New Video Intern - Meg McKeone

Hi!

My name is Meg McKeone, and I am the new video intern at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay! I am an upcoming senior at Boston University, and I am majoring in Film and Television in the School of Communication (or as we call it, "COM") with a focus study in French. I am from the town of Hingham, Massachusetts, which is only a quick ferry ride away from Boston, so the city has always been my home! Growing up in the South Shore, I've always loved the ocean, and daily trips to the Cape and into Long Wharf in Boston has always been a favorite activity for me and my friends ever since I could remember.

Looking for an internship for the summer, I wanted something where I could not only practice my skills, but be able to have the best experience while doing so. The minute I saw what Save the Harbor/Save the Bay had in store for me, I was already excited to get started. I had always had a passion for fundraising and helping the community along with loving the harbors of Massachusetts, and I knew that Save the Harbor/Save the Bay was the best fit for an amazing internship experience.  I have the opportunity to help out with fundraisers, and work with multiple organizations and communities. I cannot wait to start filming events, working with the youth community, and being able to help the marine environment along the way!

New Program Intern - Maggie Hart

Hi!

My name is Maggie Hart, I am from South Boston, MA. I just finished my sophomore year at Elon University in North Carolina and I am in the process of earning my Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies with a minor in Geographic Information Systems. I am working here at Save the Harbor, Save the Bay this summer as an Summer Program intern and Lead Harbor Explorer, and I'm so excited and eager to get started. I will be working on an individual project, as well as working with Save the Harbor's Youth Environmental Education Programs.

I grew up in South Boston, so I have always known about Save the Harbor. I have attended beach clean ups ever since I can remember, and I have always loved being involved in the community where I am from, but I have also loved getting involved in other communities as well. I am looking forward to getting to know my colleagues and the people of the communities that I will be working with. I am very passionate about the environmental issues happening in our world today, and I am excited to be able to make a difference in something that is so close to home, but also important for the future of our earth and environment. I am so excited for the summer to get started, and I hope to see you on the beaches soon!

Alexia Johnson- A New Perspective

Hi Everyone!

My name is Alexia Johnson and I am a rising senior Chemistry major at Ithaca College. In addition to my chemistry major, I also have a minor in Integrated Marketing and Communications (IMC) from the Park School of Communications. This summer I will be working for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay as a Science Communications intern and I am very excited to learn how to do that in a not-for-profit setting.

Every year for as long as I can remember I would go up to southern Maine for at least a couple of days. Because of that, I have seen first-hand how things have changed over the years. Animals that were abundant on the rocks have dwindled and moved locations, big boulders that were once blocking the way now gone, the list goes on and on. Those experiences that I have had, and still have, in Maine are what caused me to be passionate about the ocean and marine life.

I'm excited to see what the summer holds and cannot wait for it to be officially summer!

New Environmental Policy Intern - Erin Bryan

Hello!

My name is Erin Bryan and I am a new Environmental/Public Policy intern here at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. Currently I am rising sophomore majoring in Biology & Biotechnology and minoring in Environmental & Sustainability Studies at Worcester Polytechnic Institute- known as WPI because we love our acronyms. With my studies I am hoping to learn more about how to apply microbiology to environmental stewardship and work with existing organisms- ocean critters!- to help care for and protect our wonderful natural resources. Braintree, Massachusetts is my hometown and is luckily only a quick drive from a myriad of beautiful beaches and waterfronts.

When I came across this internship opportunity, I was very excited because it was the perfect combination of two major interests of mine: environmental science and public policy for problem solving. Once I started here, I realized that Save the Harbor/Save the Bay does so much more than I ever even thought. Getting to start to see the inner workings of a non-profit and how their different projects serve both the community and the environment has been eye-opening.

Starting here as an intern has been particularly informative because one of the beaches whose water and beach quality Save the Harbor/Save the Bay helps to oversee is Wollaston Beach in Quincy, an area that much of my family has called home for decades. I remember being younger in the early 2000s and going to visit my grandmother, who would not let us swim in the ocean because it was significantly polluted. But since being at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, I’ve learned that their initiatives have made great strides towards transforming Wollaston Beach- along with many other Boston Harbor beaches- into a safe and enjoyable place for families to enjoy the waterfront and all that it has to offer.

I am very excited to have the opportunity to intern here this summer, and I look forward to being a part of the great work that Save the Harbor/Save the Bay does here in Massachusetts!

MBC To Hold Public Hearing In Winthrop On May 14

The Metropolitan Beaches Commission (MBC) will hold the final community hearing, the seventh of nine public hearings in the winter and spring of 2019, for waterfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket to receive public input about the state of the beaches. The hearing for Winthrop will be held on Tuesday, May 14th from 6-8pm at the Arthur T. Cummings School.

“The region’s public beaches are important recreational, economic, and educational assets,” said State Senator Brendan Crighton, Senate Co-Chair of the MBC. “Working together we have made our beaches cleaner, safer and more accessible, and I am looking forward to continuing our work together this year.”

“Winthrop Beach is one of Winthrop’s most valuable assets,” said Senator Joseph Boncore, who serves on the Metropolitan Beaches Commission. “The MBC works tirelessly to protect our natural resources to ensure they are accessible for generations to come.”

The Metropolitan Beaches Commission was created in 2006 by the Massachusetts Legislature to make findings and recommendations on ways to strengthen the Boston metropolitan region's 15 public beaches in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy, and Hull which are managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). The Commission is comprised of elected officials and community, civic, nonprofit, and business leaders from Boston and the metropolitan region's waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities.

In 2013, the Commission reconvened to examine the impacts of the reforms and recommendations made in its first report and issue additional findings and recommendations to better leverage these resources for residents in the future. The MBC was made permanent in 2015. Each year the Commission holds public hearings at the State House and in waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket, and issues an annual report of its findings and recommendations to the Legislature and to DCR.

“As the Commissioner from Revere Beach, the nation’s first public beach, I know how important these resources are,” said State Representative RoseLee Vincent, House Co-Chair of the MBC. “Beaches like Revere Beach are premier destinations for millions of visitors from across the Commonwealth and the country, and enhance the lives of the community members who live along their shores.”

The Commission will release its third report on the state of the metropolitan beaches in late spring after the hearings are completed. During the last round of hearings more than a thousand people participated, helping the Commission understand what’s working and what could use improvement.

“One of the most important lessons we have learned is that the region’s residents really love their beaches, and have great ideas about how to make them better,” said Bruce Berman, Director of Strategy and Communications at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, which has helped to lead and manage the Commission since its inception. “We look forward to hearing from the residents of Winthrop and all who love Winthrop Beach.”

Each hearing will give community members and beach goers the chance to share their thoughts on the state of their beach, and share their ideas and recommendations to make them even better. The Commission will hold a hearing in late May to review its draft findings with the public before releasing their final report in June. The Commission has held hearings in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Hull, and finally Winthrop between February and May 2019. The MBC held a hearing in Quincy in August of 2018, and the feedback received will also be included in the Commission’s report.

If you love your beach, but can't attend the MBC Hearing, you can share your thoughts by taking part in the MBC online survey at https://tinyurl.com/BeachesSurvey.