It is so Hard to Say Goodbye

Goodbye Save the Harbor,

    It was a pleasure being a Senior Harbor Expert. As I sit here reflecting on my time with this wonderful organization, I can't help but feel grateful for all the experiences I've had. From sailing on the open sea to learning about the incredible marine life at the aquarium, I've had the privilege of seeing some truly amazing things. One of the highlights of my time with Save the Harbor was working with the JPEs in my second session. These young people were so enthusiastic and dedicated to their work, and it was a joy to see them grow and develop throughout our time together. I'll never forget the day we went fishing together. 

    The JPEs worked to ensure that everyone was participating and getting involved, and their hard work paid off. We caught some incredible fish that day, and I was so proud of the team for all their efforts. As I say goodbye to Save the Harbor, I know that I'll always cherish the memories I've made here. It's been an incredible journey, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this amazing organization. Thank you, Save the Harbor, for all that you've done for me and for the community. I'll always remember my time here with fondness and pride.

First Summer with Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay

Hello,

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere appreciation for Save the Harbor. As a senior finance major at Tuskegee University, I have had the privilege of working with some of the programs that Save the Harbor partners with. However, it was only recently that I became fully aware of the significant impact that this organization has on the environment. Save the Harbor is not only dedicated to keeping the Boston Harbor safe and clean but they are also recognized for its role in educating people about pollution on a national scale. Through my experience with the organization, I have learned a lot about the Harbor, thanks to their knowledgeable LHEs and JPEs. We spend our days teaching kids how to fish and teaching about the islands as we are learning ourselves every day.

The commitment and passion that Save the Harbor bring to their work is truly remarkable. Witnessing the significant difference they make daily is truly inspiring. I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this organization and look forward to continuing to learn from and work with them in the future. Sincerely, Darius Anderson

last blog of summer '23

Hey guys it’s Chrisnel!  

    This summer has been so much fun and I’m so sad that it’s ending :(! These past two months I worked at the sites All Access and the Children’s Museum which are very different from each other. I’m not gonna lie I liked All Access more because of the ferry rides and the fact that I got to see hundreds of people in a singular day. Children’s was a lot slower since you’re outside the museum all day doing the same thing. Where as All Access time seems to go by a lot quicker with greeting the groups coming, the ferry ride, and the amount of things to do on the islands. But Children’s was fun in its own way, seeing so many tourists walk by and seeing their surprise as I tell them all the little fun facts about our harbor that I’ve learned this summer was so fun to me.

Isis and Kimani with Montrell the Green Crab at Childrens

Something that I didn’t expect from this job is the amount of knowledge I’ve picked up without even realizing. Like the fact that rain storms washes a lot sewage and bacteria into our harbor. I learned this from the amount of times our activities were canceled this past month because of rainy August has been lol. I also learned a lot about green crabs, an invasive species in our harbor that you can tell the gender of by looking at the shape of its abdomen. And lastly, before working here I had no clue how nasty the Boston Harbor used to be.

I enjoyed all of the people I’ve met this summer. I had never expected to get so close to so many people and I’m gonna miss everyone so much. Now that summer is over I’m looking forward to soccer season this fall, and starting my second year of high school!  

Ari and I during the Turner Construction site tour!

See you guys next summer xx

My final blog for save the harbor

My final week and blog of save the harbor is been a wild funny and interesting part of my summer I've worked at all excess where we went to islands teaching kids how to fish,played games with them,help them touch crabs,and all in all had fun. The other place I worked out for the next half was the boston children's museum where we stood outside teaching kids how to fish(again) and let them touch crabs and draw, So it was a little boring at this site but I still had good friends who could make it really interesting. Through out all of these I learned how to fish,kayak,and sail alot better than before so I can now enjoy the seas alot better after the job. Just like how I enjoyed the best feild trip of this job the kayaking and sailing had to be one of the best ones there was just the speed I was able to gain on people that were sailing was satisfying. It makes me miss the things I'll do here when fall comes. But luckily I'll be able to see the friend's I wasn't able to see during the summer.

New Sites

Hey y’all I'm back! 

