Category: Islands From Away

two geese take flight near an island

Island Journal

All eyes on the Chesapeake

The Chesapeake Bay’s past is the stuff of legend: Pocahontas and Capt. John Smith (well, actually John Rolfe), the rockets’ red glare and the anthem it inspired, the Monitor and the Merrimack, oyster pirates and the “Oyster Navy.” The future, though, is shaping up to be the stuff of hard… SEE MORE
boats docked in front of colorful buildings on cloudy day

Island Journal

How Two French Islands Recovered, Post-Cod

I am standing atop Le Belvédère, a commanding scenic viewpoint overlooking the town of Saint-Pierre, the population center of the French territory and archipelago known as Saint-Pierre et Miquelon. Beyond its harbor and breakwaters, over a mere 25 miles of North Atlantic seas, it is not the European foothills I… SEE MORE
Map of Florida Keys

Island Journal

Whelmed in Key Largo

In the fall of 2017, Hurricane Irma’s surge advanced toward my home in Key Largo, waves curling across the lawns of properties slightly closer to Largo Sound. After the storm passed, the neighborhood was excavated from beneath branches and trees that no longer provided shade, and piles rose in front… SEE MORE
flock of seagulls flying

Island Journal

Nantaska: The ‘Islands’ of Nantucket and Alaska

The tiny northeastern seacoast island of Nantucket, 43 square miles, and the giant, “Upper 49th” state of Alaska, 663,237 square miles, are about as dissimilar as could be. They don’t share the same boarding house at all geographically, demographically, economically, and culturally. Yet the two lands, cherished symbols of pristine… SEE MORE
three people shot from behind with shirts that say "I flood and I vote"

Island Journal

Coalition Building at the Water’s Edge

As the Gulf Coast waited for Hurricane Michael to make landfall in the fall of 2018, residents of the Tanyard   a low-lying, low-income community in Pensacola, Florida, posted updates on their online neighborhood bulletin board. Gloria Horning, co-president of the Tanyard Association, wrote, “Folks, please check your storm water… SEE MORE
landscape art installation, line of light along horizon, striking through full moon

Island Journal

Folio: Lines (57° 59′ N, 7°16′ W)

Pekka Niittyvirta and Timo Aho Lines (57° 59′ N, 7°16′ W) Interactive site specific light installation at Outer Hebrides, Scotland By the use of sensors, this installation interacts with the rising tidal changes activating three synchronized light lines by the high tide. The work helps us to imagine the future… SEE MORE
An icebreaker works toward Beaver Island.

Island Journal

Great Lakes islands choose people-focused strategy

Great Lakes Islands Choose People-Focused Strategy BY ABIGAIL CURTIS PHOTOS BY FRANK SOLLE   Let other people flock to Beaver Island’s white sand beaches, secluded forests, and scenic lighthouses in the summer, the busiest season for the tourist-friendly spot 32 miles off the coast in northeastern Lake Michigan. Pam Grassmick,… SEE MORE
Newfoundland landscape with water and mountains

Island Journal

The Collector of Islands

The Collector of Islands Their magical allure has carried through a lifetime By Melissa Waterman   To get to the Lofoten Islands in Norway, you must take the ferry. But to get to the ferry you must journey by train. The train from Oslo takes 20 hours, travelling through Trondheim… SEE MORE