[ISL] "When an Island’s Lone Caretaker Leaves"
Livia Albeck-Ripka's article in The Atlantic tells the story of an Italian island's lone keeper and his struggles to remain on it.
On a sweltering day in July, the sole inhabitant of Budelli, a small Mediterranean island in Italy’s Maddalena archipelago, glances up from his iPad just in time to observe a single wave crashing on the shore. He is Mauro Morandi, the frail, 77-year-old caretaker of this rugged paradise’s wild ecosystem. Aside from weekends and the peak tourist season, when day-trippers peer into Morandi’s ramshackle home, Budelli is silent, but for the lapping of the water, the calling of gulls, and the howling of the strong northwest wind. The winters here are long and brutal; once, Morandi endured a 20-day storm on the island, alone. He almost went mad.
Now, Morandi fears his possible eviction from Budelli, his home of 27 years. Granted the right to reside on and work as a caretaker of the island by its previous, private owners, Morandi’s future became uncertain this past May when the Italian government reclaimed jurisdiction of Budelli. It is now part of La Maddalena National Park, which is contesting Morandi’s right to remain on this one-mile stretch of sand.
Despite the solitary life Morandi has chosen, he is far from alone in his plight. For weeks, he has been obsessively pressing “refresh” on a change.org petition calling for his continued residency on Budelli. “Mauro has lived in Budelli for a quarter of a century, he knows every plant and every rock, every tree, and every animal species, he recognizes the colors and the smells when they change with the mutation of the wind and the seasons,” the petition reads. “If Budelli remained a marvel of nature, it is also because of him … [its] caretaker has remained in the heart of every person that, over the last 25 years, walked on this unforgettable land.” So far, the petition has 16,517 signatures.
In the sultry 95-degree heat, Morandi’s glasses slide down his nose. Frowning, he pushes them back up with a calloused finger. “With this problem, I am always around the tablet,” he sighs. “I see the news coming, read the comments, try to contact politicians, communicate what I know ... I want so much the preservation of this beach. But the law does not give a damn.”
On a sweltering day in July, the sole inhabitant of Budelli, a small Mediterranean island in Italy’s Maddalena archipelago, glances up from his iPad just in time to observe a single wave crashing on the shore. He is Mauro Morandi, the frail, 77-year-old caretaker of this rugged paradise’s wild ecosystem. Aside from weekends and the peak tourist season, when day-trippers peer into Morandi’s ramshackle home, Budelli is silent, but for the lapping of the water, the calling of gulls, and the howling of the strong northwest wind. The winters here are long and brutal; once, Morandi endured a 20-day storm on the island, alone. He almost went mad.
Now, Morandi fears his possible eviction from Budelli, his home of 27 years. Granted the right to reside on and work as a caretaker of the island by its previous, private owners, Morandi’s future became uncertain this past May when the Italian government reclaimed jurisdiction of Budelli. It is now part of La Maddalena National Park, which is contesting Morandi’s right to remain on this one-mile stretch of sand.
Despite the solitary life Morandi has chosen, he is far from alone in his plight. For weeks, he has been obsessively pressing “refresh” on a change.org petition calling for his continued residency on Budelli. “Mauro has lived in Budelli for a quarter of a century, he knows every plant and every rock, every tree, and every animal species, he recognizes the colors and the smells when they change with the mutation of the wind and the seasons,” the petition reads. “If Budelli remained a marvel of nature, it is also because of him … [its] caretaker has remained in the heart of every person that, over the last 25 years, walked on this unforgettable land.” So far, the petition has 16,517 signatures.
In the sultry 95-degree heat, Morandi’s glasses slide down his nose. Frowning, he pushes them back up with a calloused finger. “With this problem, I am always around the tablet,” he sighs. “I see the news coming, read the comments, try to contact politicians, communicate what I know ... I want so much the preservation of this beach. But the law does not give a damn.”