Sharing the Harbor Like Never Before: A Letter from Our President

I would like to thank you for helping Save the Harbor “share the harbor” like never before.

With your support, this year our free Youth Environmental Education Programs connected 30,375 youth and teens from 42 communities to Boston Harbor and the Boston Harbor Islands State and National Park.

We would love your support again this year. Your contribution of $25, $50, $100 or whatever you can afford to give will make a real difference. Make a donation here.

In the past three years these free programs have doubled in size and impact, helping to make Save the Harbor the Boston Harbor Connection for the region’s kids and families, serving more than 160,000 young people since 2002. Together we have created a new generation of environmental stewards who understand the value of Boston’s spectacular harbor, beaches and islands to them and their communities.

2016 was also a terrific year for our Better Beaches Program partnership with the Department of Conservation and Recreation, awarding more than $200,000 in small grants to 43 groups in 9 beachfront communities and waterfront neighborhoods. These groups in turn leveraged our funds with nearly $500,000 in cash and in-kind support from local government and businesses and more than 8,800 volunteer hours to support over 100 free concerts, , beach festivals, sand raking exhibitions and sand sculpting competitions from Nahant to Nantasket.

We also won important victories in the policy arena, though recent developments put many of the gains we have made at serious risk.

On the bright side, this summer Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Matt Beaton asked Save the Harbor/Save the Bay to quarterback an initiative to create a consensus on next steps to finally resolve the ongoing pollution problems that still close beaches in Lynn, Swampscott and Dorchester. Working together with state and local officials, our Beaches Science Advisory Committee will issue a report next summer which will pave the way for capital investment by the Commonwealth to help these communities.

In June, the Metropolitan Beaches Commission which we lead and manage for the Legislature, held a hearing at the State House. At that hearing the Commission called on the Baker Administration to jumpstart their efforts to develop a regional water transportation plan to connect the region’s coastal communities with each other and with the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park, which they have agreed to do.

However, despite these successes, there are real causes for concern.

Several weeks ago, in response to projected declining tax revenue forecasts, the press reported that the Baker/Polito Administration was considering $294 million in budget cuts that we believe would put many of the gains we have made in recent years at risk. Since then, increased tax revenues have resulted in a postponement of the decision to cut these programs.  However, we are still concerned about the possibility of revenue declines and imposition of these cuts on DCR, which is considering cutting funds for full time and seasonal staff, maintenance and free events and programs on the region's public beaches in 2017. The Commonwealth's 13 public beaches are critical civic, economic and recreational assets for the region's low income and underserved youth and families. Rather than further cuts, we believe that we should be making additional modest investments to protect the nearly $5 billion we have already invested in the Boston Harbor cleanup.

We began our 30th Anniversary Year with a sunset cruise to Boston Light in the spring and ended it with a free fall trip to Spectacle Island in late October. As we looked back toward the city with our community partners and our friends and supporters, we couldn’t help but think back on all we have accomplished together since 1986.

We are proud of our role as the region’s leading voice for clean water and continued public investment in Boston Harbor, our public beaches, and beachfront communities and waterfront neighborhoods from Nahant to Nantasket. Working together we have transformed Boston Harbor from a liability into a source of opportunity and pride for Bostonians and the region’s residents.

I know that you understand the value of Boston Harbor, the islands and our public beaches to all the region’s residents, especially underserved young people and low income families.

I also know that we can count on you.

Your contribution of $25, $50, $100 or whatever you can afford to give will make a real difference as we continue our work to restore protect these spectacular urban natural resources and share them with the public for everyone to enjoy.

On behalf of the Board of Directors and the staff at Save the Harbor, I want to thank you for your support and wish you a very happy holiday season.

All the best,
  

Patricia A. Foley
President

P.S. It’s easy to make a contribution today on our website, or, if you prefer you can mail your check to:

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay
Boston Fish Pier
212 Northern Avenue, Suite 304 West
Boston MA 02210 United States

The View From the Top of the Mountain

Hey guys, it feels good to be back. Ever since the school year started, I've been waking up around 11 am or 12 pm on Saturdays, therefore it was kind of hard to wake up at 7 to be at the World Trade Centre at 9. The last time I went to Spectacle Island was in August, it was really hot and now that it is October it got really cold. I remember that I used to stay in one place in order to stay cool, but now I was moving around because I was trying to be warm. Although it was cold, people still had fun and enjoyed the island. I remember over the summer seeing the boat full of kids and a very few adults, but now there were more adults than kids.

Kids looking for marbles in the dry seaweed

After meeting up with the SHSB staff and all the people that were going with us to the island, I noticed the smiles on the faces on the kids and especially the adults. The adults asked more questions than the kids, the kids were more excited about the marbles. When we got to the island, the first thing people asked was about the marbles, "where can I find them?", "how big are they?", "can you give me any hints?", were the commons questions people asked me. I never thought that people were going to pay more attention to the marbles than to the things in the island. There was a time when about 20 people were looking for the marbles on one side of the beach.

View of Boston from the boat

Everyone that was looking for the marbles, looked everywhere under the rocks, they were making holes in the sand, going into the bushes, etc. After the people found all the marbles they wanted to walk to the top of the island. I've never been there so it was about to be my first time as well, I was somehow excited about it because I knew that the view was going to be amazing and it sure was. I had a great Saturday morning/afternoon. Seeing some old faces and the island that I enjoyoed the most out of the two island that I went to over the summer was the best thing that could have happened to me on a Saturday.

- Cristian Berlioz

A 'Simply Marble-ous' Winner!

Raquel Cunha of Dorchester wins the “Simply Marble-ous” Treasure Hunt!

In November, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay selected the JetBlue ticket winner in our “Simply Marble-ous” Treasure Hunt, Raquel Cunha of Dorchester!! She found her blue marble on Spectacle Island and throughly enjoyed the day's activities. On top of the marble treasure hunt, Raquel loved hearing stories by Nora Dooley, also known as Mary Read the Pirate. "I believe the initiative to promote awareness and educate people about [Boston's] Harbor islands and their preservation are very important and will allow for future generations to enjoy the area as much as I did," said Raquel.

Raquel can use her round-trip JetBlue ticket to go to ANY of JetBlue’s domestic locations leaving from Boston Logan Airport! Raquel plans on using her round trip going to either San Diego or Miami. Either way she will enjoy a beautiful beachy destination.

“The ‘Simply Marble-ous’ Treasure Hunt is a favorite among JetBlue’s more than 2,500 crew members in Boston, many of whom volunteer locally for a variety of worthy causes including Save the Harbor/Save the Bay” said Ronda Ivy McLeod, Director of Regional Marketing, Northeast at JetBlue Airways. “The treasure hunt exemplifies our fun value, while also highlighting our commitment to the city of Boston.”

"Simply Marble-ous" began in 2012 on the beaches of South Boston with a beach cleanup sponsored by JetBlue in partnership with Save the Harbor. Bruce Berman, Director of Communications at Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay said, “At Save the Harbor we’re always looking for ways to get people to take a fresh look at the Boston Harbor. JetBlue’s support helps to make that possible. One of the reasons this event is such a success is because JetBlue is such a great partner. Fun is one of their core values, which you can see that in the way they treat their community partners, employees and customers.”

While this year’s contest is over, Save the Harbor has already begun to plan for next year’s ‘Simply Marble-ous’ Treasure Hunt, which begins on Memorial Day weekend, so stay tuned!

A Warm (Cold rather) Welcome from Spectacle Island

Map of Trails

Hi everyone!

Shivering was my first reaction to docking at Spectacle Island on Saturday, October 29, 2016. What really shocked me was how green the entire island appeared to be! I have never seen that much green grass throughout the summer, considering how hot and dry it was. It was a regular, cold Boston day around 50 degrees in the city and 40 on the island with a little drizzle in the forecast. This was the first day I had ever been to the top of the island and came back around and it was also my first hike. The trail was very long and winding but I was excited that I got the chance to go around to the top and see everything from up there. It gave us the perfect view of the city. We also saw a woman flying a kite and children looking for marbles.

