Week 3 Underway

Week 3 of Save the Harbor was super fun, and we made sure we got a lot of work done! On Monday we had our usual meeting. We discussed the events that took place in the last week, among all groups. Its nice to be on the call because we do not get to see each other throughout the summer because of Covid-19. There was also a speaker about journalism, Jonathan Mejia. His story was insanely inspirational. He is a journalist that went to Northeastern University. Although his path had a lot of bumps in the road, he learned that he will get the necessary support as long as he tries his hardest. This meeting has shown us that we need to cooperate and work super hard if we want to see success, and be happy. It was a good note to start the week on.

This week our group was on Carson Beach, in my town South Boston. I like being at Carson because of the convenient location. To be working on the beach, in summer: you can't ask for anything better! We have also decided that we would be making a video for our weekly project as well. Carson Beach used to be polluted, and not a safe environment for those seeking a nice day at the beach. Trash, broken glass, and so on was a frequent sight at Carson, and nobody wants to see the amount of pollution Carson Beach used to have. If it was not for the people of Boston, and the lovely volunteers that come to Carson Beach consistently to make sure it is as clean as it possibly can be for the people of the Greater Boston Area. There were even some volunteers cleaning up Carson on Thursday. We set up a crab trap. This was not a good idea because during the night, it was low tide and a raccoon got into the crab trap, destroying the exterior. It was funny to see, but it is unfortunate.

The Squad

On Wednesday, the entire tone of the summer changed. I was brought back to my favorite place on the Harbor. During the past summers I always worked on All Access Boston Harbor, attending Spectacle Island and George's Island with the lead of David Coffin. On Wednesday, my group was lucky enough to go spend the day at Spectacle. We did a long beach walk, searching for sea glass, and even went into the water for a quick dip. This day was necessary because it reminded why this job is fun in the summer: usually you can spend the day out on the harbor with your friends and can have fun with camp groups on the island. Hopefully Covid will clear soon so we can have some fun next summer!

Carson Beach was lucky enough, due to the relentless effort of Bostonian to experience such a drastic and beautiful change. It deserved the environmental justice it received due to the amount of pollution and trash on Carson. The water was unsafe to swim in, walking without shoes on was a safety hazard, and just being at the beach did not give the same fun vibe that being at Carson today would. We exemplified the true power of environmental justice through the transformation of Carson Beach which is: working together, despite identity and background to push for improvements on environmental policy.

Thanks,
Qalid Hassan :)