ACONS Webinars

A Celebration of Nantucket Sound (ACONS) Webinar Series

ACONS is an educational webinar series designed to celebrate Nantucket Sound’s exceptional environment, robust history, and cultural importance to the Cape and Islands. These webinars provide free, accessible, and fun learning opportunities for individuals and families in the safety of their own homes through Zoom. Since launching this series in 2020, we have presented over 35 webinars and have welcomed over 6,500 registrants.

Each webinar features a renowned expert in their field, presenting on one of the Sound’s unique values – and answering your questions in a live Q&A session to follow.

See what viewers are saying about our ACONS webinar series below.

Testimonials

Upcoming Webinars

Winter Birds of Nantucket Sound

November 12, 2026

6:00 pm

Naturalist and educator John Hanlon will explore the remarkable winter bird species that migrate each year to Cape Cod and Nantucket Sound. From colorful waterfowl and diving ducks to loons, grebes, & other coastal birds, the Cape becomes a seasonal refuge for wildlife. Winter on the Cape is like Florida for them! John’s presentation will introduce us to the birds that transform our shores and waters during the colder months, while also offering insight into the habitats and ecosystems that make Nantucket Sound such an important winter sanctuary.

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Martha’s Vineyard Lighthouses of Nantucket Sound

January 21, 2027

6:00 pm

The waters between Cape Cod and the Islands were already a busy shipping lane when the first lighthouse on the south side of the channel—Brant Point Light—was established in 1746. At the peak of the “Age of Sail” in the mid-19^th century, 40-50,000 ships a year transited Nantucket Sound, and more than two dozen lighthouses and lightships helped them navigate it. This webinar welcomes guest speaker A. Bowdoin Van Riper (Martha’s Vineyard Museum) to tell the story of three of those lighthouses, built between 1801 and 1879 on the Nantucket Sound shore of Martha’s Vineyard: Cape Poge Light, Edgartown Harbor Light, and East Chop Light. Their stories are threads in the larger story of Martha’s Vineyard . . . and of Nantucket Sound.

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Past Webinars

Exploring Ospreys on Cape Cod & the Islands

September 17, 2026

Guest Speaker: New York Times bestselling author David Gessner (Return of the Osprey) shares his personal experiences studying & writing about the magnificent osprey.

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From Cranberry Bog to Coastal Connections

July 30, 2026

Guest Speaker: Karen Beattie (Nantucket Conservation Foundation) shares the transformation of the Windswept Bog restoration project on Nantucket.

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Coastal Treasures: Seashells & the Stories They Tell

June 4, 2026

Guest Speaker: Author & shellfish biologist Sandy Macfarlane explores the stories hidden within the shells we often admire along the beaches of Cape Cod and Nantucket Sound.

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A History of Land Conservation on Cape Cod

April 30, 2026

Guest Speaker: Longtime conservationist Mark H. Robinson (The Compact) presents a captivating overview of conservation history on Cape Cod, and a look to its future as well.

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Organizations Represented

Behind every ACONS program is a network of respected voices and institutions committed to understanding and protecting Nantucket Sound. Our webinars feature distinguished experts—scientists, environmental leaders, historians, educators, authors, and artists—many of whom represent leading organizations across Cape Cod, the Islands, and beyond. Some of the organizations represented in our ACONS webinar series include the following: