E-Comet Newsletter from the MMA

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May 25, 2016

E-Comet Newsletter

New Program Book!

After a long and cold winter, the Maria Mitchell Association is ready to have its best summer yet! We have added new discovery classes, expanded the Science Speaker Series, added weekly bird walks, created member-only events, and much more. With the help of our new 36-page program booklet, 2016 Summer Programs and Events, you now have the world of science at your fingertips. If you are a Maria Mitchell Association member, you will receive a hard copy in the mail.

The Maria Mitchell Association wishes to gratefully acknowledge the following businesses that helped to support the publication of this booklet: Hingham Institution for Savings, Petite Traveler of Nantucket, Nantucket Architecture Group, The Water Closet, Killen Real Estate, Christopher’s Home Furnishings, Accessible Dental, P.C., Jordan Real Estate, Barcos Y Tacos, Wicked Island Bakery, idNantucket, Atlantic East Nantucket Real Estate, Pinwheels, Maury People – Sotheby’s International Realty, Pioneer Cleaning, Ezia Athletic Club, Nantucket Energy, Hepburn, Beacon Real Estate, The Rose and Crown, Glidden’s Island Seafood, Hatch’s Package Store, Sylvia Antiques, The Scrimshander Gallery, Freedman’s of Nantucket, Annye’s Whole Foods, Cisco Brewers, and Nantucket Island Resorts.

Open Booklet

New Video

The Nantucket Red-Tie Soirée - Sunday, July 10th

Join us for an evening of great food and drinks, fun, and dancing at The Nantucket Red Tie Soirée!

Wear your bright Nantucket attire and come on out to Sankaty Head Golf Club for a

fun-filled evening!

EAT at Spanky’s Raw Bar and SIP refreshing drinks from the open bar. BID on exclusive items and experiences at our silent auction. DANCE the night away to Perry Rossi’s band. MEET the interns who help run our summer programs and facilities – they come from all over the country and bring an unbelievably rich knowledge to the Maria Mitchell Association. TALK with the staff about the great programs and LEARN from demonstrations that embody Maria Mitchell’s belief in learning-by-doing. The Maria Mitchell Association is Nantucket’s Science Center.

Thank you to our growing list of business sponsors: Quidley & Company, Nantucket Bank, Blue Beetle, Sylvia Antiques, Hingham Institution for Savings, Hyline Cruises.

Buy Your Ticket!

News

Nantucket High School Students Receive Honorable Mention at State Science Fair

Three students, Amelia Murphy, Sami Trattel, and Sarah Daume, presented their project on how ocean acidification affects oyster shells at the Massachusetts State Science Fair on May 6 and 7 at MIT. Competing against 450 other excellent projects, they received an honorable mention - a huge achievement! This group was one of five projects at the Nantucket High School STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Fair held at the school on March 17th. The MMA organizes the logistics for the STEM Fair and along with the Linda Loring Nature Foundation, the Nantucket Conservation Foundation and the Nantucket Land Council, provides equipment, work space, and support for these young scientists. It is great to see Nantucket represented at the state level and the MMA congratulates these talented students.

American Burying Beetle Update

Since, 2004, the MMA has conducted field work on Nantucket monitoring the only successful reintroduced population of this federally endangered species. It is a long term collaboration between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Roger Williams Park Zoo, and all of Nantucket’s conservation non-profits. There is an effort underway to de-list this species since it frequently slows down or disrupts oil and gas development in the west. Once found across the U.S. from the Atlantic to the Rockies, this beetle now only survives in eight states. Read a recent blog post on the species here.

Credit: Photo by NASA; A. Hirschauer & J. Salzer, Indiana University; J. Cannon, Macalester College; and K. McQuinn, University of Texas

MMA Board Member Part of Group That Discovers 'Little lion' Galaxy

A faint blue galaxy, thirty million light-years from earth has been identified by astronomers as possessing qualities that could reveal clues to the Big Bang! MMA Board member, Dr. Katherine Rhode, has been part of this discovery.

Read Article.

Discovery Camp Scholarships

Scholarships: We have twelve scholarships at 80% off that include a reduced-priced membership of $25.

