The Last Morning at Blacks Creek

Melanie holds two mating green crabs.

It's hard to believe, but yesterday was our last morning of Harbor Explorers at Blacks Creek! We had a crew of kids who have been with us for a couple of weeks now, and others who have been in and out of programming all summer, so it was hard to say goodbye. Still, we ended on a high note, with the discovery of a pair of mating green crabs, some rousing rounds of Ga-ga Ball, and our first-ever story-time in the sand.
The picture book I brought was a big hit: even the older kids who groaned at the thought of sitting through a story got into the colorful images and clever rhymes of Chris Van Dusen's "The Circus Ship." The story, which I picked out of a Free Box in Cambridge, is set right near the Boston Harbor! When a ship carrying circus animals from Maine sinks on its way to a show in Boston, the lions, tigers, monkeys and other exotic creatures seek refuge on a small island whose inhabitants protect them from the clutches of their former owner, a greedy, corrupt ringmaster by the name of Mr. Paine. I hope that future participants in Save the Harbor/Save the Bay youth programs can enjoy this story as well!
In the next few days, I'll be saying farewell to the Boston area and all the wonderful staff and kids I've gotten to know this summer. I'm grateful to have had this experience to learn a bit about marine science, laugh with young people of all ages, and grow stronger in the sun and the sand!

~Emily B.