Since 1902, the Maria Mitchell Association has carried forward the legacy of America’s first female astronomer and Nantucket native, Maria Mitchell. Her “learning by doing” philosophy continues to guide us as we inspire wonder across Nantucket’s sky, land, and sea.
This year, our guiding theme is observation—reflecting Maria’s own spirit. More than 175 years ago, her careful observations of the night sky led to the discovery of a comet, opening new worlds of curiosity. Today, observation remains at the heart of everything we do.
As we close another remarkable year, we invite your support for our Year-End Campaign—essential to sustaining our facilities and programs and igniting curiosity in thousands of learners near and far.
While beloved events like the Barn Owl Party, Stargazer Gala, and Deck the Wharf Bash help fund our work, a decline in grant support makes your generosity more vital than ever.
From our Aquarium and Natural Science Museum to our Observatories, Discovery Camps, and transformative internship program, every gift fuels discovery and keeps Maria’s mission alive.
Your support helps children explore our camps, families discover our exhibits, and stargazers find inspiration at the Loines Observatory—ensuring Maria’s legacy continues to shine brightly across this extraordinary island for generations to come.
Your Gift to the 2025 Appeal Makes All the Difference—
It’s December! Time to hang twinkle lights, sip hot cocoa by the fire, listen to your favorite holiday songs, get the matching PJ’s, eat all the cookies, and make magical memories. As we embrace this season of warmth and generosity, we hope you’ll consider making a gift to our Annual Appeal. Your support is truly transformative. It helps us spark wonder through science, nurture curiosity in nature, celebrate the vibrant community of Nantucket, and ensure that the legacy of Maria Mitchell continues to inspire generations to come.
Thank you for being part of this remarkable journey.
Wishing you health, happiness, and harmony this holiday season.
Friday, December 5 | 7–10pm | Straight Wharf Fish 4 Harbor Square, Nantucket
Don’t miss this magical fundraiser—secure your spot before it sells out!
Experience a night of holiday magic and the enchantment of the season at our 2nd Annual Deck the Wharf Bash — a night filled with festive cheer and winter magic on Straight Wharf – all to support the MMA's year-round programming.
Enjoy a tasting menu created by Chefs Gabriel and Kevin of Straight Wharf Fish, featuring caviar, seasonal bites, signature burgers, and more. Raise a glass with champagne and holiday cocktails crafted by Silent Pool Gin, all under twinkling lights and mistletoe.
The Evening Will Sparkle with Holiday Delights:
✨Stargazing on the Deck beneath Nantucket’s crisp winter sky 🎩 Enchanting Magicfrom our roaming magician, Magic Mark 📸 Festive Photo Opportunities to capture every joyful moment 🎶 Cosmic Tunes & Caroling with Nantucket’s own Ty Fly 🎁Holiday Prizes & Gift Giveawaysto make spirits bright
Slip into your festive finest, bring your sparkle, and join us for an unforgettable evening where flavor, fun, and Stroll festivities come together in true Nantucket style.
Join us at the Hinchman House Natural Science Museum at 7 Milk Street for a fun-filled day of festive activities and celebrate the end of Stroll Weekend the MMA Way!
✨ Create Your Own Holiday Ornaments: 10:30am – 12pm Take home a special keepsake you’ve made yourself!
🐾 Animal Meet & Greets: 10:30am – 1:30pm Meet our animals up close during one-on-one encounters.
📖 Nature Story Time: 11:30am Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh! by Mo Willems.
🎅 Visit from Santa: 12pm – 2pm
Bring your family and friends and help us wrap up the season with creativity, curiosity, and holiday cheer!
Admission is free to all. No registration necessary.
Birding and Outdoor Programming
Owl Walk and Watch With Ginger Andrews
Program Meets at 4 Vestal Street
Thursday, December 4 | 4 - 5:30pm
Night-time has always had a mysterious appeal, which brings out a whole new cast of avian and other creatures. It requires patience, and a shift of consciousness from sight to hearing. Join the MMA's Field Ornithologist, Ginger Andrews, as we listen for calls of a variety of nocturnal animals and birds. We will watch for owls as they begin their nightly activity. While an owl sighting is not guaranteed, you will certainly be able to observe several fascinating nocturnal animal species.
Join the MMA's Executive Director, Joanna Roche, on a peaceful one hour walk under the light of the full Moon. Discover the legends and narratives of the past and present. Enjoy the tranquility of the quiet night sky and learn about our Moon's current themes and its important symbolism.
The Cold Moon, which is December's full Moon, is named for its association with the cold winter months and the long nights of December. The Mohawk people, a Native American people, are credited with coining the name "Cold Moon" to describe the frigid temperatures and extended darkness of the winter season. Other cultures also have names for this full moon, such as "Long Night Moon" or “Moon Before Yule.”
Free to Nantucket Residents. Registration is required.
