Your copy of "Splash" has arrived!

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 One of the best things about putting together each edition of Save the Harbor / Save the Bay’s newsletter “Splash” is that it gives us a chance to look back on what we have accomplished over the past months and what we hope to do in the coming year.

By any objective measure, 2012 was a great year for Boston Harbor and for Save the Harbor / Save the Bay.

• In March, hundreds of people took part in the Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash, raising more than $30,000 to fund free events on the region’s public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket.
  
• This year more than 1,000 young people and their families joined us on one of our free weekend Marine Mammal Safaris in the spring thanks to event sponsor Mass Bay Lines, or on one of our free Treasures of Spectacle Island Cruises in the fall.
  
• This summer our 32 outstanding summer youth environmental education program staffers led 28 free All Access Boston Harbor trips to the Boston Harbor islands this year on a new boat, the Provincetown II.
  
• This summer we also ran our free Boston Harbor Explorers program at 8 sites around the harbor. Working together, our team connected more 13,545 youth and teens to Boston Harbor and the Boston Harbor Islands this year, an increase of more than 20%.
  
• In August, our Youth Beach Bash and Splash brought more than 650 kids to Carson Beach to celebrate clean water, while our Swim for Boston Harbor brought swimmers from as far away as Chicago to take part in a one-mile race on one of the cleanest urban beaches in America.
  
• This year we also began several important new policy initiatives this year, as we work to continue to improve water quality - and the quality of life - in Boston’s waterfront neighborhoods and the region’s beachfront communities.

Over the coming months we hope that you will join our Coalition for Clean Water as we work with our Beaches Science Advisory Committee and the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, led by Sen. Jack Hart and Rep. Kathi-Anne Reinstein, to create a consensus on the next round of investment in Boston Harbor, our beaches and our future.

I hope that you will take a few minutes to read and enjoy this issue of Splash, visit our website at www.savetheharbor.org, like our Boston Harbor events and activities Facebook page and join our Save the Harbor page on Facebook

We also hope that you will consider making a contribution to support our work.

Thanks again for your support. We hope to see you on Boston Harbor again soon.

"Simply Marble-ous" Treasure Hunt 2012

We hope you will take a minute to watch this short video
about this year's "Simply Marble-ous" Treasure Hunt.

Congratulations to all of our winners and many thanks to all of our participants,

and a special thanks to our friends and partners at JetBlue Airways!

Treasure Hunters Have Plenty to Be Thankful For

Five treasure hunters from Greater Boston had something special to celebrate this Thanksgiving, as Save the Harbor / Save the Bay announced the winners of their "Simply Marble-ous" Treasure Hunt, sponsored by JetBlue Airways.

Bridget of South Boston shows off her marble!

More than 1,000 people took part in the treasure hunt, including participants from Chelsea, Dorchester, East Boston, Hull, Lawrence, Lynn, Melrose, Milton, Nahant, Peabody, Quincy, Reading, Revere, Somerville, South Boston, Stoughton and Winthrop.

The five lucky winners were chosen from the more than 100 beachcombers who found a cobalt blue marble on one of the Boston Harbor region's public beaches. Each received 40,000 TrueBlue points that can be redeemed for flights to any of the 45 nonstop destinations JetBlue serves from Boston’s Logan International Airport. 

This year's winners were Bridget McGrath of South Boston, Susan Hardiman of Dorchester, Michelle and Caitlin Cooper of Dorchester, Helen Anderson of South Boston, and Michael Long of Savin Hill, who 

found his marble on Malibu Beach.

Susan and Vanya of Dorchester share their marble!

Caitlin proudly displays her discovery!

Helen shows off her marble on the beach

The "Simply Marble-ous" Treasure Hunt began in June when 100 JetBlue crewmembers and volunteers from Save the Harbor hit the beach in South Boston for an early season cleanup.  Working in teams, they helped the Department of Conservation and Recreation remove trash, weeds, stray sand and debris from Carson Beach.

Michael with his totally marble-ous find!

