Tuckernuck Island facts for kids

This map from 1944 shows Tuckernuck Island.

Tuckernuck Island is a small island located in Nantucket, Massachusetts. It sits to the west of the larger Nantucket Island and east of Muskeget Island. People say its name means "a loaf of bread." The island is about 900 acres (3.6 square kilometers) in size. Its highest point is about 50 feet (15 meters) above sea level.

Life on Tuckernuck Island

Tuckernuck Island is owned by the people who live there during the summer. There are about 35 homes on the island. The oldest house was built in the mid-1700s.

Getting Around and Powering Homes

Tuckernuck has no paved roads, so it's a quiet place. There are also no public power lines or water systems. People use special ways to get electricity and water.

• Electricity: Homes get power from gas-powered generators or solar panels. Solar panels turn sunlight into electricity.
• Water: Water comes from wells dug on the island. Water heaters and stoves often use gasoline to work.
• Transportation: While some cars are on the island, most people use golf carts to move around.

How Tuckernuck Island Was Formed

Tuckernuck Island was created a very long time ago by a huge sheet of ice. This was during the last Ice Age. As the ice melted, it left behind piles of rock and dirt called a moraine. These moraines formed the low hills you can still see on the island today.

Island Landscape

The southern part of the island is made of flat areas called outwash plains. These plains were formed by water flowing from the melting ice. They are covered in a special type of plant community called coastal heathland. This heathland is quite rare and important around the world.

Plants and Animals of Tuckernuck

Tuckernuck Island is home to many interesting plants and animals. The coastal heathland habitat found here is very special. It only grows in a few places in the Northeast United States.

Plants You Might See

Many different plants thrive on Tuckernuck. Some common ones in the heathland include:

• Little bluestem grass (Schizachyrium scoparium)
• Bearberry (Arctostaphylos uva-ursi)
• Low shrubs from the Ericaceae family

There are also large areas of scrub oak (Quercus ilicifolia) that can grow up to 15 feet tall. Other trees and shrubs include:

• Pitch pine (Pinus rigida)
• Black huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata)
• Sweet pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia)

In wet, swampy areas called kettleholes, you might find red maple (Acer rubrum) and black gum (Nyssa sylvatica) trees. Along the sandy beaches, you'll see plants like:

• American beachgrass (Ammophila breviligulata)
• Seaside goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens)
• Poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans)
• Bayberry (Myrica pensylvanica)
• Beach plum (Prunus maritima)
• Saltspray rose (Rosa rugosa)

The island also has small freshwater marshes and a salt marsh. These wet areas are home to cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora).

Amazing Birds and Marine Life

Tuckernuck is a very important place for many types of birds and marine animals.

• Ducks and Scoters: A huge number of Long-tailed Ducks (Clangula hyemalis) gather near the island. More than 150,000 have been counted! Thousands of common eiders (Somateria mollissima) and three kinds of scoter ducks (Melanitta species) also visit.
• Terns: In late summer, over a thousand roseate terns (Sterna dougallii) feed near Tuckernuck. These birds are an endangered species in the U.S. They stop here to get ready for their long journey south. Least terns (Sterna antillarum) and common terns (Sterna hirundo) are also found here.
• Seals: The sandy areas of Tuckernuck are popular spots for many harbor and gray seals. These seals (Phoca vitulina and Halichoerus grypus) like to rest on the sandspits.

Rare and Protected Species

Tuckernuck Island is a safe home for several rare and protected species. These include:

• Nantucket shadbush (Amelanchier nantucketensis), a plant being considered for protection.
• Several pairs of short-eared owls (Asio flammeus).
• The piping plover (Charadrius melodus), a U.S. threatened bird species.
• The northern harrier (Circus cyaneus), a type of hawk.

Getting to Tuckernuck

The southeast part of the island has a grass airstrip. However, it is not used very often. Most people reach the island by boat.