The Nature of Nantucket

In this episode of the Maria Mitchell Association’s podcast, Joanna Roche sits down with Joelle Boucai, a writer for Jimmy Kimmel Live! for the past 14 years, to explore her fascinating journey into late-night television and her personal connection to Nantucket. Joelle shares her story of growing up in Massachusetts, interning for the Howard Stern Show , working at an advertising agency, and the u...

Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about Phobos and Deimos, the tiny moons of Mars.

In this episode of the Maria Mitchell Association’s podcast, Joanna Roche sits down with Jo Slavitz , a Nantucket native and middle school science teacher in Dover, New Hampshire, to talk about her island roots, her work in science education, and an extraordinary recent adventure aboard the NOAA research vessel Oscar Dyson . Jo shares stories from her 23 days at sea in the Bering Sea, where she ex...

Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about how the Perseverance Rover has set a new record by traveling 28 miles on Mars.

This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association sits down with Heather Packard from Mass Audubon for an important conversation about the growing movement to ban anticoagulant rodenticides across Massachusetts. They discuss the devastating impact these poisons have on wildlife and ecosystems, why immediate action is needed, and how local voices can help create statewid...

Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about radio waves from an alien planet and the Nobel Prize for Physics.

Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about how spacecraft save rocket fuel by using the momentum of the Earth to fly to the outer planets.

This week, host Joanna Roche sits down with Kimbery Schulam , the Stranding Coordinator for Marine Mammal Alliance Nantucket . Kimberly takes us on her journey to Nantucket, sharing her passion for marine mammals and the unique path that led her to her current role. She discusses her work with the Marine Mammal Alliance, offering insights into the organization's efforts to protect and care fo...

In this episode of the Nature of Nantucket , Executive Director of the Maria Mitchell Association , Joanna Roche speaks with Jan Turnquist , Executive Director of the Louisa May Alcott’s Orchard House in Concord, Massachusetts, the historic home and museum where author Louisa May Alcott wrote much of Little Women . Joanna and Jan explore the history of Orchard House, Alcott’s life and work, and th...

Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about The Autumnal Equinox which marks the beginning of Fall.

Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about Rogue Planets which are planets that are on their own flying around the Milky Way Galaxy but are not orbiting a star.

In this episode of the Maria Mitchell Association podcast, Joanna Roche sits down with longtime Nantucket summer resident Ben Barnes to discuss his new memoir, Get It Done: Seven Decades of Lessons from a Political Legend . Barnes talks about his Nantucket connection, his remarkable political career, and the people and experiences that shaped his seven decades in public life. Joanna and Ben also e...

This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche welcomes Anya Freeman , founder and CEO of Kind Designs , a groundbreaking company using 3D printing to create living seawalls. Anya shares the inspiring journey that led her to this innovative work, from discovering her passion for environmental solutions to launching a mission-driven company. She dives into the exciting projects Kind Designs is current...

Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about the Sextant which was used by the Nantucket whale ships to calculate their position while at sea. NASA is thinking of equipping their astronauts with Sextants just in case.

Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association talks with longtime political journalist and Nantucket summer resident Lois Romano about her Nantucket origin story, her remarkable career covering seven presidential campaigns, and her new book, An Inconvenient Widow: The Torment, Trial, and Triumph of Mary Todd Lincoln . Romano shares what drew her to the complicated life of Mary Todd Lincoln and ho...

Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about the new Roman Space Telescope which was launched on Sunday and its namesake Dr. Nancy Roman.

In this episode, Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association sits down with Sam Hale to explore the history and legacy of Mount Wilson Observatory in California. Sam shares stories about the observatory, its groundbreaking reflecting and solar telescopes. They also discuss his grandfather, George Ellery Hale , the observatory’s founder and a pioneering astronomer and telescope builder whose wor...

Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about how long it will take old satellites to burn up in the atmosphere or maybe crash to Earth.

In this episode, Maria Mitchell Association host Joanna Roche sits down with award-winning filmmaker Mary Mazzio , founder of 50 Eggs Films , to talk about her new documentary Mighty Mary , screening here on Nantucket. Mary shares her background as an Olympic athlete, filmmaker, and storyteller, and explains what drew her to the incredible story of the first all-women’s sailing team to challenge f...

Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about how the Voyager and New Horizons spacecraft are still studying what it is like far beyond Pluto’s orbit.

In this episode, Joanna Roche of the Maria Mitchell Association sits down with Australian comedian, visual artist, and creator of the upcoming show 300 Paintings , Sam Kissajukian , to talk about his unexpected journey to Nantucket and the experiences that have shaped his life and work. Sam shares his Nantucket origin story, his connection to the island’s natural world, and how his time here has i...

Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about how to observe the Perseid Meteor Shower.

This week on the podcast, host Joanna Roche , Executive Director of the Maria Mitchell Association , sits down with Dr. Jackie Milingo , the Director of Astronomy at the MMA, for a look at some exciting celestial events visible right here on Nantucket. They discuss the upcoming partial solar eclipse on August 12, which the public is invited to safely observe from Loines Observatory , as well as th...

Geoff Clayton is an astronomer at the Maria Mitchell Association . This week Geoff talks about the partial solar eclipse visible in Nantucket next week.

Joanna Roche sits down with Ed Orenstein , President of the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation , for a conversation about his journey to Nantucket and the experiences that led to his deep appreciation for the island's harbor. Edward shares the story of how he first discovered Nantucket, discusses the history and mission of the Great Harbor Yacht Club Foundation, and explains his role in suppo...