     Now being at AABH is very cool. I get to go on fishing trips and go to Spectacle and Georges Island. It is very chill and I get to interact with so many different groups of kids. I definitely don't go a day where we are not laughing and having fun with the other kids. I’m not gonna lie when you are at AABH time goes way faster which is great because it's always a pretty easy day. I got to experience my first fishing trip and it was very fun. I got to help some kids and fish as well. Although MK literally ditched me so I was stuck with Will, Giacomo, Henry, and Erik 😐. But I still had lots of fun!

After a day @ Spectacle ppl get sleepy 😴

    

We have also been going on trips with all the staff on Friday's! My 2 favorites are the trip we took to Piers Park and are most recent to the Aquarium. At Piers Park we went kayaking and sailing, I loved it until I fell in the water like 4 different times, once my fault and the rest were Harry’s. But it was mad hot outside so it felt great. The sailing was very cool, I got to get to know one of the staff members at Piers Park and we had a blast talking and getting to bond. Last friday we went to the aquarium. I was so excited because I haven’t been to the aquarium since I was like 5. I got to touch a Stingray for the first time in a while. While there we got to meet with the youth staff there as well and played a few games to get to know each other. I loved playing zip, zap, zop, never played it until we went there and I will definitely be using that game in the future. This week was a blast, but I can’t wait to see what this upcoming week has for me, especially for the trip to Georges and for the upcoming Fishing trips! SEA YALL NEXT TIME!!!

-Bri

End of July

 

(a picture from last year at CHV)

    So July is already over; somehow, I thought this month would be longer.  For the past month at all access, we've caught only crabs. Like last time they were green crabs.  A fun fact about green crabs is that they are not all green some are red. The way you can tell is the number of spikes on their shells.  There are 5 on each side so you can spell out the word green.  They don't really grow very big and most of them are so small their claws are tiny.  However, occasionally there is one that is larger.  you can find them in Europe because that's in their name the European Green Crab.  Also, in Boston Harbor, because they are invasive to the area, that's why we catch so many.  They eat squid which is great for us because that's what we use for bait!

    Now something else we caught a skate, wait no we never actually caught it it fell off the hook. Since I didn't catch the skate we did catch some spider crabs and if this sounds like all the other times I write about what we catch because that's really all we catch, however everything we catch excites the public because it gives them a chance to interact with the water differently.  Spider crabs look like a spider because they have very long legs and claws. They can get really big compared to a green crab. They're huge but, their claws are really weak.  They can't even hold on to the bait if they're on the hook they'll just fall off when they reach the surface.  

    My favorite part about all access is just everything you get to enjoy working on an island. When we're at Spectacle we can go swimming after we finish with the fishing.  There's usually some wind so when it was supposed to be almost 100 degrees outside it wasn't as bad; it was still really hot but at least it wasn't 100 degrees. Getting to explore these islands with my co-workers and teach the public really makes the summer so much fun!

    Next week I'm going to be working at CHV so the one thing I'm excited about is the food that they give to us and meeting the new campers!  They always have something good at breakfast and lunch and the campers are super enthusiastic.  Also, it's just really fun to work here.  

well, that's about all I can think of so see you next time.

new site

 

     

    Well, sort of a new site, I worked at CHV last year.  The schedule of the day was about the same as last year; get to the boat, set up, eat breakfast (not as good as last year but still good), get our first group, then the second, eat lunch, fishing club, put everything away, get on the boat, and that's it; one entire day at CHV.  

    The one thing different about working at CHV this year is that we don't work there on Fridays because we now use that day for a staff day where we go do different things like last Friday we went to the aquarium. Going to the aquarium was really fun I could've watched the penguins swim around for hours.  I learned that their teen staff basically does a lot of things whether it's checking on what marine species are in the harbor or doing everything else.  This was interesting to me because I've only seen a couple of people from the aquarium on our all access trips to spectacle island, and I never knew what they were doing.  Now I know they were pulling up traps to see what was in the water. 

    Another Friday that I enjoyed is when we went to Peirs Park because it was a really nice day and we all just got to relax on a boat.  Also when we went kayaking my boat didn't flip and I never fell in, unlike a few people.  we also went sailing and the boat I was on had someone who works for Peirs Park and also works at CHV doing the sailing. 

    Next week Im excited to just have a nice day working on an island.

Goodbye for now and see you on the water!

All Access!

 Hello, it’s me again harry and I just finished my first week at All Access. I’m enjoying this a lot because I get to be on a boat and go to the islands. My favorite has to be George’s Island because we explored the island and went inside the dark tunnel. My new team is also really fantastic because everyone is so lovely.

