The start of my summer at Blacks Creek!

Playing a game of "Indian Chief"

This summer, I will be working at Blacks Creek with the Harbor Explorers Program, sharing the joy of learning about the harbor through fishing, drawing, and playing games with all the young adventurers.  Tuesday, July 7^th was my first day at the site and I already know it’s going to be a fantastic summer.  Our campers were full of enthusiasm as we scoured the shore and waded in the water with nets looking for minnos, crabs, snails, and any other critters we could find (and move fast enough to catch).  Excitement was high as the kids counted their haul and shared stories with each other about what they had found in the water.  When it came to playing name games and kickball, everyone jumped at the chance to be a team captain or share a fact about themselves for “Where the Wind Blows.”

One of our adventurers found a crab!

Blacks Creek has always had a special place in my heart—when I was eight, I spent the summer taking sailing lessons at Blacks Creek and really fell in love with the ocean.  As one of the younger sailors, much of my time was spent on the shore playing games or exploring the beach with the counselors.  Living down the street from Wollaston Beach my whole life, I had plenty exposure to water and sand.  But the pollution and trash on the beach made it hard to really explore the tide pools and look for crabs or clams.  Going to Blacks Creek felt like going to another world—winding our way through wooded paths, tall beach grass, reeds, and rocky shores, we found hermit crabs, periwinkles, jellyfish, and insects.  Going out on sailboats at Blacks Creek was my first time in a boat on Wollaston Bay.  I had such a blast and discovered a newfound interest in ocean. Now, as an environmental science major and an intern with STH/STB, I know my interest in environmental conservation comes in large part from all the time I spent interacting with the marine habitat right in my own neighborhood.

Ben drew his own map of Blacks Creek after his first day

My experience at Blacks Creek makes me especially excited to share with our harbor explorers what my own counselors shared with me: a real interest in our marine ecosystem and a love for the things that live in it.  I want our adventurers to learn that engaging in the environment around them is so worthwhile and the rewards are endless! 

We spent our morning fishing with nets

Jessie Thuma—Policy/Communications Intern with STH/STB