After the cleanup, each of the participants “released” a single blue marble in the sand at the water’s edge. To spread the fun around the region, Save the Harbor also "released" 100 additional marbles
on the region’s public beaches in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull. The one-inch tempered blue glass marbles were both beautiful and environmentally friendly. They are made of recycled glass, which was made from sand.

“We have a long-standing relationship with Save the Harbor and with the community in Greater Boston, home to our 2,000 crewmembers, who mirror the company’s philanthropic efforts with their own volunteer work locally,” said JetBlue’s Regional Marketing Manager Ronda Ivy McLeod. “A beach cleanup and treasure hunt is right in line with our fun value and our commitment to the city that chooses JetBlue more than any other airline out of Logan.”

More than 100 JetBlue employees gather with Save the Harbor staff before starting the beach cleanup and kicking off the "Simply Marble-ous" contest in June!

"We really want to thank JetBlue Airways for giving something special back to our community," said Save the Harbor's spokesman Bruce Berman. "They are great partners, and we really treasure their support."

We hope you will take a minute to watch this short video
about this year's "Simply Marble-ous" Treasure Hunt.

Congratulations to all of our winners and many thanks to all of our participants,
and a special thanks to our friends and partners at JetBlue Airways!

Make a Spectacle of Yourself

Hello friends, Mike Murowchick here once more! As Save the Harbor's photographer and videographer, it was my pleasure to be able to attend our free fall cruise to Spectacle Island on Saturday, October 27.

On the return trip back to Boston, I interviewed Linda Grenfell of Dorchester. This was her first time accompanying Save the Harbor on one of our free cruises and she had a blast! She loves what Boston Harbor has to offer to people of all ages, and believes the Harbor is one of nature's gifts that we should not take for granted. While many of the visitors spent the day relaxing on top of the north and south drumlins or treasure hunting down on the beach, Linda spent her day navigating the island in search of signs of animal life. It is said that deer and turkeys call Spectacle Island home, but Linda believes that there might be another species that inhabits the island: coyotes!

This is the final installment of a four-part interview series aimed at capturing the many faces and stories of Spectacle Island. The first three parts can be found here, here, and here.

Here is the interview:



More great pictures from today can be found on our photobucket site.

Mike Murowchick
Policy Intern / Photographer / Videographer
Save the Harbor / Save the Bay

A Spectacular Find

 

Hello friends, Save the Harbor's photographer/videographer Mike Murowchick here again! On Saturday, October 27th, over 400 people registered to join us on our final cruise to Spectacle Island of the season. This is the 3rd installment of a four-part series of short interviews aimed at capturing the many faces and stories of Spectacle Island. Parts 1 and 2 can be found here and here.

In the afternoon, the tides finally began to recede, exposing the beach and countless pieces of sea glass and other historic artifacts. Dozens of eager treasure hunters flocked to the beach to see what they could uncover. Common finds usually include sea glass of all colors, pottery, and fine china, and rarer items include marbles. However, today we found something none of us had ever found here before. At first we thought it might be a porcelain ventriloquist doll's head, but upon further investigation we learned it was actually a top piece of a circus cane, long-detached from its wooden shaft.

To see what it looks like, check out the video!



Mike Murowchick
Policy Intern / Photographer / Videographer
Save the Harbor / Save the Bay

Spectacle Island: A Park For All Seasons

Hello friends, Mike Murowchick here again! As Save the Harbor's photographer and videographer, it was my pleasure to be able to attend our free fall cruise to Spectacle Island on Saturday, October 27.

Once the tide started to recede in the afternoon, visitors took to the beach in search of Spectacle's wonderful assortment of historic artifacts. Among the group of treasure hunters was our very own David Coffin, a maritime historian who works with the Save the Harbor summer programs. He is a frequent visitor to Spectacle and loves to dive right into the water - even in late October when the waters are frigid!

 

Bruce Berman, Save the Harbor's Director of Communications, and I interviewed David after his dip into the chilly waters off Spectacle. While he loves to uncover rare artifacts on the beach, he takes even greater joy in interacting with kids and trying to see if they can identify artifacts that have been on the island decades before they were even born. Unfortunately, while Spectacle Island is "right in their backyard," many of the kids do not get a chance to visit Harbor Islands as frequently as the should, or even at all, and David believes it would greatly benefit the kids if the islands were more accessible year round.