My favorite staff Friday has to be the aquarium because I just love going to the aquarium. I just like watching the fishes swim around and looking at the penguins hop around and swim. I learned about how much fun it is to work at the aquarium and how nice it is to work with marine life. One question I would ask then is if they are hiring because working at the aquarium seems like something I would be interested in in the future.

Another staff Friday was at Piers Park because I was able to kayak and sail in one day. I had a lot of fun spending time with everyone and enjoying the water. I fell multiple times but I had a blast. I learned a lot about how talented the people who work there are because I have no idea how to sail. I would ask them how they sail because I would like to learn and sail on my own one day.

I’m excited to work at Spectacle and George’s Island again because it was indeed a different experience from children’s. Also, another Friday staff bc so far everyone's Friday has been amazing and I’m definitely looking forward to another one. That’s it for my blog for this week.

See you at the harbor!

Harry 

Site Switch!

 Hey guys it's Chrisnel! :)

    This past week at STH has been fun and a learning experience as I adjust to my new site. Before I was at All Access, but now I'm at the Children's Museum. It's similar, we still do the crab trap, the fishing rods, and the touch tank. Except I'm in a different environment since at All Access I'm usually at Spectacle or Georges Island. I really enjoy Children's since I get to interact with so many people who are just passing by our tent. On my first day at Children's, I met people who were visiting Boston from all over the world, and getting to teach them a little bit about our harbor was so fun to me! Many of them were surprised that we caught the green crabs in the harbor. I've gotten really comfortable managing the touch tank, which is funny to me considering how squeamish I was when I first got the job- struggling to even hold the squid when baiting the fishing rods. 

    We've had a few staff events this past month, but one of my favorites was when we went to the Franklin Park Zoo! I hadn't been to the zoo since elementary school so it was fun revisiting the different exhibitions at an older age. We were separated into groups and did a scavenger hunt which was fun because it allowed us to explore and take a look at the animals. My favorite part was seeing the Gorillas since they were really close to the glass when we got there. After the staff event Seoule, Maddox, and I "ran it back" as Maddox described it, to explore the parts of the zoo we didn't get to see which was really fun since we weren't limited with time when looking at the animals. 

Maddox recovering from his injury right next to the Gorillas

    My second favorite staff event was when we went to the New England Aquarium! Before be had headed to the aquarium we had some lunch back at the office, the pizza was really good. Arianny seemed a bit more excited about it than me though. I hadn't been to the Aquarium in a while as well so this was really fun for me. My favorite part was the touch tank because I got to touch a sting ray- something I was always too scared to do when I was younger so it was like a full-circle moment for me lol. The lighting in the aquarium is really dark and with all of the tanks it had this blue hue which was really cool, it kinda felt like you were in the water with the animals. Overall it was a really fun experience. The exit of the aquarium was in the gift shop and I knew it was a trap but I still fell for it :( I ended up spending 20$ on a glow-in-the-dark putty which I kinda regret but the damage is done. 

Arianny's reaction to there being pepperoni

For next week my mainly excited about the BHWOCC since I think it'll be a great chance to meet new people and get closer to my fellow WOC who work here at SHSB :) See you next week!

- Chrisnel 

Blog 3- isaac

 First week at my new site for the next half of save the harbor, I'm not gunna lie not much to do, but the friend's that were along with me at the children's site were some of the best there is, so first week was alot of pretty funny stuff ya know. And the fridays were also something to talk about like the kayaking a sailing was just top notch since I love the water and kayaking alot just seeing the faces of people swearing revenge on me as soon I splash them with water was pretty hilarious. I would say the people over at that site were just trying to let people experience the kayaks and sailing from the harbor and back. The aquarium was also a nice,aestheticly pleasing experience with all the sea animals just swimming or splashing around, or when it just came to the look of the whole place, the workers of the museum were very telling as to why and how they do there job and how they accomplish there goals, when there's visitors they'll show the animals doing what they do like flipping,eating, or just swimming and honestly it was a nice experience learning something new from them. Also an experience,we lost Maddix due to the fact he told Noone he was using the bathroom and he pretty much missed the whole trip. One question I could ask the employers is how the animals feel after being locked up for our entertainment and knowledge and if they ever get freed from time to time. After every thing this week at my new site and the past fridays, I would say it has been an enjoyable summer...except for this week's Saturday, had to be one of the worst days of work in my life,barely any customers,too many stuff to carry tbh,to the point where an Uber just left us without even trying to help us,and I almost got jumped by some kids while I was coming home at EIGHT!!! Ya know thank God I ignored them calling me and I was running at the time but besides that "event" it's been a alright experience at the job for this week.

site switch!!

