Articles
Buffeted by threats on all sides, Apalachicola fights to save its oyster industry
I never thought I would see it like this. Apalachicola, a city on a triangle-shaped point that juts out from Florida’s panhandle into the Gulf of Mexico, is known for oysters and seafood. If it weren’t the primary fishing community on the state’s last true working bay, Apalachicola would be another small town, forgotten along
Island Institute awards money to 13 farming and gardening projects
Spring arrived early, and island farmers and gardeners are anxious to dig in the earth. Over the past several years, there has been a resurgence of interest in home, school and community gardening, and a number of island farmers are making a living by growing food for their neighbors. The Island Institute is pleased to
Federal education reform tour comes to Islesboro
On a Monday morning in August, Islesboro school officials and residents had the ear of Washington, D.C. Islesboro was selected as one stop in 15-state tour to gather information relating to the Obama administration’s educational agenda. The event, held on August 10 at the Islesboro Central School (ICS), was led by a representative of the
Island Institute announces Four-Season Island Agriculture Fund awards
The Island Institute is pleased to announce those who have received awards through the Four-Season Island Agriculture Fund. The fund was launched in May 2009, so this was the first year of grants. Awards have been made to support 12 island farming and gardening programs, for a total of $10,000. The fund seeks to support
Coastal access is scarce, study finds
Since 2005, the Island Institute has led the Mapping Maine’s Working Waterfront project, recently completing a comprehensive inventory of the state’s working-waterfront and public-access infrastructure. Within the 142 coastal towns and 5,300 miles that make up the coast of Maine, 1,555 points were identified as providing saltwater access. This access includes everything from public boat
St. George GIS project supports working waterfront
Traditionally, Maine coastal communities have relied heavily on marine-related industries supported from their working waterfronts. But working waterfronts are increasingly in danger of disappearing, as pressures from outside developers increase. Coastal communities are now searching for ways to manage this pressure so that marine-related industries can continue to thrive. Towns recognize the need for action,
Maps help Islesboro organize its information
For the past three years, the Islesboro community has been learning and using geographic information systems (GIS). GIS is a digital means of organizing data based on place. A GIS arranges data (such as streets or parcels) into layers that can be overlapped and analyzed, providing a great deal of information about a certain place