Mission Accomplished

As one of the dedicated and special-picked marble holders, I made sure to hide them in obvious but secret places that anyone could find. Before my hike up the island, I placed one inside a hole of a rock at the end of the dock, and when I returned about 45 minutes later it was gone! Lucky person, whoever they are. We took a small family of three with us to go hiking up the mountain and the two children enjoyed finding marbles on our hike. We took the North Drumlin trail to the top and the South Drumlin all the way back down. For some reason the way back felt much quicker than the way there. I was bundled up in layers to keep warm and hiking created some heat for me too. I felt accomplished when we finally reached the top and took a rest for about 15 minutes, gazing in the distance and soaking up the view.

View from the top

Kharliyah Ortiz

All Fall 16

The view from here

Khar, Preston, and I

The last time I was here it was a bright summer day where I was comfortably in my flip flops waiting to jump right into the water. Last time I could remember it was about 90 degrees and nothing felt better than being in my blue shirt and my comfortable shorts. All I did was complain about the heat now it's October and it's freezing! Oh man how I wish it was that warm again. It was a pleasure to be with my co-workers once again but this time it was a completely different day. Instead of doing our normal routine we took groups on wonderful trails to see the beautiful views and to enjoy nature. We also had the pleasure of showing around a wonderful group from the Boys and Girls Club who were taking pictures of items they had on their list.  They had so much to take pictures of from the landscape to the rocks, the sea glass, just everything. We also had a marble hunt and the kids just went.... M A R B L E S, hahaha. Get it because they were looking for marbles. HAHAHA!! I can not wait to be back in the summer and being able to connect with families all over again.  The view was breathtaking I could definitely see that beauty in the city skyline. Everything about this day went by smoothly and everyone was pleased which warmed my heart up little by little before we got off the boat.

                                                                                       -Isabella Perez

Back at Spectacle Island

Hi everyone!

My first day back at Spectacle Island since the summer was filled with excitement, new discoveries, and fun. I learned many new things and met new and interesting people while also enjoying some perks of the island I have never gotten to experience. Spectacle Island has always been very enjoyable, and Saturday was not any different.

The day started with our staff meeting up at the World Trade Center, near the spot where the boat takes off. It was nice to catch up with friends from the summer, and I really enjoyed being able to talk to my co-workers for the first time in months. Once we got onto the boat it was interesting to see how much the boat and the Boston Harbor have changed in the last couple of months. As we got closer to Spectacle Island, I could notice how much greener the island has gotten. During the summer Boston was in a drought and Spectacle Island was suffering. This month Boston received a lot of rain and now Spectacle Island is looking as beautiful as ever.

Once we arrived to the island, we planted blue marbles all around the island as part of our Jet Blue scavenger hunt. If a visitor finds a blue marble they can enter a lottery, the winner of this lottery receives two free Jet Blue tickets to anywhere in America. Giving people the opportunity to win this amazing prize was truly wonderful, and it was incredible to see people's reaction after finding a marble. We also took some groups out on walks around the island, and even though it was freezing we enjoyed the view on the island. After this the day came to a close, and we all said our goodbyes to the amazing guests who came out to visit the island with us.

Until next time, Abel Yohannes

As I was walking along the beach, I saw these birds sitting on the rocks, and decided to take a picture of this interesting scene.

One Last group photo.

Fall day on Spectacle Island

Last time I was on Spectacle Island it was in August and its was a hot beautiful day, I remember looking for shade to stay cool due to the heat. Last week was my first time at Spectacle since the summer and it was really cold. It felt like winter and Spectacle is surrounded by water, which made it even colder. The cold did not stop us from having fun. We got on the boat around 9:30 and we had a lot of people on board. Some people told me this was there first time going to Spectacle Island and they were really excited. When we got off the boat, people separated and went on their own to explore the island. Some went hiking on the top of the island and the others were busy looking for the blue marbles. If you find the blue marble , you take a picture and it enters you in a raffle to win 2 Jet Blue  tickets. Many people were really excited and took the challenge of finding the marble.

