When you think of owning an island, most people think of the Caribbean.

My friends and I do not own a beach island.

We own a forest island.

I think it is a great “starter island.”

It is located near Halifax, Canada.

This is what the morning looks like:

Looking out over the tide pools.

Today was my first morning here in over two years.

How the morning made me feel

It felt as if I was alone in a National Geographic photo or a BBC Planet Earth episode.

Surrounded by birds taking advantage of the low tide to feed.

The sound of so many of them is loud and fantastic.

A cacophony of various chirps, calls, and squawks.

I like it.

Pictures of the island

Approaching the island last night. That’s the yurt we built, and where we sleep.

Tynan hiking through the interior. Much of it is untouched. We are cutting paths.

A fallen tree. Not particularly special, but there are a lot. We will chainsaw some.

A tide pool.

Two bald eagles live on our island. Their nest is back behind this area.

Animals I have seen today

Snake, as seen on a walking path this morning

  • Bright yellow bird
  • Bald eagle (two live here)
  • Doves
  • Seagulls
  • Cranes?
  • Snake (pictured above)
  • Snails
  • Crabs
  • Shrimp
  • Minnows

I have yet to see, but hear we have: newts, deer, owls. A family of otters lives down the bay. I will invite them to our island.

Plant life

Wild raspberries, which are small and tasty.

There are more flowers than I remember. The last time I was here was 2 years ago.

Kelp or seaweed which covers much of the beach area at low tide.

Kelp like this. It is squishy to walk on and a bit slippery on the rocks.

Ferns, which I will chop with a machete.

Mushrooms! Many different types.

Conclusion

Ten of us bought this island 3 or 4 years ago.

It is located near Halifax, Canada.

This is my third time here.

Imagine five acres of very dense foliage.

Here’s a video from inside the woods:

We have built a large yurt from a kit, and a few smaller structures like an outhouse and a shower stand.

The next thing I want to do is take out the kayak.

Or go swimming.

Come visit?

More information

My friend Tynan organized the group effort to buy this island. He has written about it in these posts on his site:

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