Lively Island is owned by father and son, Steven and Chris Poole. Steven has many years of farming experience, purchasing his first farm in 1989 and successfully running it for 18 years before taking a short break from farming.  Lively Island was purchased as a joint venture between Steven and Chris in 2012.

They run 4,500 sheep with an average micron of 21.8, a reduction of 2 full microns since purchasing the island.

Like many farms in the Falkland Islands, Livelys takes advantage of the strong winds and uses a wind turbine for some of their power needs. Their water requirements are met by a natural spring on the island.

Recently, Steven and Chris completed planting a small eroded area of the island with sand grass and tussac grass.  A smaller area has been fenced off and planted with tussac tillers, with the hope that these will flourish and will be used in the future to collect tillers and plant in other areas on the island.

Lively Island is the largest rodent free island in the Falklands which means it holds a large population of small birds, including the Cobbs Wren which is a small endemic wren to the Falkland Islands. A wide variety of birds nest on Lively Island; these include black-necked swans, peregrine falcons, red-backed hawks, southern giant petrels, king cormorants and Magellanic and Gentoo penguins.  A more difficult resident to find is the short eared owl, who also nest on the island but are more difficult to locate due to their nocturnal nature.

Both Steven and Chris have significant mechanical and carpentry experience and these skills have proved invaluable when living and working on a remote island where there is no immediate access to spare parts. Family is a strong part of Lively Island life and other family members frequently visit to enjoy some outdoor time or to assist with some of the larger annual tasks, such as gathering, shearing and maintenance. This includes Chris’s two young daughters who love to help their dad and grandad, while also learning all about farming and wildlife.  The trip out by the rib always seems to feel like the start of an adventure, especially for Steven’s grandchildren.