The new shelter provides living space for two seasonal interns from May to August. Interns are responsible for monitoring and ensuring the productivity of seabirds during a critical portion of the seabird nesting season (April 1 to August 31). Since the weather in coastal Maine is often cold and wet, even during the summer months, the new structure is a welcome addition to our restoration program. Previously, interns working on these islands lived in tents.

Refuge staff faced two major challenges during the design and construction phase. First, the shelter needed to be portable and easily assembled so that we could safely transport it by boat to the island. Second, the shelter had to be simple to disassemble since our agreement with Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife stipulates that the structure must be temporary and removable.

Kudos goes to Chris Riley, our contractor and former island intern, for the outstanding design and for constructing the individual components of the shelter.