This is part 2 of a four-part interview series aimed at capturing the many faces and stories of Spectacle Island. Part 1 can be found here. 

Here is the interview:

More great pictures from today can be found on our photobucket site.

Mike Murowchick
Policy Intern / Photographer / Videographer
Save the Harbor / Save the Bay

Diving Into Spectacle Island's History

Hello friends, Mike Murowchick here! As Save the Harbor's photographer and videographer, it was my pleasure to be able to attend our second free fall cruise to Spectacle Island on Saturday, October 27.  Despite the approach of Hurricane Sandy, the weather more than cooperated and we were able to enjoy a wonderful fall day.
 

Once the tide started to recede in the afternoon, visitors took to the beach in search of Spectacle's wonderful assortment of historic artifacts. Among the group of treasure hunters were Laura Fawcett and her friend Barbara Krasinski. Laura used to work for Save the Harbor as a Senior Marine Educator, and upon hearing about the fall cruise decided it would be a great opportunity to invite her friend Barbara out for a trip to Spectacle. The two self-titled "Harbor Hunnies" are both experienced snorkelers and seized the opportunity to put their wetsuits to the test. They dove right into the frigid harbor waters and immediately began their treasure hunt for submerged artifacts.

After returning to the beach, Bruce Berman, Save the Harbor's Director of Communications, and I interviewed Laura and Barbara about their time on Spectacle and their thoughts on Boston Harbor as a whole. They both had a blast snorkeling off the beach this late in the season, as the Harbor Islands are usually closed this time of year. They both agreed that the season should be extended to allow more people to take advantage of all Spectacle has to offer.

This is the first piece of a four-part interview series aimed at capturing the many faces and stories of Spectacle Island. Here is the interview:



More great pictures from the fall cruise can be found on our photobucket site, and be on the lookout for part 2 of my interview series - coming soon!

Mike Murowchick
Policy Intern / Photographer / Videographer
Save the Harbor / Save the Bay

A Spooktacular Time on Spectacle Island

Only days away from Halloween, over 200 friends boarded the Provincetown II with Save the Harbor / Save the Bay for another fun fall afternoon on Spectacle Island. Kids were simultaneously spooked and enticed by the bats, spiders and monsters scattered around the boat's three decks—befittingly themed for the upcoming holiday.

After reaching Spectacle's dock, we snapped a quick group photo and everyone was ready to start their island adventure. Bruce suggested getting a hike in on the North Drumlin Trail during high tide, then coming back down to the beaches once the tide dropped. So we took his advice and made our way to the top, which is the highest point on the entire Boston Harbor.

The views of downtown Boston, Deer Island and other harbor islands are reason enough to pay a visit to Spectacle. The summit of the north drumlin is also one of the most picturesque places to have a picnic or simply take in the breathtaking sights.

What a Picnic Perfect day

After the hike, we headed back down to the beach, where families were enjoying the sunshine and looking at the various colors and types of sea glass. Here I met the Taylor family and Jamie Mace from Reading, MA who were thoroughly enjoying their first trip to Spectacle. Susan and Andy Taylor were thrilled to be able to bring their daughter, Audrey, to the island, exclaiming, “It’s been a fantastic day. There’s so much to see and do here!” Their friend Jamie Mace noted, “It’s such a great learning experience for kids.” Spectacle’s history provides a great example for teaching kids about the importance of environmental protection, sustainability, and the potential of land conversion for ecological and recreational purposes.

Andy, Audrey and Susan Taylor displaying their favorite treasures from the day!

In addition to hiking around the island and along the beaches, Audrey was lucky enough to find one of the elusive blue marbles from our “Simply Marble-ous” contest! The final drawing for the contest is on Halloween day.

While this may have been the last trip of the season to Spectacle, there are sure to be plenty more opportunities ahead to visit this beautiful national treasure. 