 Recently i’ve been switched from all Access Boston Harbor to the Boston Children’s Museum site. It was definitely a big change but it wasn’t one that I dislike. I enjoy getting to meet new people from all across the world and teach them about boston and what Save the Harbor does. I am excited to meet even more people and continue doing what i do at my site.

We have been on quite a few trips on Fridays but the one that was my favorite was our trip to the zoo. I enjoyed spending time with my friends/coworkers and getting to enjoy the zoo like I did when i was little. I had fun looking around at all of the animals and talking to the staff about what they do. I hope we can go again soon to see more.

Another staff Friday i enjoyed was our very first one on orientation week. I had fun exploring seaport while also getting to know my coworkers. It was a fun activity to show us an around and help us bond as a team. It is also one of the things i remember most about working at STH.

This week, im excited for the BHWOCC retreat and to see everyone again. That’s all for this week, byeee -isis

STHSTB Part 2

I'm Jah and my last site was Peirs park but I am not placed at CHV. Camp Harbor View is an easy and chill site; it's just a bunch of pre-teens fishing. I know some of the LIT's there so it's fun to interact with the staff there. I see why people love it there and say it is the best site! It's a lot of fun I can say it's very chill and we actually caught a shark the first day, the boy who caught it was named Tayshawn. So far my new site is great and I look forward to the rest of the summer at CHV. 

The best Friday trip we had was at my old site Peirs park. It was my site and people got to see why I hyped it up. This was minus the fact that I fell in the water tipping in my kayak, everything was ok, but the people who caused me to fall were My new SHE and LHE Maddison and Ari:( They are pretty cool but it's funny to bring up Sid and Simon, my best friends from my old site to Maddison. I tell her how much I miss my friends from peirs but maybe over time my coworkers at chv can replace them. However, the Peirs park trip was fun and I got to feel like a camper for the first time in a while, especially enjoying it with my coworkers. 

My second favorite Friday was when we went to the Franklin Park Zoo. I havent been to the zoo since 2nd grade and I learned some new facts about it during the field trip. We saw all differnt land animals, we stepped away from the ocean to the land for the first time. I know this is off-topic but I would really like to have. Friday boat trip. Anywways, it was fun learning animal facts and having fun with cowkorks during the scavenger hunt. I did not pet any animals, that is just not my thing. I only like to look at them not touch them. The best animal I saw at the Franklin Park Zoo was probably the lion. This is because they are so cool and like to chill out in the sun like I do. That's my top two favorite trips with STHSTB more to come! However, I am sad summer is coming to an end :( 

 The two pictures I have added include the boat ride I take every morning to Camp Harbor View and a picture from one of the Friday trips to the aquarium!

Blog #3

 Hello again it's Khaika, 

This month I'm at Piers Park in East Boston. Piers Park is similar to Children's, but it has its differences. At Piers in the morning we spend our time fishing with the first half of kids. Then after our lunch we spend time playing with the kids. I spend my time usually playing soccer or volleyball with them. The kids are very competitive. After lawn games, we have the second half of the kids fishing. My favorite part of the day is hanging out with the kids and seeing how excited they get when we pull up crabs. 

One of the places we went for our staff Friday's was the Franklin Park Zoo. This was one of my favorites because it was like being able to be in touch with my childhood. The last time I went to the zoo was probably in the third grade and now I'm going 10th grade. One of the people I interviewed while there was Kelsey Zhao. She said likes to work at the zoo because of her love for animals. There she works with the animals but she also works in the front of the zoo interacting with the people. My favorite part while at the zoo was seeing the giraffe. 

Another place we went was the New England Aquarium. Similar to the zoo, this was one of my favorites because I haven't been to the aquarium in a very long time. While at the aquarium we heard from the teens that work there, and they told us while there they also get to interact with a lot of the people there. They also get to teach some things about the animals that are in the aquarium. One of my favorite parts was being able to touch the stingrays. They were like a slimy soft feeling. One of the questions I didn't get to ask is how do they get some of the animals that they have, such as the stingrays, penguins, seals, etc. 

The final weeks are coming up and I'm just excited for the rest of the summer. See you guys next week. 

Kids @ Piers using "squid" for bait but tuning it into a crown for our "Queen Crab"

Back at All Access

 

                                                    card games on the way to Georges island

Back at all access for my second month of save the harbor this summer. This first week has been more of the same. we visit spectacle Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday we visit Georges. But for the first time in years I walked the dark tunnel on Georges island. I don't remember the tunnel being that dark but it was still a fun team bonding experience.

                                                    the top of the New England aquarium tank

Every Friday is a staff day trip at save the harbor. this past week we went to the New England aquarium. this was on of my favorites because I love aquariums. before we went inside we had the experience to talk to the teen aquarium staff on what they do during the day. we learned that it was more than just standing around and answering questions. these staff help educate the guests on Marie life and help give people a deeper look into what this aquarium actually is. one memorable thing that I learned is that this aquarium has a rehabilitative center in Quincy for injured marine animals that wash up on the shore of the cape. one more question I would ask if I had the chance would be, what happens when the rehabilitation center is full? where do the animals go?

the second favorite staff day of mine was the zoo. the zoo is always a fun experience young or old. At the zoo I learned that most of the species inhabiting it are endangered including the zebra and the Somali wind donkeys. at the zoo I didn't get the change to talk with any of their youth staff but someone I go to school with works at the zoo and I heard they educate guests on the animals inhabiting it. a memorable experience I had was seeing the monkeys. one of the monkeys and its child where sleeping together in front of the class and everyone loved it. A question I would ask is where do the animals go in the winter?

See you on the harbor- Seoule

CHV Recap

Hey guys! It’s Bri just wrapped up my first half at Camp Harbor View. I was lowkey pretty sad to leave because I got to know so many kids that at first hated the idea of fishing but by the time they had to leave they wanted to stay and keep fishing. I got to know so many cool staff members at CHV and got to build stronger bonds with my CHV crew. This month I interacted with lots of crabs and a good amount of fish. I saw a lot of Green Crabs and Spider Crabs. I was also able to get to see a Sand Shark. When we caught crabs most were Green Crabs which are an invasive species in our harbor. Green crabs are originally from Europe, North Africa, and the eastern Mediterranean, green crabs have become invasive in many regions worldwide. Ranging 2.5 inches to 4 inches and they are not only green but at times many are also a brown color.  They can now be found in North America, South America, Australia, and parts of Asia. Green crabs inhabit many coastal habitats such as rocky coasts, marshes, seagrass beds, and estuaries. They are known for their ability to hide behind rocks and dig into dirt, these methods help them to survive. Green crabs are an omnivorous species who eat a variety of things, including small fish, crustaceans, bivalves, algae, and waste. The spread of green crabs has harmed local ecosystems and wealthy shellfisheries in numerous areas. Through monitoring, trapping, and public awareness campaigns, efforts are being made to manage their populations and stop their spread. In order to reduce their impact and encourage environmentally friendly methods, some areas have also looked at the possibilities of taking advantage of green crabs as a resource by turning them into food products or using them for composting. Fun fact, Green crabs are highly adaptable and are able to survive in a wide range of salinities, allowing them to thrive in both saltwater and brackish environments.

CHV Staff Jonny 🦈

Another species I encountered while at CHV was the Dogfish,Dogfish typically range in size from 2 to 5 feet long, depending on the species. They have slender bodies and are well-adapted predators in their marine environments. Dogfish are present in many oceans and seas around the world, with some species being more common in certain regions. They are known to live in temperate and cold seas and are frequently found in habitats in deep ocean waters and along continental shelves. They are highly adaptable and can be found in a wide range of habitats, including rocky reefs, sandy bottoms, and deep waters. Some species are known to undertake seasonal migrations. Dogfish are opportunistic feeders, and their diet primarily consists of fish, squid, crustaceans, and other small marine organisms. They are skilled hunters and use their sharp teeth to catch and consume their prey. Due to overfishing and bycatch in commercial fisheries, some dogfish species have conservation issues. For instance, the population of the spiny dogfish (Squalus acanthias) has decreased, prompting conservation efforts to control overfishing and safeguard their habitats. To secure the survival of these interesting creatures, conservation efforts work to encourage ethical fishing methods and safeguard marine environments. Fun fact, Dogfish are a sort of small shark known scientifically as Squaliform, not dogs.