Eligible Programs: Discovery Camp and Naturalist Leadership Program.

Eligibility: You must make 75% or less of the MA state median income (SMI) for your family size. See MMA website for income amounts.

Application Deadline: First come, first serve for eligible applicants.

Scholarship Awarded: Ongoing, starting at the beginning of May.

How to Apply: Download application here or call 508-228-9198.

Scholarship Made Possible By: The generosity of EGCF, a non-profit foundation.

Shop MMA Online!

Items from the MMA gift shops are now available online! Shop hats, toys, clothing, limited edition items, and more!

Shop here.

Opening Day!

All facilities will open on June 6th for the season.

2016 Science Speaker Series

All Presentations take place at 33 Washington Street

7:00 PM

Free for Members, $10 for Non-Member s

Thank you to Our Sponsors:

Dr. Stella Kafka

Wednesday, June 1

"Variable Stars and Their Stories"

The American Association of Variable Star Observers (AAVSO) is a non-profit worldwide scientific and educational organization of amateur and professional astronomers who are interested in stars that change in brightness: variable stars. Their mission is to enable anyone, anywhere, to participate in scientific discovery through variable star astronomy.

Andrew McKenna-Foster

Wednesday, June 8

"Scavengers on Nantucket"

Nantucket lacks large mammalian scavengers like raccoons, possum, and skunks. So what creatures pick up the slack in their absence? In collaboration with the Nantucket Conservation Foundation, MMA staff used camera traps to answer this question. Learn about early results and ongoing work. Also come and see pictures of Nantucket’s night active creatures!

Eric Savetsky

Wednesday, June 15

"Beyond Our Shores: Nantucket's Offshore Underwater World"

Eric Savetsky is an underwater photographer/videographer with a lifelong fascination of the sea. His goal is to share his amazing encounters with people in the hopes of inspiring a deeper appreciation of our natural world. Eric has worked on several broadcast projects including the National Geographic Channel/ Rick Rosenthal production “Superfish: Bluefin Tuna” and the BBC’s “Atlantic: Wildest Ocean on Earth.”

Full science speaker series schedule here.

Events

Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative Citizen Science Weekend

June 10th - 12th

An exciting opportunity to learn about research on Nantucket and get involved! Nantucket’s conservation non-profits will host field trips, workshops, and lectures covering topics such as bird banding, invasive plant monitoring, marine biodiversity, and Nantucket natural history. The keynote address (Friday, June 10) is by Dr. Tobias Landberg on what he has learned using the unusual technique of strapping small cameras to snapping turtles. MMA’s own Julia Blyth will be giving a talk on the MMA's biological collections on Saturday evening. All events are free so please mark your calendars!

The Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative (NBI) is a partnership among Nantucket's scientific organizations and seeks to conserve the native biodiversity of Nantucket through collaborative research, monitoring, and education. The NBI promotes local science by awarding research grants and alternating between hosting the Citizen Science Weekend and the NBI Biennial Research Conference each year.

Discovery Programs

Open Nights at Loines Observatory

The next Open Night at Loines Observatory is June 1, 9:00PM - 10:30PM. See the full schedule here.

Get Involved

Job Opportunity

Position: Director of Natural Science

The Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) is looking for an enthusiastic and experienced candidate to run its Aquarium and Natural Science Museum, oversee associated programs and activities, and be the public face of the MMA’s natural science outreach. The Director of Natural Science should embody the MMA’s motto of “Explore, Educate, Enjoy.” Ideal candidates will have exceptional organizational and interpersonal skills. The position requires enthusiasm for natural history and marine exhibits and programs, a passion for inspiring students of all ages, and creativeness in reaching the general public. A broad understanding of ecology and natural history is essential. To lean more about MMA, go to www.mariamitchell.org. Send a cover letter and resume to Lauren Berlin at lberlin@mariamitchell.org. Full job description here.

Sponsor the MMA

We have several sponsorship opportunities available for businesses and individuals. If you would like to make an impact on science education on Nantucket, please look at our list of opportunities here.