Birding 101:An Exploration of The Unique Avian Life of Nantucket
Saturday, December 13 | 1 - 4pm
What is the allure of birding? We have always looked to birds to tell us what is happening in the world around us but there are almost as many ways to enjoy birds as there are birders. Join the MMA's Field Ornithologist, Ginger Andrews for a two-in-one workshop to find your own unique birding style, with tips and suggestions to find and identify Nantucket's varied avian life.
Part 1: Introduction to Birding
-Field Guides
-Bird Feeding
-Specimens, Sketching, and Note Taking
Part 2: Birding Field Trip
-Bird Identification
-Habitats and Homes
-Binoculars and Telescope Configuration for Viewing
Pre-registration is recommended as programs do fill up but walk-ins are welcome subject to availability.
Explore Nantucket’s birdy landscapes and hidden nooks with local bird guide and Inquirer and Mirror columnist, Ginger Andrews. With so many varied habitats so close together, the Island is a great place to look and listen for birds. Our location out at sea makes for a fascinating mix of migratory species and year-round residents. Dry humor—always useful in a foggy environment—natural and human history, unexpected rarities, and other stories fill out the picture. Children 8 and up are welcome with an adult guardian. Loaner binoculars available. Wear sensible shoes, dress for the weather. You never know what may turn up.
Join us for Ravenous Reptiles and Nature Story Hour—two fun, family-friendly programs for nature enthusiasts of all ages Friday - Sunday! And join us on Saturday, December 13 for Weekend Crafting: Ornament Making from
1 - 1:45pm.
You can also stop by to visit our animals: Fridays: 1–5pm Saturdays: 10am–4pm Sundays: 10am–2pm (Through December 13)
Please note: TheHinchman House Natural Science Museum will close for a short seasonal break beginning Sunday, December 14, and will reopen in January 2026. Come visit our amazing animals and learn about Nantucket and its biodiversity before we temporarily close our doors!
Discover the perfect gift for the nature lover in your life! Stop by to explore our wide selection of custom MMA apparel, nature-inspired gifts, accessories, books, and more this holiday season.
Fridays 1 - 5pm; Saturdays 10am - 2pm; and Sundays 10am - 2pm through Saturday, December 13 at 7 Milk Street
Can’t make it in person? Visit our online shop anytimehere.
After-School Programming
Each Afternoon Holds Different Activities, Crafts,
Special FREE Early Release Day Program for NPS Half Days: December 3 and 10. Registration for Early Release Days opens one week prior. Learn more here.
Early Release Day Themes:
December 3
Molecules in Motion: Explore the excitement of atoms and molecules through hands-on experiments that reveal how they behave, transform, and showcase the amazing possibilities of our atomic world.
December 10
Winter Migrations: Learn about the migration and lifeways of Nantucket’s winter visitors—Harbor and Grey Seals—as you join the Marine Mammal Alliance of Nantucket on a safe, guided search through Coskata Coatue during pupping season to observe, identify, and learn how these animals adapt and impact their environment.
Registration and participation is available to active MMA members only. You must register for membership prior to camp enrollment. If your membership has expired, or is about to expire, renew at your earliest convenience to prepare for our 2026 Camp Registration and to stay enrolled in 2026 camps.
Winter birding is still great—in some ways better than summer birding. The picture changes, as lands and lakes to our north disappear in snow or freeze up. Many people used to seeing Common Loons, for example, on inland lakes find them an odd sight in the ocean. Loons in winter have molted into drabber plumage and sought out our still liquid salt water for access to food. But don’t necessarily expect to hear them call.
Probably nothing has changed birding culture more than the “Merlin” app from Cornell. Along with the much older “eBird” list-keeping app, both have given birders much wider access to a bigger picture, such as birds’ normal range in every season. Apps help birders identify what they see and or hear. And for science, it makes it easy to keep track of the effort expended, a factor in determining relative abundance and rarity.
Merlin is not perfect; new birders should also use visual references as they “learn the birds” in their area and beyond. But eBird is also a great way to keep in touch with what other birders are seeing in the area.
But no matter how refined the technology, some things remain the same: birds’ elusiveness; their speed; their maddening ability to disappear. No matter how fast reports come in, birds are still faster. Birding culture is full of quaint terms like “Birthday Bird” or “Christmas Bird.” We may go out looking for something in particular, either for a list or just for fun. Mostly we accept whatever shows up. But there is also the term “Nemesis Bird.” This is often one that everyone else seems to have found lately, except you. Luck and timing also have to come together in a moment of vision. This is what makes an experience in nature, like seeing or hearing a bird well, a gift. And although it may take patience to “unwrap,” it’s a gift available to all.
The 71st Nantucket Christmas Bird Count!
