The Power of Friendship

I had fun talking to this wacky group of kids one day at Black's Creek!
It's never a dull moment when kids are involved. 

It's been a gloomy couple of a days here in the Greater Boston area, with thunder booming and the threat of rain lingering over our heads each day. However, you wouldn't know it if you took a visit to Blacks Creek. Each day, numerous kids braved the chill and the rain to come explore with us, something that is very telling of the importance of these activities in their lives. They simply did not care that the water was cold (which it certainly was), or that the crabs were difficult to find. They were just happy to be there, and to be out and about in Blacks Creek.

Now that we're getting into the swing of things, many of the kids that visit us during the week are repeat visitors, and as such are starting to really learn the ropes. They know all the rules, how to catch and properly hold green crabs, and what the best spots to catch green crabs, hermit crabs, and the occasional minnow or two. They can easily identify if a crab is male or female, though some of the younger kids might need a gentle reminder as to which shape corresponds to which gender. But while they're building relationships with their environment, they're also beginning to build relationships with each other as well as our staff. It's always nice for me to see a bond forming, whether it be Eric teaching one of the kids how to skip rocks. Or Jahari playing taps with swarms of rambunctious kids. Or Nieomi showing off her crab prowess to the kids. It Also makes me smile when a kid in a different program, who had previously spent time with us, excitedly calls out a greeting to me from the boat he's on. It just goes to show that the work we are doing goes far beyond simply teaching these kids how to catch crabs. By building these relationships, we can be better role models, and therefore help these kids follow our example in respecting nature.