The End to a Great Summer

My team with the first striper of the summer!

    Seemingly as soon as it started, my third summer with Save the Harbor Save the Bay has come to a close. A common theme that’s often mentioned is how much of our normal life was altered by the COVID-19 pandemic. This summer is different than all of the summers we have/will have experienced. However, we still hit the beaches, were on the harbor, and helped educate about its history and inhabitants sharing laughs along the way!

    For our last in person day, we had the pleasure of visiting Spectacle Island once more. I brought my fishing rod and took some time to reflect on the past 2 months while casting into the surf.

Sharing a laugh with Albert

    When reminiscing about this summer, it’s difficult to pick out just a few of the many moments that made this year so special. I want to thank Albert, Arianna, Madi, Qalid, and Ty for being on my team. You all worked hard and helped to produce some phenomenal content that will go a long way educating local communities about our harbor. Thanks to David Coffin for sharing a seemingly endless amount of Boston Harbor knowledge with us. Thanks to Captain Charlie for taking us out on the water and always putting us on fish. And finally, a  huge thank you to Kristen, Bridget, Maya, and Sam who made this summer run smoothly, without their facilitation, programming would not have been nearly as fun. We started the summer off strong with a several mile walk at Revere Beach on our first day of programming, then caught the first striped bass of the summer on the next day! We battled swarms of mosquitoes to explore Belle Isle Marsh. We crushed the Harborwalk scavenger hunt. And most importantly, we had a lot of fun.

 

Stellwagen Bank crew

   A few of us got the opportunity to explore the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. This incredible day was well worth the 6 A.M. wake-up call on a Sunday. Humpback whales, a leatherback sea turtle, and a wealth of fish were welcomed guests on our trip offshore. Aside from the fish we caught, we also gained a wealth of knowledge about the life histories and conservation of the many species that inhabit local waters. It’s a day I am sure to remember for a long time. 

    As I made my way around Spectacle, I looked over to Long Island. It reminded me of all the great memories I’ve made there in the past at Camp Harborview

The last striper of summer programming 

and made me look forward to next summer when hopefully the camp can open up again. I looked to my left and saw Deer Island. It is home to the MWRA sewage treatment facility that helps to keep Boston Harbor clean, and for that I am grateful. I make one last cast before reconnecting with the rest of the Save the Harbor staff and manage to connect with a schoolie striped bass. A pair of stripers seemed like perfect bookends to a great summer. 

    I recently stumbled upon a quote from former president John F. Kennedy that resonated with me, “We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch it, we are going back from whence we came”. Something that I have often thought of throughout this summer is how despite the uncertain times, the harbor has always been there. And I think this is important for us to remember, regardless of what’s happening in the world, the stripers will still migrate, the seals will still swim, and the tides will still change. I hope more of us feel this tie to the ocean and come to love the harbor as I do. 

Stay safe, stay healthy, and as always

Tight Lines,

Michael