Amazing view of Boston

After the marble hunting, we all went for a hike on the top of the island, and it was really long walk. We stopped a lot to take pictures of the amazing view the island displays. You can see the whole city and its beautiful skyline from the top of the island. After we got back to the boat, we took one big staff picture and it reminded me of how amazing summer was and I'm glad I had the opportunity to work with such amazing people.

Fun group of people

Until next time,
Abdi

Back to Spectacle Island

Hey everyone,                                   

                                                          It’s Edward- it has been a while since I have written a blog post about our wonderful staff events with Save the Harbor Save the Bay. Today on October 29th, 2016 staff members, including me, were invited back for an event with Save the Harbor Save the Bay. We were all invited for a trip back to one of the well-known island called Spectacle, known for all its historical impacts. Before we got on the boat to Spectacle Island, me and a couple of the Save the Harbor Save the Bay members stayed behind to help people find the boat we were getting on. On the boat you can see a view of the Boston islands along the way. Every island along the way has its own history to be told. The children and their parents were enjoying the boat ride to Spectacle Island. They learned new things they never knew about the islands.  

View of Boston from Spectacle

Others enjoyed the ride to Spectacle Island because it reminded them of how much they really enjoyed Boston. When we got to the island the families and the children were searching all over the place for a blue marble that would enter you in a raffle to earn a ticket for a trip. Any blue marble the kids would find was only counted as one chance. The children would go to hear pirate stories from the pirate her self named Norah. She is an incredible pirate and an incredible story teller who would catch anybody’s attention. We were separated in groups, my group started off along the beach shore looking for blue marbles and viewing sea glass while taking pictures as well. The sea glass my group collected was soft and  one of a kind. 









I got a chance to walk around Spectacle Island and was able  to view the whole island and the view of other islands. The children liked looking for four-leafed clovers that represented something we all wish for called good luck. The children would ask questions on how the community from Boston and others would usually use the islands. A few seconds into the question we answered by saying people usually get in the water or go fishing, and others do fun activities. At the end of the day people wanted to know about any upcoming events that could bring them back to the island. Some just couldn’t wait for next summer to come along. This was the first time I got  invited to a Save the Harbor Save the Bay  event where it was really cold out on the island and we could barely see any birds on the island. When we got on the boat I was having so much fun on the island I didn’t want the boat to arrive back on the dock of the World Trade Center. This trip back to Spectacle Island is going to be as memorable as the summer trip was.

                                                                                                          Sincerely: Edward Calderon

Fall Cruise

The last time I took a trip out to Spectacle island was in the summer with All Access. But going on the cruise this weekend it had a different feel to it. As always I had an amazing seeing the familiar faces at Save the Harbor. But seeing all of the families that came out to the island is probably what made my day the most. Although it was a chilly day, the amount of people that came out for a day on the island was remarkable. We had people who have never been to Spectacle before, and people coming from different countries to study abroad, just to spend a day with us. I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my Saturday afternoon.

The last time I was at Spectacle, it was about 80 degrees and nearly 350 children running around with footballs and water bottles. Now, it was about 30 degrees cooler and not as many children. If its one thing that didn't change were the smiles on everyone's faces. From people searching for marbles or just simply taking a walk to the top of the island. I had an amazing time, and more importantly, everyone did as well. It was actually my first time walking all the way to the top of the island and it was pretty fun. The grass is even greener! Took a look over and I think I could see my house from here! I had an amazing time sharing my experiences and memories with everyone that came out on Saturday. See you next time, Preston.

Fun in the Fall!