    This last month has been very eventful and I honestly enjoyed every moment of it. I really loved meeting with the kids in the fishing club at the end of the day. I felt like it was the best way to wrap the day up. I loved the time I had with my crew, especially our little casting competitions. I learned many things, like how to cut the squid the right way, I am now to bait cutting expert. But no for real everything about CHV was amazing, an unreal experience that I got to enjoy with the crew and staff at CHV.

I am very much looking forward to AABH and to meet my new crew. I already know it's about to be a blast, especially getting to go on the fishing trips and beach walks at spectacle and just getting to spend more time with our Harbor Historian (David Coffin), he is low-key so much fun to hang with. Getting to know more about Spectacle and George's island is something I really look forward to. Especially getting to meet a whole new group of kids way younger than at CHV is something I look forward to, especially getting to answer their questions and seeing them process the information is the best.

"You can be a burning pile of trash for 10 years and you can still be able to turn your life around." 

- wise words from David Coffin 

See ya next time!!

-Bri

Year #2

  

Hello everybody, My name is Simon and I'm happy to be returning to Save The Harbor for another summer. I was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. Specifically in the South End area and I have always been curious about the different sea life on the Boston Harbor. Attending the different sites this job has to offer will help me learn more about the history and life on the Harbor Islands. Other than learning from this job, I am also excited to reconnect with my coworkers and get the chance to reconnect with the kids from the youth programs. In addition, during the orientation, I got the chance to reconnect with my fellow co-workers. Having the chance to catch up with them and connect with our fellow new colleagues was great. Fishing and touring the islands were great, but getting a chance to talk and have fun with out  team again had to be the best part for me. 

  The history of the Boston Harbor islands has always been something that I have been interested in. Learning about how the Boston harbor islands were used for people's trash throughout the early and mid-1900s is so interesting. The harbor was so dirty people who worked on these islands had to get a shot to even be cleared to work on the Boston Harbor. It took the entire city of Boston to stop this. The people of Boston sued the city for how dirty the harbor was during that time. One of the most interesting things I learned from this was that it took 10 years to burn all the trash on Spectacle Island. Lastly, I will always remember this quote from David, "you can be a burning pile of trash for 10 years and you can still be able to turn your life around."
  

 The sea life in the Boston Harbor is another thing that makes the Harbor so fascinating. There are so many different sea creatures living in the harbor, such as European Green Crabs, Spider Crabs, Black sea bass, and many others that are living right in the harbor. Lastly, I am excited to learn more about the unfamiliar species that may be living on the Boston Harbors and try to get familiar with all of the species by the end of the summer. 

                                                      See Ya At The Harbor!

Blog #1 - Liany

 Hiii,

My name is Liany Cruz! I live in JFK/UMASS (Harbor Point on The Bay) and I go to Boston Arts Academy as a rising senior! I’m an instrumentalist at BAA, I play the electric bass and the double bass. I also am a singer outside of school and I’m in a program/school called Hamilton Garrett Music and Arts Academy. I’m in the youth choir and sing an alto/tenor! I love music that's what I’ve been doing since 3rd grade at Conservatory Lab Charter School and I want to go to college for Musical Theater. I also am going to be in our advanced band at school called Charlie Brown as a bass player and ill be going to the Berkeley Gospel Performance Program this july 24-28th! Love math and humanities if I wasn’t going to go to college for musical theater/music i would definitely go in for math or humanities or even criminal justice because it seems so interesting. Finally, i also went to camp harbor view as a camper for 3-4 years and i went onto the rising program and became a first year l.i.t. YOMOOOO FOR LIFE. 

Something I learned about boston harbor & cleanup is that on spectacle island it was a trash/landfill for years and years and that when they finally decided to start cleaning the island to become more accessible and clean to the public, they piled up all the trash put dirt all over it and set the island on fire. And the fire burned for 10 years! Another thing i learned about the marine science of the Boston harbor is that green crabs are actually very dangerous to our ecosystem since they originated from Europe and weren’t originally from here, so they’re an invasive species ad need to be killed off. My favorite part of orientation was ironically doing the scavenger hunt even though me and my teammates complained about it a lot due to the heat, but learning more about seaport and the harbor, running around from place to place being able to navigate the area was really fun. Especially the rush to get back to the park to be first place was also fun, our group and Darius’s group were very competitive (friendly ofc..). As for my photo, this is when i went to Puerto Rico during April vacation. See you on the bay!

