Conservationist Dr. David Wingate will be allowed to live rent-free in a cottage on his beloved Nonsuch Island after all.

Last week, The Royal Gazette reported Dr. Wingate had been "insulted'' by a plan put forward by the Parks Department which suggested he take on an assistant caretaker role with a salary of $400 a month while paying $500 a month for rent on a cottage on Nonsuch.

Critics balked at the original agreement which suggested the conservationist would be required to work weekends and public holidays and still pay $100 for the privilege of caring for the island, which he has transformed into a living museum of endemic Bermuda species.

But the Parks Department and Dr. Wingate have now come to an agreement which will allow the former Government conservation officer to continue his life's work protecting the endangered seabird -- the Cahow -- and caring for the nature reserve, Environment Minister Terry Lister said Monday.

"This will afford Dr. Wingate an ideal opportunity to complete his research and to write scientific papers on the internationally renowned cahow project and restoration of Nonsuch Island,'' said Mr. Lister.

Although, the conservationist began living on Nonsuch in the early 1960s, he has always maintained a house on the mainland.

He said anyone who lives in Nonsuch Island really must have a house on the mainland as well. "Travelling (to Nonsuch) is a two-mile crossing in open water,'' Dr. Wingate said. "When the wind gets up around 30 knots as it does in the winter, you're marooned out there.'' "Living on the island is not a luxury,'' he added. "It's a challenge but you have to live out there to do a proper job as caretaker. It may have seemed to some people that getting a cottage for $500 rent in Bermuda was a generous offer for Government but you would have to pay for a caretaker.'' Dr. Wingate said that he simply couldn't afford to meet the shortfall in the rent as was originally proposed.

Now he will take up residence in the cottage on a rent-free basis and have access to Government boats but not receive a salary. Dr. Wingate said he had his pension and he was happy to be able to continue his work.

"Because I have a pension that was all I was asking. I essentially got what I proposed and I feel its a good deal for Government because anyone else would insist on being paid for the caretaker position,'' he said.

But Parks Director Candy Lee Foggo said she felt the entire matter had been a misunderstanding. "I thought I left the door open to work to an agreement but he chose to use the press,'' she said.

The Environment Minister also used the press conference to officially welcome the conservation officer replacing Dr. Wingate, Jeremy Madeiros.

Mr. Madeiros and his family will live in the former quarantine hospital building that Dr. Wingate has called home for the last 40 years. Dr. Wingate will take up residence in a smaller cottage on the island.

The cottage needs some work as it has not been used since the 1950s, Dr.

Wingate told The Royal Gazette , but refrigeration facilities are being installed and repairs undertaken. "I should be able to take up residence just a little later than I normally would,'' he said.

He added that he was a bit sad to be leaving his long-time home. "It's painful to leave because that was my home for 40 years,'' he said. "It's a painful adjustment but hey, I'm still on the island.'' Mr. Lister said he was happy to have the matter resolved. "Dr. Wingate's experience and expertise is far too valuable to let just drift away in the midst of this business,'' Mr. Lister told The Royal Gazette . "We've sat down and resolved it and we just see positive things resulting.'' Dr. Wingate said that he thought it was an important precedent to set for Government in terms of having people in the cottages on the Island.

The cottages on Nonsuch must be looked at as the headquarters of a living nature reserve and should never be considered as possible accommodation for lease, he said.

Anyone in the cottages, should be in the role of caretaker who is serving the public, he said. And he said when he could no longer continue to act as a caretaker, he would leave the island. "I hope that principle will be firmly established,'' he said.

Dr. David Wingate