E-Comet Newsletter of the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association |
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Dear Friends of the Nantucket Maria Mitchell Association:
Welcome to the New Year! 2021 has been highly anticipated by all of us. It means that the roller coaster of 2020 is over, and it is my hope, that we are all stronger and more resilient. I see firsthand that the Maria Mitchell Association is! We learned this past year how to adapt and find new ways to connect to our community. We have taken those lessons and look forward to continuing to fulfill our mission in the coming year.
One of my favorite stories about Maria is how she was interested in her own education, and that of others, as a young girl. The norm the nineteenth century and earlier was that girls did not get the opportunity to learn to the same degree as their brothers. Nonetheless, through her father and their Quaker supported belief in equality, Maria received the opportunity to learn, grow, and study. She went on to become a remarkable astronomer, natural scientist, and educator. 2020 changed our education system and many children were disconnected from the wonder of learning. The future Maria Mitchell’s are out there, wishing to learn and grow.
I would like to introduce you to 15-year-old scientist and inventor, Gitanjali Rao. Her curiosity and passion for science, just like Maria's, has led her to discover solutions to detect contaminated water and how to prevent cyberbullying using AI. Named TIME magazine's first-ever 'Kid of the Year', she inspires others with the belief that, "There could be other students just like me who are looking to innovate and create change — and they just don't know where to start." The MMA is here to help students, and learners of all ages, find that start.
We have to demand that educational opportunities be provided to all. With the generous support of the Weezie Foundation, we can ensure these opportunities continue to be provided to our island youth. As we gaze into the new year, our plan is to educate all about the sky, land, and sea in new and innovative ways.
Do you know a future scientist, or nature-kid at heart? Gift them and their family a membership so that they can enjoy our Aquarium, Discovery Camps, lectures, bird walks, and more! If you are interested, we would love to help you gift a membership to a local family. With your gift, you will open the sky, land, and sea for them to enjoy!
I look forward to the new year and to sharing the wonder of science with you.
Warm Regards,
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Jason Bridges
Interim Executive Director
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It might be chilly outside, but a clear and bright winter evening is perfect for stargazing! There is so much to learn and see in the night sky, with or without a telescope. In fact, MMO Director, Dr. Regina Jorgenson, says “When people ask for telescope recommendations and they are new to astronomy, I actually recommend that they start out with a good pair of binoculars, which can also be used for other pursuits, such as birding. You can actually see a lot. You can see the moons of Jupiter; you can see the rings of Saturn with a good pair of binoculars. It’s amazing what you can see with binoculars and you don’t have the setup issues that come with telescopes.”
While you're out there, it's also good to let your eyes adjust to the darkness. One of the challenges here is that you might want to use an application on your phone as a guide for the night sky! Dr. Jorgenson recommends utilizing the red light filter on your phone, if you plan to use an app, to reduce its impact on your night vision. There are many different apps out there, but her personal favorites are Sky Guide (iOS) and Stellarium Mobile Sky Map (Android).
Or, of course, you can leave your apps behind and stargaze with experts! We hope to offer additional Virtual Open Nights in 2021 and are working to adapt our regular Open Nights as COVID-19 protocols continue to evolve.
For more tips on winter stargazing, check out this article from The Buzzards Bay Coalition featuring Dr. Jorgenson and other professional astronomers. The article includes information on what to look for in the night sky, a list of recommended locations in Eastern Massachusetts, and more!
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An Update from Jack!
by Jack Dubinsky, MMA Aquarium Director and Research Center Coordinator
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As 2020 comes to an end and I reflect on this tumultuous year, I find myself more thankful than ever for all the love, support, and engagement from the Nantucket community. Despite this crippling pandemic, the Aquarium was able to launch our first Nantucket Green Crab Week, run dozens of outdoor marine education programs, continue invasive species monitoring on the Town Pier, and add several tropical fish to our year-round collection. Several remote students used their amazing skills to develop webpages, survey forms, graphics, and videos this summer as well! For all of this, I owe our generous supporters, guests, and volunteers who, despite the hardships of this year, thought of us at the MMA and donated time and resources to help us make this summer as meaningful as possible. My gratitude for all of you is infinite!