Jacqueline Sussman

Policy Intern

Save the Harbor / Save the Bay

One Last Fall Cruise to Spectacle Island

Save the Harbor / Save the Bay’s final fall cruise out to Spectacle Island was beautiful. Once again, a cloudy and cool morning gave way to a beautiful afternoon on the Harbor. My husband and I always enjoy when we get a chance to spend time on the island. The view of the city is wonderful and it’s a great place to picnic and enjoy being away from the busy city streets. Michael and I walked the North Drumlin Trail this time, because last time we came we didn’t get to this trail. Spectacle Island always grants the opportunity to meet new people and on the way down the trail, Michael and I met the Lindsey and the Peavy families from Dorchester and Norwood.

Michael and I on Spectacle Island (photo by Darrell Peavy)

Of the group, this was Malika, Hannah, Darrell, and Lanette’s first visit to Spectacle Island. They were enjoying exploring the island. Two in their group, Makiah and her friend Nyah, had been to the island before. They spoke with excitement about how they really enjoy looking for sea glass on each trip. Makiah and Nyah shared the excitement with Darrell and Hannah, showing them the best spots to collect sea glass. The kids showed me the glass they found on the beach. They thought it could be a piece from a teacup.

Clockwise from top left: Maliaka Lindsey, Lanette Peavy, Darrell Peavy,
Hannah Waters, Nyah Apperwhite, and Makiah Lindsey.

All the children played games on the beach and had a wonderful lunch on top of north drumlin hill. Malika Lindsey, Makiah’s mother, said that she “would recommend families to come to Spectacle Island because kids can enjoy the outdoors and families can use the place to picnic.”

Makiah, a sea glass scouting expert, shows off her find.

Everyone in the group had a wonderful time at Spectacle Island and can’t wait until the spring to go back on another adventurous search for sea glass with Save the Harbor / Save the Bay.


Camilla Fitzpatrick
Development/ Communications Intern

The Cruise Before the Storm

With the impending approach of Hurricane Sandy to the Eastern Seaboard, many people spent the end of this past week stocking up on water and batteries and making sure they were prepared for whatever the storm may bring.

Saturday, October 27, provided a brief respite from storm preparations for some, as Save the Harbor / Save the Bay ventured out to Spectacle Island for its second and final fall “Treasures of Spectacle Island” cruise of the year. More than 200 treasure hunters joined us aboard Bay State Cruise Company's Provincetown II this time, and on our quick cruise, we were even treated to a harbor seal sighting! So cool!

Visitors on the lookout for marine mammals
aboard the Provincetown II!

Just as on our last trip, grey skies cleared shortly after we docked at Spectacle. A quick thank you to DCR for opening up the island for us and this trip (it officially closed on Columbus Day!), as well as Boston EMT Felicia Mohammed for joining us to ensure everyone's safety. We also were treated to a visit from maritime historian David Coffin, who shared a little bit of his knowledge about Spectacle Island.

Before heading out to explore the island, Baywatcher Bruce Berman let the group know that the tide was falling, so it would be best to do any hiking early on, and then explore the beaches later in the day when more treasure would be exposed. Per his advice, a group of us ventured to the summit of the north drumlin, taking in sweeping vistas in rich greens and blues, as well as many a smile from the island's visitors.

Time together on the north drumlin

Groups enjoy the stunning view of Boston Harbor

Admiring the view from the top!

When we headed back down to the foot of the island, instead of hunting for treasure, we were treated to something slightly more outrageous than the beautiful sea glass and artifacts we found last time...

Several hearty explorers had brought wet suits and flippers with them, and went snorkeling, yes SNORKELING, off Treasure Beach. In October. Brrrrr! David Coffin joined them for a brief dip. All referred to the swim as “refreshing” though it was a tad bit chilly for my taste!

(L to R) Laura Fawcett, maritime historian David Coffin and
Barbara Krasinski go for a swim!

Self-described “Friends of the Harbor” and “Beach Creatures,” Laura Fawcett and Barbara Krasinski strapped on their black and neon yellow flippers in the hopes of finding some extra special treasure a little bit farther out than the edge of the exposed shoreline. They found a variety of crabs and even some jellyfish, as well as some pottery shards and sea glass. Earlier in the day, however, Barbara, a North End native, found a blue marble and was entered into our “Simply Marble-ous”contest! Congratulations, Barbara!

