A New Friend and a New Experience

Hi everyone! 

Since I have already introduced myself, I would now like to take the time to introduce you to my new friend, Meg!

Meg on the beach at Blacks Creek in Quincy

Meg and her brother have joined us the past three days at our program at Blacks Creek in Quincy. If you couldn't tell from her picture, she truly is one of a kind! On our first day at Blacks Creek, I couldn't even get through telling Meg's mom what we had in store for the day without Meg piping up saying "I love nature walks! I love using nets!" - she seemed to love everything that we had planned before we even got started! Her enthusiasm is unrivalled by anyone I know, and boy is it contagious! If I wasn't excited enough for this summer, Meg had me chomping at the bits to get under way and to share with her this beautiful estuary where I get the privilege of spending my summer. 

We started the day by combing the shoreline with a few dip nets. After wading through the water slowly and attempting to catch hermit crabs and snails with her net, Meg found a piece of seaweed attached to her net that she found absolutely repulsive. She had no desire to go near it. With a little coaxing from her brother, Meg picked up the seaweed and exclaimed "That's not as gross as I thought it was!" And she continued playing with the seaweed and sharing it with other students thereafter.

I was told during orientation last week that this summer would be all about doing something we had never done before. In some cases it may be visiting a harbor island, while in others it may be touching seaweed and realizing it's not so gross after all. Thanks to Save the Harbor Save the Bay and our program in Quincy, Meg found it in herself to overcome her fear of seaweed, and I have a feeling that her confidence will begin to transfer over to any and all biodiversity within the harbor, given proper time and exposure.

Until next time! You can find Meg and myself scouting out seaweed. - Jessie

P.S. 

Meg also learned a new strategy when playing as a shark in the game "Sharks and Minnows." By hiding behind this big rock, Meg was able to catch unsuspecting minnows off guard, and turn them into sharks also. Quite the strategy!