Hey Everyone,

                

Its been awhile since I’ve written a blog which feels kind of weird but I missed it. Yesterday was overwhelming because I didn’t know who was going to work or what I was going to do. Well I was waiting in front of the Dunkin’ Donuts in the cold weather then when I saw all of the Save the Harbor, Save the Bay crew members which brought back so many memories of enjoying fishing, visiting Spectacle Island, and the Fishing Tournament.

The Crew

Then we got there and Carolyn split us up into groups and in my mind I’m like wow, it’s freezing! Then we were just walking around waiting when Bruce came up to Carolyn and I and said we should adopt the Photography Club of the Boys and Girls Club, which was pretty cool. A lot of the kids were just focused on the blue marbles and finding them throughout the beach. Then I took a nice walk on the beach looking at the different colored shells, going to the beach in the fall is absolutely amazing. A little while later we went on a nature hike with the kids and they were just looking at different objects to take pictures of which was cool because I remember when I used to be a part of that club and we visited different places.

Views of Boston in the Fall

At the end of the day I just enjoyed and had many laughs with the kids because that’s the purpose of Save the Harbor, Save the Bay, making it the best experience any child could have and knowing they made the best of it.

Can’t wait 'til next summer,

-Nieomi 

Spectacle Island In October!

Hi everyone! It's Rusenny! It's been so many weeks since my very last blog post on the last day of summer, and making this one brings back so many of the wonderful memories that I made this summer! Yesterday, October 29th, I got the chance to visit Spectacle island after weeks of saying goodbye. I was really surprised at how many people began to show up with their kids all bundled up, not letting the cold October weather stop them from exploring Spectacle. As we were all getting on the boat we took a huge group picture which made it feel like summer all over again (with the non-stop photos)! It was cold, but it was worth it. It wasn't until we got on the boat and started passing each Boston Harbor island, that I realized how much I had missed these wonderful views. Everything looked a bit different from the summer, some of the trees were almost leafless, and the grass looked much greener rather than the yellow color it usually had from the harsh summer sun. 

When we got to Spectacle, for many it was their very first time and they began to explore the island right away. Many of the kids, and even parents were very excited in looking for the blue marbles that were hidden all around the island with there being a prize of a free plane ticket to almost anywhere. We also took walks up to the top of Spectacle with small groups and talked about the island and the things that we most loved about it. Norah Dooley was also there telling some of her pirate stories to the kids. I could tell everyone was having a blast and it felt nice to be back. I can't wait to see what awesome memories this upcoming summer will bring. 

Till next time, 

Rusenny :)

All Aboard for Spectacle Island!

On Saturday, October 29th, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay will host a free "Treasures of Spectacle Island" cruise to enjoy a fall day on DCR's Spectacle Island in the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park. Join us to hunt for sea glass and artifacts on Treasure Beach, hike the North Drumlin for a view of the city and the harbor, and learn about the fascinating history of this unique island.

Thanks to our partners at Mass Humanities, storyteller Norah Dooley will once again join us as Mary Read the Pirate to share stories of Boston Harbor and encourage you to share your stories as well.

We will begin boarding the Provincetown II at Bay State Cruise Company's dock at the World Trade Center in the Seaport at 9:30 AM for a 10 AM departure. The boat will return by 2:30 PM.

The snack bar aboard the Provincetown II will be open, but the snack bar and visitor's center on Spectacle Island will have closed for the season. You are welcome to bring a picnic lunch-- please remember that the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park has a "carry-on, carry-off" policy, so bring a bag for your trash! 

Dress warmly for this trip! Temperatures on the harbor will be cooler than those in the city.

Reservations are required. Though there is plenty of room on the boat, space is still limited, so please RSVP by email to gaylord@savetheharbor.org or call Amy at 617-451-2860 x1008. Please give us an accurate headcount so that we can accommodate as many guests as possible.

Please remember that any sea glass or artifacts found on the island must stay on the island for other visitors to enjoy! We do encourage you to find and keep one inch blue frosted glass marbles that you find on the beach, as they are your ticket to enter the 5th Annual Simply Marble-ous Treasure Hunt for JetBlue Flights! Just post a picture of yourself with the marble to Save the Harbor's Facebook!

