Taking Chances

We have caught an unusual amount of lobsters this year in Charlestown. Additionally, the prices of lobsters have dropped significantly. This may be due to the increase in the water temperature, especially in the Boston Harbor.
Although this may be bad news for the local lobster men who rely on the harbor to provide them resources, it is great news for us at Save the Harbor Save the Bay. The more lobsters we catch, the more Harbor Explorers can learn from them! Every so often, I encounter a child who is not as fearless as the others; the child who hesitates when it comes to holding an underwater creature. This is where modeling behavior and coaching comes into play.
Camille, a very brave sailor from Courageous, needed a pep talk to hold a lobster. Camille was excited to see lobsters in the traps and floating tanks,but hesitated when it came time to hold them.

Camille getting guidance on how to hold the lobster

Thankfully, the more exposure Camille had, the more comfortable she became, and soon she had no hesitations when it came to holding the lobsters and asking when we were going to pull up more traps! This is one of the most joyful parts of my job as a Senior Harbor Educator, seeing our Harbor Explorers getting out of their comfort zone everyday!

Camille holding the lobster all by herself!

:) Ali Hurney