Natural beauty, fragile ecosystems, and often wild and untouched surroundings: there are many reasons that private islands may come with restrictions on development that exceed those of mainland property. However, many modern eco-friendly technologies and a sensitive understanding of environmental concerns will allow for island development that adds to not only your enjoyment of the property, but will preserve your island’s character and appeal for generations to come.  Read more »

by Liam Gladstone

Disturb nothing. Take only pictures. Leave everything the way it is.

As kids, we heard our parents remind us in an especially non-negotiable way that anything foreign in the trunk of the car by vacation’s end would mean big trouble. These days, with the explosive international growth of ecotourism and climate issues at the forefront of public awareness, Mom and Dad’s car has assumed global proportions.

Within the last decade or so, the stereotypical image of the world traveler has changed. The Acapulco shirts, broad-rimmed straw hats and cheap disposable cameras have been traded for backpacks and expedition gear as more and more tourists are looking beyond the travel guide for their next adventure. Despite a strong social and environmental conscience, it’s a trend not without a ripple effect. Read more »

If you want to find Pitcairn Island on a map, search Google Earth and wait for the program to pinpoint the barely visible dot in the middle of the South Pacific. Just because you can’t see any other land on the surface of Google’s orb once you’ve located Pitcairn doesn’t mean Google Earth is malfunctioning. Pitcairn really is that isolated - a volcanic rock under two square miles surrounded by pounding surf in the middle of absolutely nowhere.

Don’t be surprised if you’ve never heard of Pitcairn island - not many people have. This storied island isn’t located on any flight routes and getting there is strictly for the determined. The other alternative is to arrive by accident and that possibility seems as remote as the island itself. Its utter isolation is why the descendants of its modern day population sought it out in the first place. Read more »

Here we will discuss the perils and pleasures of island ownership, along with the perks and pitfalls of being completely surrounded by water. That can be a joy on a beautiful sunny day, when the lake is calm and the water is warm, but a bit frightening during a storm when the wind is crashing the water over the dock and you know that you cannot safely take the boat to the mainland. Of course, that’s the time to throw a log into the woodstove and put on a Garrison Keillor tape and just sit back and relax in your private little world and laugh at those crazy Lutherans in Minnesota. Read more »

They entrust her to caretakers who give the isle their best / for this is their summer of a lifetime; they are blessed / to be her Friends…
—From the song “To the Friends of Seguin” by Lawrene

Caretaking is a lifestyle for some; for the Denkers family it was a chance for a unique extended family vacation. They responded to an ad in The Caretaker Gazette for summer caretakers on an island off the coast of Maine. They were interviewed by the non-profit organization, Friends of Seguin Island, were accepted, and soon after moved in.

The Denkers are a family of four. Although not every family can just up and slip off to an island for three months, they had a few advantages. They are self-employed. Harry is a carpenter with an established clientele who, for the most part, were willing to put off their summer jobs until the fall. Lawrene works with Harry, writes for the local paper, and does some secretarial work for a teacher’s union. Rachel and Anna had to arrange for missing a month of school, and they were given work by their accommodating Ontario teachers for island home-schooling. Read more »