Ready, Set, FISH!

How do you get 35 high school and college students into an office meeting on a bright, summer afternoon? Ask Bruce Berman! Over the past two weeks, the Save the Harbor/Save the Bay office was full of energetic senior marine educators and returning summer staffers to help plan and ready our summer youth programs. Binders have been made, materials have been ordered, fishing poles have started overcrowding the youth room, and youth program directors Michelle Palermino and Brianne Studer can only be seen racing around the office and dashing around Boston inspecting new and former program sites.

Senior Marine Educators Brianne Studer, Michelle Palermino, Sarah Appleton, Paula Teichholtz, Sheuli Molla, Tommy Regan, and Lead Explorers Connor Newman, Carolyn Burkett, and Will Clark had to opportunity to attend the Blue is Back Reception at Castle Island in South Boston, seeing first-hand what clean beaches can do for youth programs in Boston.

Save the Harbor runs two free youth programs during the summer months focused on training the next generation of stewards with hands-on, experiential learning and reaches over 5,000 youth every summer. All Access Boston Harbor reaches out to over 125 youth programs and invites them to learn about the marine environment and maritime history on day trips to George’s Island and Spectacle Island. Boston Harbor Explorers is a daily hands-on environmental youth education programs in partnership with the area’s youth sailing centers.

Looking forward to an exciting summer, Connor has been in the office since the beginning of June, ordering everything from zip-ties to eel pots and carting lobster traps and fishing poles into the youth room at the office. Connor fondly remembers catching his first fish with the program at the Boston Children’s Museum two years ago and is looking forward to more firsts this summer.

Michelle is excited to expand the programs this year, including working with Community Boating to institute days on the Charles River, visiting the Boston Children’s Museum five days a week instead of three, and reinstating programming at Constitution Beach on Wednesday afternoons.

Lists have been made, T-shirts are on their way, order forms have been sent out, now all we need are the kids! See you July 5th!

Alana