“The Little Grey Lady”, 30 miles out at sea, has a unique history and landscape that has had an impact on the Quaker and anti-slavery movement, astronomy, art and literature; and the preservation of land. Beginning with the first islanders, the Wampanoag, to the African-American island community and Quaker abolitionists  working together, and the site of Frederick Douglass’s first public anti-slavery speech. While many of the men were away for years at sea on the Whaling ships, a community of strong women ran the island’s shops, schools, and cultural groups, among them astronomer Maria Mitchell and Lucretia Coffin Mott. Later John Steinbeck, Nathaniel Benchley and others formed a writers and artists colony.

Today Nantucket leads in preserving it’s landscape, ponds and harbor; and the Nantucket Land Council was supportive of the World Fellowship Conservation Easement.