Wednesday, August 17, 2011

From the Hub to the Mitten

My, how the time has flown! It seems like just yesterday that we were all arriving for the first day of staff training, but now here were are in the last week of the summer. Working for Save the Harbor this summer has been an absolute blast! Every day I got to outside, play with some really great kids, and help them learn about and enjoy their harbor; you can't ask for a better job than that!
If I had to choose, I would say the highlight of my summer has been working at Camp Harbor View. I forgot to mention this earlier, but on the last day of fishing club, Henry, my pro snail catcher, put his hand in the water, plucked a mussel off the dock, crushed it and put it on a fishing hook himself! Quite an accomplishment for a boy who two weeks earlier was afraid to even touch the water.
An additional highlight for me this summer has been working with and getting to know the rest of the Save the Harbor staff, especially the junior staff. It has been great to watch their confidence and experience grow over the course of the summer!
This week is not only my last week at Save the Harbor, but also my last ever week in Boston. Although I was born in the city and grew up just outside of it, I haven't really gotten to know Boston inside and out until this summer. Next week, I will be moving to Ann Arbor, Michigan to begin my PhD studies at the University of Michigan (Brianne's alma mater!) in ecology and evolutionary biology. While I won't get to be outside or go fishing as much, I will still get to teach and work with snails.
Working for Save the Harbor has given me a new appreciation for the challenges of integrating sound science, education, and policy, some great memories, and a pretty decent tan. All in all, it's been a great summer that I won't soon forget!
-Paula

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