Please feel free to share this flyer with others who may be interested in taking advantage of this free opportunity.

To learn more about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, visit our website, like us on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @savetheharbor.

Thanks to Bay State Cruise Company, the Mass Environmental Trust, Mass Humanities, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the National Park Service and all our foundation funders, corporate partners and individual donors for their support of this free cruise.

Save the Harbor's free youth environmental education and family programs are made possible with Leadership Grants from Bay State Cruise Company, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, The Boston Foundation, The Coca-Cola Foundation, Distrigas/ENGIE. 

Save the Harbor is grateful for Partnership Grants from Forrest Berkley & Marcie Tyre Berkley, The Clowes Fund, Comcast, Eastern Salt Company, Inc., Fan Pier - The Fallon Company, John Hancock Financial Services Inc., Kershaw Foundation - Cheers for Children, Mass Environmental Trust, Mass Humanities, Massachusetts Bay Lines, Massachusetts Port Authority, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, P&G Gillette, William E. & Bertha E. Schrafft Charitable Trust, Vertex, Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, The Yawkey Foundation. 

Save the Harbor also appreciates funding support from Arbella Insurance Group Charitable Foundation, Blue Hills Bank Foundation, Blue Hills Bank Pavilion, BOMA, Boston Properties - Atlantic Wharf, Camp Harbor View Foundation, Clipper Ship, Foundation, Inc., The Daily Catch Seaport, Elizabeth Elser Doolittle Charitable Trust, Emera Inc., Paul & Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation, Thomas & Lucinda Foley, The HYM Investment Group, LLC, Lovett-Woodsum Foundation, Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, National Grid Foundation, The Reebok Foundation, RMR Real Estate Services, Lawrence J. & Anne Rubenstein Foundation, Skanska, South Boston Community Development Foundation, Spectra Energy, Tishman Speyer. 

Save the Harbor would also like to thank our supporters 3A Marine Service, AP Staffing, Andus Baker & Rowan Murphy Family Fund, Bay State Federal Savings Charitable Foundation, Andrew J. Calamare & Marianne Connolly, Circle Furniture, The Fuller Foundation, Inc., Legal Sea Foods, Miss Wallace M. Leonard Foundation, Sherry & Alan Leventhal Family Foundation, George Lewis - Haven Trust, Liberty Bay Credit Union, Mass Bay Credit Union, National Park Service, Nicholson Foundation, Randy Peeler & Kate Kellogg, Red Sox Foundation, Rockland Trust Charitable Foundation, Storm Duds, Matthew J. & Gilda F. Strazzula Foundation, TD Bank Charitable Foundation, UDR, Kyle & Sara Warwick, Matthew Whitlock & Penny & Neal. 

Special thanks to the hundreds of individual donors and to our partners at the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, the Boston Centers for Youth and Families and the YMCA of Greater Boston for their support.

Introductions!

Tickled pink about another beautiful day on
the fish pier

Hi everyone! My name is Melissa, and I am very excited to be one of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s new environmental policy interns. I graduated this May from Clark University, where I studied Environmental Science and Policy and clarinet performance. When I wasn’t studying Brahms and Beethoven, I was coming to understand the close but complicated relationship between environmental policies, sustainability, water quality, and public health. My time at Clark allowed me to foster my passion for water; I was able to study water quality and water contaminants, while also working closely with the university to promote campus water sustainability by upgrading the irrigation system.

Enjoying the views next to Portage Glacier,
 which is right outside my hometown of
Anchorage, Alaska!

