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

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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Discovering the Cape & Islands Seashore

April 22, 2027

6:00 pm

Celebrate Earth Day with a journey along the Cape Cod seashore! Marine biologist, educator, and author Gil Newton will explore the fascinating marine life and coastal habitats found where land and sea meet. From sandy beaches and salt marshes to tide pools and rocky shores, discover the remarkable plants and animals that call these environments home, including crabs, horseshoe crabs, seaweeds, mollusks, and more. With his deep knowledge of Cape Cod’s coastal ecology, Gil will reveal the wonders of our shoreline and the surprising diversity of life right in our own backyard!

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Past Webinars

A Look at Winter Birds of Nantucket Sound

November 12, 2026

Guest Speaker: Naturalist and educator John Hanlon shows us some of the remarkable winter birds of Nantucket Sound.

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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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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: