In the gray early morning of November 7, a 140-foot barge made its stately way from Chatham Inlet into Pleasant Bay, maneuvered through the Narrows, and rounded the north end of Sipson Island to an anchorage on the east side — a site chosen months ago for good access to the upland and clear of the eelgrass beds that surround the island. Less than a week later, equipment from that barge began chewing up the first of three abandoned dwellings slated for demolition — the climax of nearly two years of planning and a huge step toward the rewilding of Sipson Island. 

Nonprofit is restoring Pleasant Bay island

ORLEANS — On Friday the Trust, which bought the land in 2020, began demolishing abandoned buildings as part of a restoration to reflect how the marine habitat existed 300 years ago, SIT president Mon Cochran told Morning Edition host Patrick Flanary. …

The long-awaited "undevelopment" phase of rewilding Sipson Island is underway! The three buildings being removed have been emptied and prepped. Demolition will begin on November 1. For the safety of all, the island is closed to visitors until this work is completed. …

There’s so much news to share about the Trust’s work to restore the island’s ecological integrity and make it a place for our community to gather and learn. But first and foremost: We’re counting on your continued support to complete our “Removal & Renewal” capital campaign, launched early this year. We’ve made great progress so far …