The Tea About The Harbor

Hello all!

Fishing for trash in the channel!

Identifying the sex of a Green Crab

Another busy week, another blog to tell you all about it! We started our week kayaking in the Harbor Channel collecting trash that we could see on the surface of the water. While we teach about the history of the harbor and those who vowed to environmental stewardship, I enjoyed my time manually picking trash from the harbor and bonding with my coworkers. We spent our week at Spectacle Island, catching three Skates this week and searching for intricate sea glass on its shore! To end our week the All Access Squad worked a Better Beaches event at Carson Beach in South Boston! The day consisted of crabbing and fishing, acrobats, music, sand raking, massive beach balls, splashing, and hot dogs upon hot dogs. It was a great (and free!) opportunity for any child in Boston to enjoy the harbor and services we provide.

Parts of plates found on the shore of Spectacle!

Harbor History

Having hands on experience with the harbor has unearthed a whole aspect of Boston's history that I wasn't fully familiar with previously. I've learned about the trash mountain on Spectacle, the Civil War fort on George's, and the water treatment facility on Deer. On my days at The Children's Museum, I watched hundreds of children throw over "bags of tea" into the channel standing next to colonially-dressed men imitating the most iconic Boston Harbor story: the Boston Tea Party. On December 17, 1773, threw chests of tea into the harbor to protest the British parliament's taxation without representation, escalating the camaraderie for the American Revolution. That one night almost 250 still sends shockwaves through the Boston Harbor, as skyscrapers have gone up, technology has advanced, and thousands of of people walk by every day.  The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum floats on the harbor channel, enriching passerby's and museum-goers about the revolution and the role the harbor played in the journey for freedom.

The Harbor's rich history emulates acts of progression. From the revolutionary war to the environmental revolution to clean up the harbor, you are never running out of new things to learn more about. In my research about the harbor's history, I came across a UMASS Archives video of the harbor in the 1960's. Check it out to see the true transformation of the water and the surrounding areas! https://vimeo.com/174398217

Catch ya later!

Kathleen