Although Nantucket’s waters are frigid and the Aquarium remains closed for the season, there is still plenty of marine life to explore! Most of the summer species are dormant or have retreated to warmer offshore waters, but the winter is an excellent time to look for species that we don’t get to see in the summer. A walk along Straight Wharf may reveal crystal jellies, salp colonies, rare comb jelly species and more! Look closer and you may see the darting ripples of gelatinous arrow worms as they hunt plankton or even a baby red hake taking cover by the dock.
As always, if you find anything interesting on Nantucket’s beaches or in our waters, feel free to snap a picture and email it to me at jdubinsky@mariamitchell.org for identification and information. Thank you all again for an amazing year! I wish you all a safe, healthy winter and look forward to seeing you next summer.
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Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative Grants |
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The Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative (NBI) is seeking applications for research proposals to our Small Research Grant Program for 2021. The NBI is a collaborative of local and regional non-profit organizations, town agencies, and businesses working together to advance research, education, and environmental sustainability on Nantucket, Tuckernuck, and Muskeget islands. The Maria Mitchell Association currently has two staff members who serve on the NBI committee.
This grant program provides funding to facilitate research on Nantucket, Tuckernuck, Muskeget, and surrounding waters. Successful proposals focus on research projects that further the mission of NBI, add Nantucket to a wider research project, and further understanding of biodiversity on Nantucket and surrounding areas. Please visit the NBI website for more information on the program, as well as to read abstracts of previous grant recipients: https://www.nantucketbiodiversity.org/research-grants-program
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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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For most birders, a new year means a new list. Keeping a year list is a way of summing up. It’s fun to look back at what was seen, and when. In the days before weather radar, it was part of country life. Farmers watched migrating birds to gauge the season’s progress. “First arrival” dates have documented climate change. Henry David Thoreau’s journals show that, ecologically, spring in his area is now about three weeks earlier than in his day.
With a new list, everything is new. It makes everything exciting again—the first Cardinal, the first Chickadee, even the first Grackle.
But, there’s more to listing than just, "‘Ho hum, another year, another Cardinal." Sighting data is still useful. Northern Cardinals were unknown on the island in 1948. Climate change? Not necessarily. On Nantucket, it is a little-known secret that the first Cardinals were actually brought here from Virginia in the 1950’s. Nonetheless, birders’ lists give a picture of their survival and successful establishment.
So, how to keep a list that’s both interesting and useful? It can be a first-seen list with the date, a yard list, an island list, a county, state, country, or world list. The basic information is the species, place, and date. Some birders use printed lists, some have special books, some deface their field guides, some just scribble on the back of an envelope. Some do it electronically on e-Bird, which is now the largest citizen-science database in the world. But no matter how done, it’s also fun.
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Moor Studio and the ReMain Nantucket Fund |
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Over time, nature adapts, and likewise, so has the MMA. We are excited to be launching a new website in partnership with Moor Studio thanks to the ReMain Nantucket Fund grant from the Community Foundation for Nantucket. We are thrilled for this opportunity to expand our reach and share the story of Maria with our friends, visitors, and members wherever they are. We would like to extend a huge thank you to ReMain for supporting this project and to Moor Studio for redesigning our site and working with the MMA team. Keep an eye out for more information on this exciting launch coming soon!
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Check out WCAI's podcast, "Looking Skyward" featuring MMO Director, Dr. Regina Jorgenson.
In the December 10 episode, Dr. Jorgenson discussed the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) mission, Hayabusa2, which succeeded in returning samples from an asteroid (Ryugu) to Earth. Learn more about how they were able to accomplish this and what it might tell us about the conditions of the early solar system.
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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
Beverly Barlow
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
Jane Tausig
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HONORARY MEMBERS
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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