Nantucket Sustainable Development Corporation d/b/a Sustainable Nantucket

CONTACT:

PO Box 1244
Nantucket, MA 02554
508-228-3399
sustainablenantucket.org

Christine Silverstein, Executive Director

DESCRIPTION:

The island of Nantucket is a National Historic District— one of our highest concentrations of pre-Civil War structures, the point of departure for Ahab’s Pequod in Melville’s Moby Dick, our point closest to Spain and Portugal, and the birthplace of Benjamin Franklin’s (Cat’03) mother, among many other distinctions. Today, as islanders have said, it is a vital community “both blessed and challenged by a special geography.” In recent decades what The New York Times called “hyper-gentrification” has radically challenged Nantucket’s charm and viability, and in the ‘90s, various philanthropic responses emerged—e.g., the Nantucket Preservation Trust (Cat’04) and the Nantucket Human Services Center (Cat’04), and most recently the Community Foundation for Nantucket (Cat’05). Among the leaders has been Sustainable Nantucket, founded in 1999 by year-round and seasonal residents, focusing on both economy and community. SN has been exceptionally energetic, producing a raft of studies illuminating challenges in agri- and aqua-culture, housing, transportation, carrying capacity, traditional town character, and strategic planning. These are sophisticated folks, tackling exceedingly complex issues with research, education, and advocacy. They deserve the support of everyone who cares about Nantucket, which is after all a National Treasure.

(2007: NATURE: Environment: Land, Air, Water, Climate)