Sea, Sand and Sky: First Time to Spectacle Island on the Last Cruise of the Year

Thursday, October 29, 2015

First Time to Spectacle Island on the Last Cruise of the Year

First Time to Spectacle Island on the Last Cruise of the Year!

Keith Goplerud of Allston &
Eddie Calderon of Boston

On Saturday Oct 24^th, a team from Save the Harbor/Save the Bay was accompanied by 254 excited brave souls from the greater Boston area for a free day trip to Spectacle Island. The day began with a chilly 30 minute cruise over to Spectacle Island, followed by a group picture when we got off the boat and then everyone went exploring on the island. People went and found spots for picnics, hiking and flying their kites, while others went on a search for the jet blue marbles that were hidden around the island. Others stayed back near the boat to listen to Mary the Pirate tell scary stories about the island’s past.

Mary the Pirate sharing stories with the group

This was my first time on the island and I did not know what to expect. I had a great time exploring the trails and enjoying the views of the harbor. My favorite part of the day was hearing the history of the island from Mary the Pirate’s stories. I found the stories of the past uses of the island to be different and interesting. Starting back in the 19^th century the island had various uses as farming and housing for families, the home of a quarantine hospital, a glue factory made from horses, and a landfill site before turning into the magically green space it is today. It was only until after the Big Dig construction projects, that the city took all the unused dirt and clay from the project to cover up the landfill and unwanted history to rebuild this amazing space.

I had a great time meeting new people and enjoying the island, despite the cold. I hope everyone who came along for the free day also enjoyed it and I welcome you to come along on the next free cruise by Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay.

Until the next post,

Brittany Angelo

No comments:

Post a Comment

Welcome!

Welcome to Save the Harbor / Save the Bay's Boston Harbor blog "Sea, Sand & Sky".

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is a non-profit public-interest Boston Harbor environmental advocacy organization whose mission is to restore and protect Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Bay, the Boston Harbor Islands, the Boston Harbor region's public beaches, Boston's waterfront and the marine environment and share them with the public, for everyone to enjoy.

Since 1986, Save the Harbor / Save the Bay has been the driving force behind the transformation of Boston Harbor from one of the dirtiest urban harbors in America to one of the cleanest in the world.

As a result of our advocacy, Boston Harbor has been transformed from a "Harbor of Shame" into a source of recreational, educational and economic opportunity and civic pride. Today the beaches of South Boston are among the cleanest urban beaches in the nation, the Boston Harbor Islands are a National Park, and Boston's waterfront has become a compelling destination for residents and visitors alike.

Working with a broad base of civic, corporate, government, scientific, philanthropic and community partners, Save the Harbor / Save the Bay continues to strengthen the connections between communities and the harbor, and promote the increasingly important impact Boston Harbor has on the region’s economy.

Each year Save the Harbor / Save the Bay runs 2 free Youth Environmental Education Programs that combine recreation and hands-on education to bring Boston Harbor alive for thousands of Boston area young people. Since 2003, we have connected nearly 250,000 youth and teens to Boston Harbor, the Boston Harbor Islands, our region's public beaches and Boston's waterfront.