Thanks

It's that time--seven weeks flew by so fast, I'm writing this from my desk up at school, taking a quick break from outdoor leadership training, which I jumped right into--the day after I finished Harbor Explorers. I'm falling back into my island routine here, waking up early to jump off the dock into the Atlantic! But I have to say I miss the bustle of the Boston Harbor: the days at castle island where we were among hundreds, if not thousands of harbor-enthusiasts, walking, biking, swimming, crabbing--all enjoying the resource together, getting refreshed by the water, and building on the collective excitement of hundreds of people sharing one special place. I am happy to be back, among my marine bio-cohorts--but I'm returning with a renewed sense of wonder that I think I contracted from the kids we worked with this summer. After I finish this post I need to sit down and try to hammer out a senior project proposal--which of course has me thinking about all the issues I've worked on these past three years: climate change, hunger--the list goes on... It's a little overwhelming to think about tackling any one of these. But having spent a summer working on and in a success story like the Boston Harbor--a place where communities really came together, employed national legislation and local passion to protect our planet and support our neighborhoods--has reminded me again of Margaret Mead's truism: "never doubt that a small group of thoughtful and committed citizens can change the word; indeed, it is the only thing that ever had," and inspired me to keep on working, even when it looks like the odds are against us.

I want to thank everyone who made this possible: Jen, Lindsay, Bruce, Patty, everyone else in the office, our tremendous staff, all our partners, and most of all the kids I got to spend my summer with. I have learned so much from all of you.

In parting, I'd like to offering you a few images of my summer--pictures of what the natural world really has to offer us, if only we'll do our best to pick up after ourselves, and teach our children to do the same.

~Emily

Marveling at tunicats ("una familia grande")

youngest angler of the day

Science is serious business: crab measurements in Charlestown

"Hey, we found a really big snail!"

(I was thinking periwinkle when I strolled over to these Harbor View campers, at the end of a very hot day--only to be presented with a full-out 3" carnivorous MOON SNAIL)

LaToya's first fish!

Rockstar CIT and starlet camper with our first lobster

"FREEEEEDOMMMMMM!!!"

(that's what the kids at black's creek liked to shout as they released our daily catch from the bucket)