E-Comet Newsletter from the MMA

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May 5, 2016

E-Comet Newsletter

Events

The Nantucket Red-Tie Soirée

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, and Hingham Institution for Savings.

Buy Your Ticket!

See Mercury Transit the Sun

On Monday, May 9th, Mercury will makes its way across the surface of the Sun. The next time this event will take place will be in 2019.

Depending on the weather, the solar telescope will be set up in front of the Vestal Street Observatory from 11:00 AM to 2:45 PM. Stop by and see this rare event!

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 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.

News

You can now register for Discovery Programs online here .

Dr. Peter Boyce Leaving Nantucket

Dr. Peter Boyce, a former MMA board member and more recent MMA Research Associate, is off to new endeavors in Florida and the MMA would like to acknowledge his many contributions to marine research on the island. In 2011, Dr. Boyce took over the long-running Nantucket bay scallop spat bag research program and the harbor bottom dive surveys. In conjunction with these activities, he started a mentoring program for local high school students to give them real world research experience and he helped to mentor MMA college interns. Two of his students have since entered graduate programs at University of New Hampshire in Marine Science and one received the prestigious NOAA Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship. Dr. Boyce used results from data he collected during the harbor research projects to sound the alarm on shrinking eel grass beds and he has played an important role in protecting Nantucket’s marine resources as a member of the Shellfish Advisory Board and as a board member of the Nantucket Shellfish Association. We will be losing an active and hardworking scientist but all of us at the MMA wish Dr. Boyce and his wife, Mary Saffell, well in Florida.

Rare Nantucket Harbor Map

Soon after our press release announcing the discovery of our rare Nantucket Harbor maps, they quickly began flying out of the MMA office and arriving in your homes! We still have some of these amazing maps available. Read the press release here and call 508.228.9198 if you would like to purchase a map before they are all gone.

Discovery Programs

Maria Mitchell and the Daring Daughters of Nantucket

Join the curator of the Mitchell House for a walking tour concerning the lives of Maria Mitchell and Nantucket’s famous and infamous women, as well as the lesser known women of our island. Learn why whaling, Quakerism, and the isolation of an island afforded these women opportunities that women elsewhere in America at the time were not afforded.

Saturday, May 7th

10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Members: $10

Non-Members: $15

Please call 508.228.2896 to register

Open Nights at Loines Observatory

The next Open Nights at Loines Observatory are on May 16th and May 17th from 7:30 PM - 9:00 PM. See the full schedule here.

Summer Discovery Camps

Camp classes are filling up fast! Register today!

Great deals available for Members and Island Families.

Scholarships from ECGF are available. More information here.

Get Involved

Job Opportunities

Position: Finance and Information Administrator

The Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) is looking for a qualified candidate to work as part of a dedicated staff. If you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment for an organization with a noble social mission, please apply today. Duties include bookkeeping, payroll, taxes, audits, reports, data entry, HR, and basic office management. Must be proficient in Quickbooks. To learn 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.

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.

Intern Positions Available

The Education Department is accepting applications for Environmental Education Instructors. This is a paid internship; housing is provided if needed. Please review the application process 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.