City of Boston EMT Felicia Mohammed
chats with Kurt Vonseekamm, Mike Nichol
and Katherine Fawcett, while Laura and
Barbara swim off Treasure Beach

Photographer/videographer extraordinaire Mike Murowchick had the chance to interview Laura and Barbara, as well as David Coffin, Bruce Berman and Linda Grenfell of Dorchester. Keep an eye out for his videos, coming soon!

It was truly a treat to be able to enjoy a day of sun and friends (and even snorkeling!) on Spectacle before Sandy headed north – thanks again to all those who made it possible and those who joined us.

For now, batten down those hatches, and stay safe!

Until next time,

Megan

Megan Rawson

Development, Communications and Operations Intern

One More Time! Free Fall Cruise to Spectacle Island - October 27th

Join Save the Harbor for a free late season cruise and treasure hunt on Spectacle Island!

On Saturday, October 27th, Save the Harbor / Save the Bay would like you, your family and your friends to join as we set sail on a free late season cruise to discover the "Treasures of Spectacle Island."

The trip will depart at 10:00 AM from the Bay State Cruise Company's dock at the World Trade Center in South Boston aboard the Provincetown II, and return to the dock at 2:30 PM. It is easy to get to the dock by car or the Silver Line. You can get directions here.

The cruise will be narrated by Save the Harbor's BayWatcher Bruce Berman, and will be led by our youth program staff, who this year brought 6,000 youth and teens from across the city and around the region to Spectacle and Georges Islands as part of our free "All Access Boston Harbor" program.

They will share their stories of the hidden treasures of the Boston Harbor Islands with you, and we are certain that you will come home with stories and memories which you can treasure yourself.

There will be plenty of time for exploring, hiking, and treasure hunting on the island, though we gently remind you to leave sea glass and artifacts on the beach where you found them. You can find out more about the "Treasures of Spectacle Island" on our website.

Though Jasper White's Summer Shack on Spectacle will be closed for the season, there will be refreshments available for sale on the boat. Of course, you are welcome to pack your own picnic lunch and bring it with you on the trip, but be sure you bring a bag for your trash.

After the cruise, we encourage you to share your stories and photographs of your island adventure and the treasures you discovered with us on our page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/savetheharbor or send them to us by email at info@savetheharbor.org.

We'll pick the best stories and photos from the trip and post them on our blog "Sea, Sand and Sky" at www.blog.savetheharbor.org.

If we choose your story, you will win a blue beach glass marble - and a chance to win 40,000 TrueBlue points from JetBlue Airways as part of our "Simply Marble-ous" treasure hunt, which runs through Halloween.

So bring a camera, a picnic lunch and your friends and family and enjoy a great day in the Boston Harbor Islands National Park with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay!
We hope to see you on Boston Harbor on the 27th!

All the best,

Your Friends at Save the Harbor / Save the Bay

P.S. Reservations are required. Though there is plenty of room on the boat, more than 500 people signed up for our last trip, so please RSVP to info@savetheharbor.org or call us at (617) 451-2860 x1001 to reserve your place!

This "Treasures of Spectacle Island" fall cruise is made possible by a grant from Mass Humanities.

Save the Harbor's free youth programs are made possible with Leadership Grants from Distrigas /GDF SUEZ, P. I. Garden Fund, Bay State Cruise Company, Forrest Berkley & Marcie Tyre Berkley, The Coca-Cola Foundation, The Ludcke Foundation, Yawkey Foundation II, The Fallon Company, Massachusetts Port Authority, P&G Gillette and Schrafft Charitable Trust.

