Pictured from left to right: MMA Executive Director, Joanna Roche with MMA Board Members: Tanya Forman; John Wise; Toni McKerrow; Brian Sullivan; MMA Development Consultant, Sarah Powers; and MMA Development Director, Amy Young, at the newly acquired property at 27 Washington Street.

 

On behalf of our Board of Directors, Capital Campaign volunteers, and the entire MMA staff and development team, we are thrilled to share important news about our Capital Campaign.

 

After more than two years of consideration and negotiation, we have acquired the Noyes family property, which includes 27 and 25R Washington Street and 10 Coffin Street. This is a major accomplishment for the MMA, as it enables us to secure much-needed additional land and housing that are instrumental in advancing our mission and our Discovery Center and Aquarium Project.

 

This acquisition also represents a deeply meaningful and nostalgic legacy for the Noyes family, whose relationship with the MMA dates back to the 1980s, when their father, Robert Noyes, served as President of our Board and worked for many years as a dedicated volunteer. With this partnership, a full circle has truly been completed. As one of our long-time supporters recently shared with me, “This is a game-changing moment for the Maria Mitchell Association and for Nantucket.”

 

We are also pleased to announce that we have hired the award-winning architecture and design firm Workshop/APD to serve as the architect for our project. Founding principal Andrew Kotchen has been working on Nantucket for more than 25 years, understands the community deeply, and believes strongly in the impact of this project. He will lead the project alongside associate principal Michael Luft-Weissberg, who for more than a decade has focused on delivering projects on Nantucket, and understands our landscape, community, and unique local design goals.

 

The firm’s portfolio and aesthetic are an ideal fit, and we could not be more excited to welcome Workshop/APD to our team. Kotchen’s daughter, Grace, was an intern in our Marketing Department this summer, and introduced us to her dad, and the connection was perfect. Andrew recently shared with us, “We are truly excited to create this lasting legacy to Maria Mitchell, and offer our community a view into Nantucket’s unique nature and science.”

 

We are ready to move forward. Engineering will be led by Nantucket Surveyors; construction by Board Vice President, John Wise; and architecture and design by Workshop/APD. Over the coming months, we will finalize plans that incorporate the new property into our vision for a future campus, secure a new survey, and move into the permitting phase.

 

Our Board Chair, Helene Weld, asked that we share this reflection with you:
“In my more than 15 years of leadership with this Board, there has never been a more capable group of Board members, staff, and campaign volunteers. Their enthusiasm and belief in this project are contagious. Building this legacy — grounded in Maria Mitchell’s belief in science and curiosity — will benefit this community for generations to come.”

 

 

With my very best,

Joanna Roche

MMA Discovery Camps - Summer 2026

 

 

Camp registration is open to MMA Members Only.  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 MMA Discovery camps.

We are thrilled for another summer of Discovery Camps at the

Maria Mitchell Association. Come explore with us!

MMA Internships - Summer 2026

2025 MMA Interns at our annual Stargazer Gala fundraiser.

 

We are excited to announce that internship opportunities for Summer 2026 are now posted on our website! We invite students studying marine biology, natural sciences, astronomy, education, history/art, historic preservation, non-profit development, and communications/marketing to apply.

 

If you know a qualified undergraduate or graduate student who would love to intern on picturesque Nantucket Island this upcoming summer, please help us spread the word by sharing the link below. Come join our amazing team!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Experience the Natural Science Museum after dark during this special art program. Guided by artist, Nikoline Bohr, you'll create a personalized work of art in a calm and inviting setting while enjoying complimentary refreshments. Connect with fellow participants, explore your creativity, and take home your finished piece as a lasting keepsake.

 

Natural Science Museum

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This year's STEAM Festival falls on March 14 which means Pi Day! This year marks the 12th annual Nantucket Science Festival. Join the Maria Mitchell Association and our incredible team of collaborators for this FREE, hands-on community event. This year’s theme is “3.14 Miles from Shore: Infinite Patterns”, celebrating hands-on STEAM learning across sky, land, and sea.

 

Explore the world of STEAM-based art, interactive displays, and hands-on activities for all ages. Thank you to all of our community partners that make this event such a success: The Artists Association of Nantucket, Egan Maritime Institute, Linda Loring Nature Foundation, Mass Audubon, Nantucket Atheneum, Nantucket Community School, Nantucket Conservation Foundation, Nantucket Fire Department, Nantucket Police Department, Nantucket Land and Water Council, Nantucket Lights, Nantucket New School, UMASS Boston Field Station Nantucket, US Coast Guard Station Brant Point, NISDA, and Sustainable Nantucket.

 

Don’t miss your chance to explore, experiment, and celebrate the wonders of STEAM in a day full of discovery, excitement, and a little bit of math magic! We are thrilled to foster curiosity in the next generation of change makers!

 

We are again offering 9:30am - 10am as a sensory friendly half hour.

As part of this year’s Nantucket STEAM Festival, in collaboration with the Dreamland Theatre, we’re thrilled to welcome a very special guest: Doktor Kaboom! His original science-comedy shows blend big ideas, explosive demonstrations, and laugh-out-loud humor—keeping audiences riveted from start to finish. Hailed as “part Mister Wizard, part Mr. Rogers,” Doktor Kaboom delights patrons of all ages with curiosity, creativity, and charm. Performances are free and  will be held March 13 and 14 at the Dreamland Theatre.

Snow-covered Canada geese, carrying their own insulation like little swimming igloos.

 

January brings a whole different cast of characters to the winter birding scene. For most human visitors it is the “off” season—but for some birds, particularly those that nest in the arctic, it’s a nice warm spot with open water and abundant food. True, the neotropical migrants have—or should have—left for Central or South America by now. Many birders are content to put out a variety of foods and stay inside watching their feeders in comfort. It does ease the challenge of the raw winds, see-sawing temperatures, and possible ice and snow. But car birding is also an option.

 

Outside there is still a moveable feast for the eye, and with proper clothing we can still brave the elements and find plenty to look at. The ocean offers sea ducks, with three species of scoters, Common Eider in several plumages, gorgeous Harlequin Ducks, alcids like Razorbills and Murres, the ubiquitous Bufflehead, and for those who really love an identification challenge, several species of gulls.

 

Ponds are equally active, with Scaup, Redheads, Canvasbacks, Northern Shovelers and Gadwall; three species of merganser, two types of loons, three kinds of grebes, and more. When ponds freeze the ducks are concentrated in open water, making them easier to find.

 

As long as they can get food, birds spending the winter are well-adapted for cold; the inner layers of filoplumes, the tough waterproof primaries and wing coverts keep body heat in. Their feet and legs are mostly bone and tendon, with little to suffer from chill.  Land birds have also found other useful strategies. Chickadees, for example, store food. They huddle together in cavities or birdhouses for warmth. At night they control their metabolism and body temperature, going into torpor, which is like a kind of temporary hibernation. When daylight returns, they are active again, raiding the sunflower seeds. There is really no bad time to go birding.

 

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!

 

On count day, December 28, 2025, the entire island was divided up into eight different sections and each one was assigned a team leader and field observers. At the end of the 24-hour period, numbers of all species observed in each section were compiled into one list. 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! Results on the 2025 Bird Count are coming soon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Research Center, 2 Vestal Street:

By appointment only. Please e-mail jgurley@mariamitchell.org.

 

Loines Observatory, 59 Milk Street Ext.:

 

The MMA Aquarium and Sea Shop, 32 Washington Street; The Historic Mitchell House, 1 Vestal Street; and The Vestal Street Observatory, 3 Vestal Street:

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