Port Isobel and Tangier Islands

I was away from civilization for several days last week, on a work retreat.  Every year, we congregate on a remote island in the Chesapeake Bay to learn some stuff and to socialize (and by socialize, I mean drink a lot and act silly (best example this year was our administrative assistant climbing and subsequently falling out of a tree)).  We own a small island, called Port Isobel, which is customarily used for education trips – we take groups of students to the island to learn about water quality, the Bay, and the lives of watermen.  Port Isobel is very close to Tangier Island:

The population was 604 at the 2000 census. The tiny island community has attracted the attention of linguists because its people speak a unique dialect of American English, hypothesized to be nearly unchanged since the days of its first occupation by English colonists. Each of the original surnames and several of the present surnames on the island originated in the British Isles, particularly in Scotland, and the accent has a distinctly Celtic flavor, similar to those in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and Cornwall, four of the seven Celtic nations [source].

I was able to go over to Tangier during one of our free afternoons.  I had heard the distinct Tangier accent before, as there are a few Tangier residents who work for our Foundation.  However, it was remarkable to go over there and hear so many folks speaking that way.  Tangier was beautiful; lots of old houses and pretty marshland.  Everyone drove around (fast) using golf carts – I think we saw one automobile while there.  Like New Orleans, because the ground is so low and marshy, many people are buried above ground in tombs (many of the dead were buried in the front lawns of people’s houses).  There were also a large number of stray cats darting around.

                              

Port Isobel itself was quite beautiful.  I took a very early morning walk with some co-workers and some some beautiful marshland and beachfront.  We also tried frag-diving, which is basically running and throwing your body in a big grove of fragmites.  The weather was cool and brisk, perfect for an autumn getaway.

     

We had an interesting speaker, Peter Forbes, at our retreat, from the Center for Whole Communities.  I could ramble on about several of his interesting points, but the essential message for me was the need to include all aspects of the community to make our message (environmental stewardship and water quality) more effective.  For example, how can we stress the importance of water quality when some one has no house in which to live?  However, perhaps if our organization joins forces with different non-profit groups, our messages and work can be combined to be more effective for both organizations.  I have some ideas that I might present after I mull them around some more (and find some time to develop them).