What We Do

Our Story

Built by islanders who chose conservation.

In the early 1970s, “developers” from the big city- Boston- learned that a large portion of the interior of Bear Island’s north end was going to be sold. When they began to make noises indicating that they wanted to buy it, island property owners became alarmed and formed a nonprofit organization, Bear Island Conservation Association (BICA). Landowners with property contiguous to the for-sale land, then about sixty acres, were asked to make donations such that BICA could purchase the land thus keeping it pristine and undeveloped. Each member was asked to contribute $1500, which, when added up, created enough of a pool to buy the interior of the island.

Over the years, many families took seats on the BICA Board of Directors, served as officers, and volunteered to preserve the land by cutting and marking trails, tending to the forest, and holding annual meetings and barbecues that have fostered a sense of neighborliness.

In the late 1980s, a group of BICA members decided to publish a history of the island, which was published on July 4th- weekend in 1989 as Bear Island Reflections. Scores of BICA members and their guests turned out on the mail dock to celebrate. Some years later, Jack Merselis, whose family first acquired land on the island in 1928, single-handedly revised and published a second edition of the book.

As time has gone on, many of the founders of BICA have passed away and the mantle has passed to a new, energetic generation who have brought and implemented many new ideas and projects that enhance the beauty and safety of the BICA land. Today, the Association protects acres of land connecting dozens of properties on Bear Island, working with island families, neighbors, and conservation partners across the Lakes Region. With organized stewardship, the island's character, its quiet coves, mature woods, and abundant wildlife will be protected for generations to come.