Help with gardening at an off-the-grid private island in the upper peninsula of Michigan, USA

Infos

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  Description

  PROPERTY:
  In the middle of a large, deep fresh water lake in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, my 9-acre private island has a large lodge and 5 sleeping cabins running down the length of the property. In continual recreational summer use since 1941, the buildings are in excellent condition. Each cabin has a sink, beds, desk, and view of the lake while the main lodge is the gathering place for meals, cooking, games, etc. The entire place is off the grid. After work, there are boats, canoes, kayaks, a sail boat, fishing gear, a sauna, and even a ping-pong table.
  
  FYI: This is not a business of any kind but simply a private property used by the private landowner.
  
  (The lake is a 40-minute drive from Marquette (the largest city in the Upper Peninsula) and a 45-minute drive from the nearest airport, which is Sawyer Airport in Gwinn (airport code MQT).)

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  Types d'aide et opportunités d'apprendre

  Pratique d’une langue

  Aide avec des éco-projets

  Bricolage et construction

  Cuisine/repas pour la famille

  Aide à la maison

  Entretien général
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  Echange culturel et opportunités d'apprendre

  Travellers will benefit from coming here and helping out in the following possible ways:
  1) learn and gain experience in forestry work, solar power, and off-the- grid living
  2) learn and/or gain experience with boats, wood construction, handyman work, firewood and kindling production, etc.
  3) rest, relaxation, swimming, and boating in a serene wilderness setting completely off-the-grid -- and a break from all things technological.
  4) practice English language (if English is not your first language)

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  Aide

  VOLUNTEER HELP NEEDED:
  Seeking strong, reliable helpers for carpentry, forestry, solar power battery, mechanical repairs, and/or cooking and cleaning. The tasks are done to improve and maintain the property. It is not done for any business use as this is not a business of any kind.
  
  
  Forestry includes clearing trails, transplanting, promoting threatened trees, removing invasive plants, and clearing dead timber throughout the dense forest of Balsam Fir, Spruce, American White Cedar, White Pine, Paper Birch, Mountain Ash, Basswood, and many other tree species on the 9 acres. (No forestry experience required though knowledgeable forestry recommendations made to owner are welcome.)
  
  Minimum stay: 7 days.
  
  NO smoking anything (incl. no cannibis, no vaping, no e-cigs, no e-pipes, etc.), NO drugs. NO excessive alcohol. NO firearms.

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  Langues

  Langues parlées
  Anglais: Courant
  Allemand: Intermédiaire
  Italien: Intermédiaire
  Espagnol: Débutant
  Français: Débutant

  Cet hôte propose un échange linguistique
  Pls help me with my Italiano, Francais, or Deutsch.
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  Hébergement

  HOUSING:
  Comfortable beds in furnished cabins with linens and towels provided. All buildings and furniture are comfortable, clean, and in good working order. (Volunteers are welcome to bring tents and gear for sleeping outside if they prefer. There are acres and acres of possible camp sites.)
  
  PARKING:
  Workawayers can park their personal cars on my property on the mainland, where there is a dock for getting back and forth to the island by boat. (There are no ferries on the lake or anything like that.)

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  Autres infos...

  THE HOST (Covid-19 vaccinated March/April 2021; boosted Feb 2022 and Dec 2022):
  A non-smoking citizen of both the UK and the USA, I am an outgoing person who is all about people - and details (I'm extra observant and notice details in ways people often miss). I have a wide range of skills and experiences, many of which I picked up while working on this island almost every summer since I was a boy. I have built a kayak, a sauna, cabinets, shelves, and fixed just about everything at least once. In the rest of the world, I write, teach, manage websites, make films, and practice Buddhism.

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  Informations complémentaires

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    Accès Internet

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    Accès Internet limité

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    Nous avons des animaux

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    Nous sommes fumeurs

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    Familles bienvenues

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  Espace pour garer des vans

  There is parking space to park a campervan but I would suggest that living on the island (where no motor vehicle can go) is a lot nicer than living in a van.

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  Possibilité d'accueillir les animaux

  Some dogs, yes, but not all. Dogs that can happily live outdoors would be best. This is not a place for dogs who like to be inside most of the time, and especially not for those sorts of dogs who like to be on furniture, etc. Cats would probably also be okay as long as they do not come into the main house as many people are allergic. In either case, the pet owner must conscientiously clean up after their pet when necessary. Any extra work caused by the pet is the owner's responsibility, of course.

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  Combien de volontaires pouvez-vous accueillir ?

  Plus de 2

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