"I want to work for Save the Harbor when I grow up"

My favorite part about working with the kids out at Camp Harbor View is seeing their faces light up when they catch something. It doesn't matter if they catch a crab or a stripper there're always ecstatic. This past week one of the kids in fishing club said something when we were on the fishing trip that really made all of us who work at Camp Harbor View really proud. On that trip Solomon, one of our campers only caught a single piece of seaweed the whole day  out on the boat. But he was so excited and proud of himself for what he had caught. On our way back to the dock he said that when he grows up he wants to work for Save the Harbor.  It kind of took all of us back because we all felt bad for him because he had only caught seaweed while everyone else on the boat was pulling up all different types of fish. He didn't care he was having the time of his life and it just made me really proud of the work that we do and how we can get kids involved in fishing and interested in learning about the harbor and the ocean.

Sometimes we use artificial lures and one of the funniest things is when a kid reals it in and starts shouting 'I caught a fish, I caught a fish' and the kid next to them goes 'Mannn that's the same one you cast out.' One of my favorite things is to see kids go from being scared of the crabs, not even wanting to look at them, to becoming comfortable enough to not only touch them, but to actively hold and interact with them. This progresses to them wanting to come out tide pooling, no longer being afraid to touch the crabs anymore. It has gotten to the point where they would come running over when someone shouts that they've found something and they jump right in there and grab them. It was really cool to see kids fascination and curiosity grow as they got more comfortable with us and with the crabs and fish. By the end of their time with us, they were able to tell which species of crab they had caught and what types of fish lived in the harbor.

In the mornings the kids in fishing club always wave to us when they come off the bus. It's that excitement that even after 3 weeks of camp they were still just as excited on the last day as they were on the first day to come out and fish with us. The kids we worked with this session were definitely memorable and I really enjoyed working with them, even though it wasn't for very long.

I am SO glad that I have had the privilege to work with the people at my site. I feel like were our own little family, and even though I missed some time earlier this month, it didn't feel like I ever left. We all get along so well and it makes me really proud to be a part of their team. I've made so many great memories with you guys and definitely have the tan lines to prove it!

Excited for the next session to start at Camp Harbor View and getting to know our new campers!

See you out on the shore,

Grace