The Nantucket Biodiversity Initiative (NBI) is a partnership between Nantucket conservation organizations, government agencies and individuals interested in documenting the biodiversity of the islands and adjacent waters, in addition to monitoring and conserving that biodiversity over time. This collaborative effort is being undertaken to inventory and monitor the many species of plants and animals found on Nantucket and to educate the public about the importance of protecting the rare elements that contribute to Nantucket’s rich local biodiversity.The Nantucket Land Bank is just one of many groups both on and off‐island that participate in the NBI.
The NBI and its committees host multiple events throughout the year. For example, the NBI biannually sponsors a Conference and a Biodiversity Assessment Week. The most recent conference highlighting biodiversity‐related research on the Cape and Islands was held in November of 2015 and had over 100 attendees. TheBiodiversity Assessment Week, which is in the planning stages for this spring, will bring scientists to the island to research interesting and understudied flora and fauna and share their knowledge with the public through citizen science workshops, educational walks and presentations.
Charley Eiseman is a naturalist from western Massachusetts and the NBI has been fortunate to have him participate in recent conferences and biodiversity assessment weeks. Charley originally received an NBI grant to research insects on Nantucket and over the past five years, his work has resulted in the discovery of 185 insect species that are new to the island and at least one species that may be new to science. Read an article on his work in the Cape Cod Times.
If you are a scientist, conservationist, closet naturalist or just someone who enjoys being outside, it is well worth checking out the NBI website to see what is coming up. We look forward to seeing you in the field!