Save the Harbor also appreciates funding support from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, The Dolphin Trust, Alice W. Dorr Foundation, John Hancock Financial Services, Massachusetts Bay Lines, National Grid Foundation, Arbella Insurance Group Charitable Foundation, Inc., Bank of America Pavilion, Boston Bruins Foundation, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, Breckinridge Capital Advisors, Carnival Foundation, Circle Furniture, Clipper Ship Foundation, Inc., Jay Cashman, Inc., Department of Conservation and Recreation, The Paul and Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation, Fuller Foundation, Lovett-Woodsum Family Charitable Foundation, Inc., Mass Humanities, Lawrence J. & Anne Rubenstein Charitable Trust, Thomas & Lucinda Foley, South Boston Community Development Foundation, Sovereign Bank Foundation, Andus Baker & Rowan Murphy Family Foundation, Community-Suffolk, Inc., DeMarco Produce, Martha Mazzone Charitable Gift Fund, Matthew J. & Gilda Strazzula Foundation, Miami Free Zone/Cargo Ventures, Bryce & Maryann Suydam and hundreds of individual small donors.

Sea, Sky, & SAND AT LAST!

On Thursday, October 17th the long awaited Winthrop Beach Restoration Project began in earnest, as Gov. Deval Patrick, EEA Secretary Rick Sullivan, DCR Commissioner Ed Lambert and State Senator Anthony Petruccelli joined Speaker Bob DeLeo and local officials to kick-off a project to renourish and restore Winthrop Beach.

The $17 million project will take about two years to complete, and will add lighting, benches, repair the sea wall and bring more sand to the beach. In addition to improving the experience for beach-goers, it will provide a measure of protection from storms and coastal erosion to the adjacent neighborhood on Winthrop Shore Drive.

It will also bring residents and visitors back to this great beach, which is known for its great views, spectacular surf, and Shelby Scott's storm coverage!

Governor Patrick spoke eloquently about the importance of infrastructure projects like this one, which improve the quality of life for all the citizen's of the Commonwealth. Secretary Sullivan quipped that projects like this one often have three phases. "In the first phase, we hear complaints from the public about the problem. In the second phase, we often hear about complaints about the construction impacts. In the third phase, we hear complaints about the crowds."

Here at Save the Harbor we can''t wait for phase three, and are confident that Winthrop Beach will once again be a destination where residents and visitors alike can enjoy the sea, sky and SAND!

Speaker DeLeo and Senator Petruccelli have both been tenacious advocates for the region's public beaches and this project, which was a key recommendation  of the Metropolitan Beaches Commission's 2007 report "Beaches We Can Be Proud To Use",  prepared in partnership with Save the Harbor / Save the Bay.

"I want to thank the people of Winthrop for their patience and perseverance, and the Governor, Secretary Sullivan and the delegation for their support." said Speaker DeLeo. "This is a great day for the people of Winthrop, and all who love this beach."

Speaker DeLeo and a team of volunteers at a recent beach clean-up in Winthrop.

In 2013,  the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, Co-Chaired by Sen. Jack Hart and Rep Kathi-Anne, will convene a series of public hearings in beachfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket to evaluate the improvements to the Boston Harbor Region's public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket. When the hearings are finished, they will make recommendations on the next round of public investment in clean water and better beaches. We hope to see you there!

So thanks again to Governor Patrick, Speaker DeLeo, Senator Petruccelli and the many other state and local officials and residents who helped make this project happen - for their patient and effective advocacy for Winthrop Beach and our region's waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities!

You can find out more about the event and the project in this press release.

See you on the beach!

Bruce Berman
Save the Harbor / Save the Bay

Spectacular Archaeologist

On Saturday, September 15, I joined Save the Harbor / Save the Bay and 278 guests on a free trip to discover the Treasures of Spectacle Island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Park.

While on the island, I had a chance to shoot this interview with Dr. Ellen Berkland of the Department of Conservation, conducted by Save the Harbor's Bruce Berman.

Ellen has been doing work on Spectacle since long before it was turned from a landfill into a popular park, and she offers a unique perspective on the history of the island. Her stories of the time she has spent and the people she has met on Spectacle over the years are truly remarkable.

 You can see more of my photos from the trip and the summer - and other photos taken by our other interns as well -  at Save the Harbor's photobucket site.  

Mike Murowchick
Policy Intern / Photographer/Aspiring Videographer
Save the Harbor / Save the Bay