Category Archives: Sandplain Grasslands

Good Firebreaks Make Good Neighbors

Posted on February 20, 2019 by Karen C. Beattie

One of the frequent calls we get at the Foundation’s office during the fall, winter and early spring involves questions about the firebreak management work we are doing on our properties. Why are we cutting down the shrubs? Where will … Continue reading →

Posted in Habitat Management, Restoration, Sandplain Grasslands, Scrub Oak Barrens, Wildfire Risk Reduction | Leave a comment

What’s going on with all the brushcutting in the Tom Nevers Area? Wildfire Risk Reduction and Restoring Habitat for Rare Plants and Animals

Posted on May 3, 2018 by Karen C. Beattie

Take a walk or bike ride along the Milestone Bike Path near the Tom Nevers Road intersection or in the South Pastures area of the island (between the airport and Tom Nevers) and you will notice some dramatic clearing of … Continue reading →

Posted in Habitat Management, Land Use History, Native Plants, Restoration, Sandplain Grasslands, Scrub Oak Barrens | 1 Comment

Showy Insects and Spiders of Autumn

Posted on December 8, 2017 by Danielle O'Dell

*Note: this article was originally written in September 2017 and printed in the Nantucket Inquirer and Mirror in the November 30, 2017 issue Fall is finally here. The air is cooling down and drying out, the tupelo trees are turning … Continue reading →

Posted in Caterpillars, Fall Color on Nantucket, Nantucket Wildlife, Sandplain Grasslands | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Meet Our 2017 Seasonal Botany and Ecology Field Assistants!

Posted on June 30, 2017 by Karen C. Beattie

Each summer, the Nantucket Conservation Foundation’s Science and Stewardship Department hires two seasonal Botany and Ecology Field Assistants to help us collect data on a variety of projects throughout the field season. This year, we are very lucky to have … Continue reading →

Posted in Botany, Field Season, Habitat Management, Invasive Species, Native Plants, Restoration, Sandplain Grasslands | Leave a comment

Let the Field Season Begin……

Posted on May 11, 2017 by Karen C. Beattie

Spring is the time of year when there just doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the work day for our Science and Stewardship Department’s full-time staff. There are winter writing projects that need to be wrapped up, early season … Continue reading →

Posted in Field Season, Habitat Management, Invasive Species, Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative, Restoration, Sandplain Grasslands, Shorebirds, Springtime | Leave a comment

The balance between public access and rare resource protection – here’s how we’re doing it at Head of the Plains

Posted on June 7, 2016 by Karen C. Beattie

The Foundation has always strived to manage its properties to provide for public access and protect rare ecological resources. These goals can often be at cross purposes, so succeeding at both requires a great deal of strategic planning. Developing property … Continue reading →

Posted in Public Use Management, Sandplain Grasslands, Shorebirds, Strategic planning | Leave a comment

Less Shrubs and Moor Views

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Karen C. Beattie

Take a walk in the northwestern portion of our vast Middle Moors property holdings this winter, and you will see that the landscape in this area has been opened up dramatically. This brushcutting management work is being undertaken by Foundation … Continue reading →

Posted in Habitat Management, Prescribed Fire, Restoration, Sandplain Grasslands, Scrub Oak Barrens, Trees, Winter | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

“Growing Native” to Restore Nantucket’s Natural Areas

Posted on June 21, 2013 by Kelly A. Omand

Right now, the NCF Science & Stewardship greenhouse is bursting at the seams with 20 species of native plant seedlings that will be planted in trail-side restoration and pasture improvement projects later in the season. Each year, NCF Science staff … Continue reading →

Posted in Botany, Native Plants, Restoration, Sandplain Grasslands | Leave a comment