My Second Year

 Hello Reader,

My name is Siddharth Motheram. I’m a rising junior in Boston Latin School, and this is my second year at Save the Harbor. I live in Roslindale, and play volleyball and tennis. One of the main reasons I came back is because of how simple, yet fun this job is. I also get the benefits of seeing and interacting with my friends from last year. In this blog, I'm going to go over some things I learned from the orientation, as well as my favorite part and why.

On our second day of orientation, we visited Spectacle Island, one of the more famous islands in the Boston harbor. There, one of our administrators, David, told us about the history of the island. It used to be a giant trash heap until one day, a trash bulldozer sank into the pile of trash and was never seen again. At that point, the people of Boston sued the government in an effort to improve it. I like this story since it shows how much the general public can influence their surroundings and make genuine change in communities.

We also learned about some of the things you can catch in the harbor, including bass, flounders, skates, and jellyfish. At my site (Piers Park), we usually catch European Green crabs. which are an invasive species that I used to see even last year. Someone has also caught a jellyfish before (which I have never seen). Overall the marine biology of the Boston Harbor is incredibly diverse, and varies drastically depending on location. 

My favorite part of the orientation was when we went to Spectacle Island again. It was really calm and it was also nice to stick my feet into the water. Even though I liked the fishing trip as well, it started raining during our time on the boat which made me like it a lot less. 

Overall the orientation and subsequent week were very fun. I look forward to spending more time with my coworkers at Save the Harbor.

Signing off,

Sid

Me and Simon (the sun got in our eyes)

(our first day at our site)

Blog #1

  Hi guys, I’m Arianny. This is my first year working at Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay. I attend the John D. O’bryant as a Sophomore. I live in South Boston. I enjoy playing soccer and softball. I play both sports for my school teams.

  Given that this is my first year working at this program, I am new to a lot of things. I enjoy working with this program because it allows me to teach young campers how to fish and about the harbor, while learning about marine science at the same time. I’m getting used to baiting the rods, and touching all the types of crabs that we catch. I learn something new everyday.

  I’ve learned about Spectacle Island and how dirty it used to be. There was a fire that lasted 10 years, which resulted in the present island, which it is now safe to walk around and swim in. The fire burned all the waste that was piled on the island from Boston and cities around it.

 While working at Piers Park, I have come to realize that we catch crabs more than any other sea animal. We mainly catch European Green Crabs, which are an invasive species and Spider Crabs. We don't catch much fish because we are more close to land and other sea animals are more far out towards the middle of the harbor. We have caught one baby fish in our crab trap at courageous sailing, which was pretty cool.

  My favorite part of orientation was the trip to Spectacle Island, because it was my first time on a ferry. Also, we got to walk aroundthe beach and look at all the broken glass that is there from the fire, pottery, and seashells. It was nice to see that there was  things from years ago, still on the island. Im excited to have a great summer!

See you soon :)

Year #3 at STH

 

Hi again, My name is Henry Burns and this is my 3rd summer working for Save The Harbor Save the Bay. I will be a freshman at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy this year.  I am so excited to work here this summer.  every year I've worked here and I've never had a bad day even if it's raining and you are soaked like last Monday it still was nice.  

some things I've learned about the harbor cleanup after being here for 3 summers are that it's very clean.  I know that the deer island treatment plant makes sewage into water so clean they say you can drink it.  because of all that you can go swimming in the harbor without getting sick, so that's great because it gets hot on spectacle island, and it's nice to go in the water before you leave.  

some things I've learned about the marine life in Boston Harbor; I know that green crabs are invasive and are literally everywhere.  we could catch over 20 crabs and 99% of them will be green crabs.  well, that's enough of green crabs, I wrote way too much about them so I deleted it because all it said was there bad.  I know the most common fish that we catch when we worked at our sites is skates or baby fish that get caught in our crab trap.  

and finally, my favorite part about orientation week was the fishing trip.  fishing trips are always nice you're just out on a boat but when it's just the people you work with everyone can go fishing and have a greater time.  I got to enjoy a somewhat nice day fixing fishing rods and getting them unstuck when someone thinks they caught a big fish, when they actually just got it stuck on the bottom.  