Since my start at Save the Harbor just a few weeks ago, I have hit the ground running. My fellow intern Alicia and I were tasked with finding out everything there is to know about the smelly, brown algae that plagues beachgoers in the North Shore. The algae, formally known as Pilayella littoralis, are an algae that naturally grows on rocks in the water, but can detach and float freely with the waves. When the decomposes on the shore, it releases sulfur gas, which smells an awful lot like rotten eggs. The algae in the Nahant Bay poses a peculiar dilemma; unlike the Pilayella in other parts of the world, this Pilayella has learned to multiply on its own, so it can double its body weight in just six to ten days. While this is fascinating from a biological standpoint, it makes the algae-smell problem particularly difficult to manage.

In addition to my research, I was also recently able to a beach cleanup of Tenean Beach and Savin Hills Beach with Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Despite the looming threat of rain and the blustery winds, we worked all day to improve the beaches, ultimately removing 80 bags of debris from the beaches. It was so fun to have the opportunity to get my hands dirty and contribute to the community! I have enjoyed being able to become so involved so quickly, not only by supporting policy initiatives in the office, but also getting out into the community and helping with my hands.

I am so excited to be a part of this amazing organization, and I can’t wait for the experiences to come!

Keeping a close eye on Matthew.

Thanks to our friend Richard Honan of Winthrop for sending us this useful list of hurricane tracking sites.

With Hurricane Matthew currently barreling across the Caribbean and threatening Florida and the U.S. East Coast, he reached out to Fred Pickhardt, a Tampa, Florida-based professional ship weather router, to ask him what were some of his go-to websites and resources for tracking hurricanes and tropical storms. Here are a few of his favorites: 

Best Hurricane Tracking Sites

1. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the place to find the official tropical cyclone forecasts and warnings issued by the US government for the North Atlantic as well as the Eastern North Pacific.  The site has many resources available with excellent satellite photos, computer model guidance and an archive of past historical tracks going back into the 180o’s. The NHC site is user friendly and comes in full feature, mobile and text onlyversions with easy access to the latest storm info, official advisories, marine forecasts and much more. Hurricane Matthew coverage HERE. 
2. The Weather Underground Tropical Weather Page is a very comprehensive and easy to use site which provides excellent tools for storm tracking for both the professional and the amateur.  The site is available in a full (graphics heavy), a lite version, a mobile version and an iPhone version. This site allows you to track tropical cyclones anywhere on the globe with interactive maps that allow overlays of computer guidance, forecast tracks, many satellite images and features several excellent weather blogs. Hurricane Matthew coverage HERE. 
3. The Naval Research Lab (NRL) Monterey Marine Meteorology Division Tropical Cyclone page is another useful site that provides global storm tracking with comprehensive satellite and forecast track information on tropical cyclones across the globe.  This site is heavy on satellite images and is oriented a bit more to the professional user. Hurricane Matthew coverage HERE. 
4. Stormpulse is a commercial site that offers both current and archive tracks on an interactive map that allows you to overlay satellite, radar and surface data. It has a unique feature that allows you to quickly check how far the storm center is from major cities/ports. Hurricane Matthew coverage HERE. 

Other Useful Tropical Cyclone Tracking Sites

• Tropical Cyclone Guidance Project (TCGG), part of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), provides real-time guidance and information for major storms, including Hurricane Mathew. The site uses data from a variety of modeling centers outside of the NCAR, such as NOAA, other national numerical weather prediction centers, and universities. Hurricane Matthew coverage.

• Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) – University of Wisconsin – This is an excellent site for the more technical user with numerous overlays of meteorological analysis tools, satellite photos and surface observations.

• Unisys Hurricane Data page provides an extensive global archive of current and past tropical cyclones.

• Pen State’s Operational Model Displays for the North Atlantic and East Pacific Basins provides links to several operational computer models.  (More for the technical user)
• NOAA listing of World Tropical Cyclone Centers with links

• NASA often provides great satellite imagery for major hurricanes and cyclones. Check out their page for Hurricane Matthew.

• NOAA’s Satellites and Information website also provides satellite imagery of major storms in near real-time.

Also be sure to check out Tropical Tidbits, a blog that focusses primarily on tropical cyclones and related topics, as well as Mike’s Weather Page at SpaghettiModels.com, which is a mash-up of various official models and information.