Sunday's weather had passengers feeling like it was summer
again as they hopped on board the Bay State Cruise Company's Provincetown II
for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's cruise out to Spectacle Island.
With nearly 650 members of the public attending, guests arrived at the dock ready
to swim, fish, hunt for beach treasures, and hike around the drumlins in
Boston's National and State Park.
Once underway, Harbor Historian David Coffin welcomed
everyone to Boston Harbor, and filled the short trip out to Spectacle with
the story of the Boston Harbor Cleanup. He pointed out different islands as we were passing, and spoke of the importance of the sewage treatment plant on Deer Island. He painted a picture of the transformation of the body of water
that once was referred to as a "Harbor of Shame" to the beautiful
blue-green waves that we were cruising through. David makes it a point to go
swimming every day that he is out on Spectacle Island, and on this particular
day he had some company taking a dip at the swimming beach.
Several members of the summer youth staff returned to share
their expertise with the Harbor's marine life and Save the Harbor's Youth
Environmental Education Curriculum. They engaged with children and adults alike to for fishing and crabbing on the pier. Hundreds of participants
spent time learning how to fish, learning about the dozens of crabs they
caught, and hearing more about the mission of Save the Harbor.
On the beach, people were searching for the Treasures of
Spectacle Island including ceramics and sea glass with staff and volunteers.
They kicked off their search with an introduction to the treasures that they
might find with rangers from the National Park Service, and then spent hours combing the beach in search of these items.
Up on the drumlins, folks were flying kites and exploring
the island with the Boston skyline in the distance. There are several miles
of trails to explore, so visitors looking to get in a little exercise while on
island got their fix, complete with information boards with more about the
history and species found on and around Spectacle Island.
On the boat ride home, there were many smiles, laughs, and
chatter about the afternoon on Spectacle. We truly could not have asked for a
better day to cruise out to the Boston Harbor Islands.
To stay up-to-date on the work we do to restore, protect and
share Boston Harbor visit www.savetheharbor.org and
like or follow savetheharbor on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Save the Harbor's free Share the Harbor Cruises are made
possible with Leadership Grants from Cronin Development, the Massachusetts
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, and Bay State Cruise
Company.
Save the Harbor is grateful for Leadership Grants from Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, The Boston Foundation, The Coca-Cola
Foundation, Exelon Generation, and John Hancock Financial Services.
Save the Harbor is also grateful for Partnership Grants from
the Boston Bruins Foundation, Boston Properties – Atlantic Wharf, Boston
Properties—200 Clarendon, The Daily Catch Seaport, Davis Family Charitable
Foundation, Eastern Salt Company, Inc., Engie, Fan Pier - The Fallon Company,
Highland Street Foundation, Hood Business Park, The HYM Investment Group, LLC,
IR+M Charitable Fund, The Llewellyn Foundation, Massachusetts Port Authority,
National Grid Foundation, P & G Gillette, Lawrence J. and Anne Rubenstein
Charitable Foundation, William E. Schrafft & Bertha E. Schrafft Charitable
Trust, Clinton H. & Wilma T. Shattuck Charitable Trust, and Vertex.
Save the Harbor also appreciates Stewardship Grants from the
Camp Harbor View Foundation, Circle Furniture, Comcast, Copeland Family
Foundation, The Cricket Foundation, Cruise Industry Charitable Foundation,
Davis Family Charitable Foundation, Elizabeth Elser Doolittle Charitable Trust,
Dorr Charitable Foundation, Enbridge, Tom & Lucinda Foley, Foundation for
Sustainability and Innovation, The Kershaw Foundation – Cheers for Children,
George Lewis - Haven Trust, Liberty Bay Credit Union, Lovett Woodsum
Foundation, Maine Community Foundation, MarineMax Russo, Massachusetts
Convention Center Authority, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Nicholson
Foundation, Pabis Foundation, REI, RMR Real Estate Services, Rockland Trust
Pavilion, Skanska, Abbot & Dorothy H. Stevens Foundation, TD Charitable
Foundation, and Tishman Speyer.
Save the Harbor would also like to thank our Program Funders
Andus Baker & Rowan Murphy Family Fund, MA Attorney General’s Office
Healthy Summer and Youths Jobs Program, The Paul and Edith Babson Foundation,
Beacon Capital Partners, LLC, Andrew Calamare & Marianne Connolly, Cell
Signaling Technology, Diversified Automotive, Legal Sea Foods, Miss Wallace M.
Leonard Foundation, Mass Bay Credit Union, Matthew J. & Gilda F. Strazzula
Foundation, UDR, and Kyle & Sara Warwick.
Save the Harbor would also like to extend our gratitude to
our Supporters 3A Marine Service, The Bay State Federal Savings Charitable
Foundation, Cresset Group, Massachusetts Marine Educational Trust, Randy Peeler
& Kate Kellogg.
Special thanks as well to the hundreds of individual donors
for their support and to our partners at the Department of Conservation and
Recreation, the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, the Boston Centers for Youth
and Families and the YMCA of Greater Boston.
To stay up-to-date on the work we do to restore, protect and
share Boston Harbor visit www.savetheharbor.org and
like or follow savetheharbor on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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