The Port Clyde waterfront in St. George.

Working Waterfront

Seeking community, and time by the water

Reflections is a monthly column written by Island Fellows, recent college grads who do community service work on Maine islands and in remote coastal communities through the Island Institute, publisher of The Working Waterfront. I never thought I would find myself craving less alone time. Last year I longed for stretches… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Learning from pioneers in problem solving

I’ve given presentations at many island and coastal community meetings over the past 15 years, and I believe all of them have been in Maine. But now, I was preparing to present to a group on Molokai Island in Hawaii. I was invited by the group Sustainable Molokai to join… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Art, a lawnmower, and the pursuit of fulfillment

Buying a painting is like buying a new lawnmower. Or at least that’s what John Ames once told me. When it comes to explaining art, John is one of the most articulate people I’ve ever met. Back in the mid-1980s through mid-1990s, he ran Gallery 68 in Belfast. The gallery… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

The ‘Eat More Vegetables’ project

Unless you have been living in a cave somewhere, you surely know by now that we all need to eat more vegetables, fruits, beans, and grains—and especially vegetables, and potatoes don’t count. As it happens, I grow quite a few vegetables every year, and summertime usually features a fair… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Wet feet in problematic places

The Water Will Come: Rising Seas, Sinking Cities, and the Remaking of the Civilized World By Jeff Goodell Reviewed by David Platt We live on a tidal river in southern Maine, on the western side of the Gulf of Maine. We rebuilt our dock a decade ago, raising it a few… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Contrary survey results are puzzling scientists

By Susie Arnold, Ph. D. and Heather Deese, Ph. D. Given the talk on the wharves all year, it was no surprise to hear the official 2017 numbers on Maine’s lobster fishery—110.8 million pounds with a value of $433.8 million, down nearly 22 million pounds from 2016. With this large… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

How we support the island’s gay, lesbian,and trans teens

A few years ago, in the service of our podcast “12 Knots,” my husband and I had a chance to sit down with lesbian, gay, and transgender islanders and have a conversation. The five people we interviewed grew up on the island, came out as lesbian, gay, or transgender in… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

Wild Miss Islesford comes to Islesboro

Wild Miss Islesford, Barb Fernald’s now-famous and well-traveled sourdough, came to Islesboro last August, when Barb, who lives in Islesford, gave some to me and Courtney Naliboff of North Haven. We all had gathered in Rockland for a panel presentation at the Island Institute and Barb arrived with plastic containers… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

No car ferry dramatically changes the nature of unloading

Picture an average day, doing errands. Maybe you have a dentist appointment and will receive that complimentary little bag with a toothbrush, paste, and floss inside. You might then head over to the drug store for a few health and beauty aids, toss that bag in the car and move… SEE MORE

Working Waterfront

A painful relationship with Maine

Vacationland: True Stories from Painful Beaches By John Hodgman (2017, Viking) You may know John Hodgman from guest appearances as the Resident Expert and Deranged Millionaire when Jon Stewart hosted The Daily Show. You may remember he was the hapless PC up against the mighty Mac in Apple computer ads.… SEE MORE