Nantucket Conservation Foundation

Every trail you walk on Nantucket is cared for by someone. Gerry Holmes and the land management team at NCF maintain over 100 miles of trails across 9,000 acres - year-round, rain or shine. From clearing brush to hauling equipment, this is the hands-on work that keeps Nantucket’s open spaces open for everyone.

This is the first video of The Milestone Center Series, sharing the stories of the people who care for one-third of Nantucket and how the Milestone Center will support their work.

Learn more at nantucketconservation.org

Yellow 74, an American Oystercatcher, is putting on quite the performance here - calling loudly, circling, and trying to lead us away from the shoreline.

Nearby, hidden among the sand and wrack line, are tiny chicks. This parent is doing exactly what it should: protecting its brood by distracting potential threats and keeping a close eye on our shorebird monitors from a safe distance.

Yellow 74 was originally banded as a chick in 2010 on the Cape Pogue Bay beaches and ponds in Dukes County, Massachusetts. Since 2015, this bird has returned to Coatue to breed almost every year - a remarkable example of the strong site fidelity these shorebirds have to Nantucket’s beaches.

Every day during breeding season, shorebird monitors survey Nantucket’s beaches for threatened species like American Oystercatchers and Piping Plovers.

By monitoring nests, chicks, predators, and human disturbance, we help ensure these birds can complete their natural breeding cycle on some of the most important coastal habitat in the Northeast.

Moments like this are a reminder that these beaches are more than summer destinations - they are nurseries for wildlife.

Giving shorebirds space, respecting protected areas, and supporting conservation efforts helps make sure future generations of these remarkable birds can continue returning to Nantucket’s shores.