Sunday, December 28
The Christmas Bird Count (CBC) is one of the longest running wildlife census projects in the world and is organized by the National Audubon Society. Nantucket has been a proud participant since 1954, and originally conducted the count with only three volunteers. It has now expanded to over seventy participants, which includes local and off-island birding enthusiasts.
Over 80,000 volunteers world-wide participate in Christmas Bird Counts spanning the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and Latin America. It was originally started in the 1900’s by ornithologist, Frank Chapman, who thought it was better to count the birds instead of hunting them on Christmas Day.
On count day, this year December 28, 2025, the entire island is divided up into eight different sections and each one is assigned a team leader and field observers. At the end of the 24-hour period, numbers of all species observed in each section are compiled into one list. The list is reviewed and finalized at the end of "Count Week." Sometimes certain birds aren’t found on count day, so we also record species not seen on count day, but are seen during count week which is three days before and after count day.
TheUMass Nantucket Field Station hosts a compilation meeting at 6pm on count day for all participating volunteers to celebrate their findings of the day. The CBC is a fantastic way of getting a quick “snap-shot” of what and how many birds are within a definitive radius in 24 hours, and every bird counts!
How You Can Help:
Do you have a bird feeder? We needFeeder Watchers! A Feeder Watcher can keep track of the birds that visit their feeders within the 24-hour count period.
Do you have a favorite conservation property you like to walk? You can volunteer to be a Field Observer of that property and report your findings. If you are able to dedicate the whole day and enjoy birding you can be assigned to one of the eight sections as a field observer!
Registration is required by December 19.
If you would like to volunteer/become a registrant, please fill out theform. Have questions? Email nantucketbirdcount@gmail.com.
MMA News and Updates
Qualified undergraduates, recent graduates, and graduate students studying marine biology, the natural sciences, astronomy, education, non-profit development, history/art history/historic preservation, and communications and marketing are invited to apply.Learn more.
The MMA Is Hiring - Join Our Team!
The MMA is seeking passionate, skilled professionals to help inspire a life-long passion of science through hands-on education, research, and exploration of Nantucket’s sky, land, and sea.
We are currently hiring for:
Aquarium Manager
Camp & Youth Engagement Manager
Education & Youth Engagement Manager
Environmental Monitoring Buoy Technician
If you’re energized by meaningful work, curious about the natural world, and eager to make an impact in a collaborative environment, learn more here.
Image of Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) Students, Ella, Mason, and Jack who are collecting data to assess the overall influence MMA camps have had on past MMA campers!
The Maria Mitchell Association is thrilled to announce the first-ever MMA Camp Alumni Reunion, happening August 7, 2026, and we’re reconnecting with past campers, gathering stories, and sharing updates as we plan this special event.
👉 Join theMMA Camp Alumni Networkto stay in the loop and receive reunion details as they become available. Our list is growing fast and we want you to be a part of it!
If your child or someone you know, age 18 or older, attended MMA Camp, Discovery Classes, or Discovery Camp, please consider completing the short survey below. You may also share this message with them or pass along their contact information so we can reach out directly.
We cannot wait to reconnect with our MMA Camp family!
Check out our own podcast, "The Nature of Nantucket," brought to you by 97.7 ACKFM. This program airs on 97.7 every Sunday at 7:20am. You can listen to full episodes on Apple or Spotify.
In a recent episode of “The Nature of Nantucket,” host Joanna Roche,welcomes back Dr. Jackie Milingo, the MMA’s Director of Astronomy, for another mind-expanding conversation, this time exploring the very fabric of the universe. Together they dive into the space-time continuum, unpack the relationship between time and space, and discuss the tantalizing possibilities of time travel, multiple dimensions, and the enigmatic nature of black holes.Listen here!
Don't forget to check out our weekly "Star Report," written and presented by the MMA Astronomy Department. This week, Geoff Clayton, an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association, talks about the interstellar comet which is flying past the Earth and then out of the Solar System. Listen here!
Maria Mitchell's Attic
Learn more about Maria Mitchell and the MMA with "Maria Mitchell's Attic," a blog written on a weekly basis by MMA Deputy Director and Curator, Jascin Leonardo Finger.
In a recent blog, "Maria Mitchell In Her Own Words” Jascin Leonardo Finger writes about about conflict within the 1876 Woman’s Congress—specifically the internal disagreements, power struggles, and anxieties surrounding women’s suffrage and leadership, as observed and recorded byMaria Mitchell. Read here!
Be part of the global GivingTuesday movement and help build a world rooted in compassion, curiosity, and generosity by supporting the Maria Mitchell Association. As a special thank-you, donations of $200 or more will receive an exclusive, custom-designed MMA mug—our gift to you!
Support Discovery and Wonder
Every year, the Maria Mitchell Association inspires thousands through the magic of science, nature, and the night sky. From hands-on programs that ignite a child’s curiosity to intern-driven research safeguarding Nantucket’s unique biodiversity, our mission thrives because of supporters like you.
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.
