institute
Wednesday, September 18th, 8-10am Birding with Woody
Wednesday, September 18th, 1130am-130pm Folger’s Marsh Kayak Paddle vwith Egan Maritime Institute
Thursday, September 19th, 9-11am Southern Pine Beetle Walk
Friday, September 20th, 830-1030am Folger’s Hill
Saturday, September 21st, 9-11am Climate Change Awareness Walk
Wednesday, September 25th, 830-1030am Head of the Plains
Do you know someone who cares for Nantucket as much as you do? A gift membership to the Foundation is a great way to celebrate your shared commitment to preserve open spaces and natural habitats for rare and endangered species on the island. Each membership comes with a subscription to the Foundation’s newsletter and publications, property map, membership decal, and invitations to the Mornings for Members and Ecology Excursions throughout the year. To gift a membership, scan the flowcode below or visit our website at www.nantucketconservation.org/ support Thank you for your support!
Cover Photo: Daniel Sutherland