Sea U Later

 Hi,

My name is Khaika Lacrete. I currently attend the John D. O'bryant as a sophomore. I live in Roslindale. Some of the activities I participate in are soccer, NJROTC. 

I'm excited to work at Save The Harbor this summer to meet new people from around Boston. 

One thing that I learned about the harbor was about Spectacle Island. Spectacle Island used to be an island where they dumped trash. They dumped the trash there for a long time. Eventually they cleaned up the Island and now it's very clean by burning all the trash, and the trash burned for so long. However, there are still remains from the fire that is called Beach Glass.

One thing I learned about fishing is about the crabs, specifically the green crabs. While fishing one of the things that I caught was a green crab. I learned that they are invasive so they don't belong here. 

My favorite part of orientation was the fishing trip. This was my favorite part because I was able to see my friends. Meet new people and make new friends. I also got to do a new thing that I have never done before. 

#bestsummerever

Four Years of Fun on Boston Harbor

 Hey y’all, my name is Will and this is my fourth year at save the harbor save the bay. I’ve had an amazing time every summer I’ve worked here at that’s why I keep coming back. I’m a sophomore at Plymouth State University and I play varsity soccer for the school. I’m from Holbrook Massachusetts which is about 30 minutes from Boston so all of the sites are relatively close to me. I’m interested in cars and sports, mainly soccer and hockey. 

I’m excited to be working at save the harbor this summer because of all of the outside time involved. I love being by/ on the water and this job is the easiest way to have that happen. Another great thing about this job is being able to fish and teach kids about fishing and the harbor. My favorite island to go to is George’s island. The history behind it and the dark tunnel are fun and interesting perks to keep the children involved and help them have fun and new experiences. 

A very interesting piece of harbor history is what happened at spectacle island. It went from being a trash dump to a beautiful island. The trash burned for ten years before finally going out and the island grew in size from the dirt that came from the big dig. 

The marine life in the harbor is very expansive. Green crabs are an invasive species that should not be in the harbor. They are harmful to the environment because they eat food that the native species of the harbor should be consuming.

My favorite part of orientation is going to Spectacle island and hanging out with all of the staff members. Spectacle is such a beautiful island and it’s a shame that not everyone has access to it the way we do. I also enjoy David’s talks, especially when he makes jokes to make the education part more fun for people to stay interacted and interested.

Sea y’all on the harbor!!

4th Year Around

 Hi There, 

    My name is Jaylen Gomez and this is my fourth year at Save the Harbor. I started here as a Sophomore in high school and now I am going into my Junior year of College at Suffolk University. I am originally from the Dominican Republic, immigrated to Dorchester, MA  when I was younger, and lived here ever since. At Suffolk University I study Business Economics, it can be hard at times but I enjoy challenges and seek them out frequently. In my free time, I attend club events at school or Econ seminars hosted by students and professors. I also love to spend time with my friends and family whenever I get the chance, keeping a balance is super important to me.         

    I’m super excited to be back at Save The Harbor. I went on a year hiatus for my freshman/sophomore year and missed everyone terribly, so here I am again enjoying new friends and old, gaining new experiences all over again.  

    Let's brush up on some Boston Harbor history, the Clean Water Act of 1972 was passed to help with national beach clean-ups. Since the act passed, Save The Harbor has been the leading organization in the region to continue making sure our harbor beaches are safe to swim in and for marine life to live. 

    Here's a quick fun fact about Green Crabs. You may see them often around all our beaches or if you enjoy fishing, catching some of your own. However, they are not native to this region; they originate from Europe and hitch rides on big cargo ships across the Atlantic. They are super invasive to this region and destructive to the local marine ecosystem. 

    One last thing before I let you go, the first week of summer programming is always fun with meeting new staff members and the first beach bash of the summer, I always have a blast. 

Sea you next week, 

Jaylen Gomez                                                                                                            

Year four! - Ari

 Hello I’m so excited to be back!! My name is Ari and this is my fourth here to Save The Harbor. About me is that I just graduated high school, and getting ready for college life. During senior year of high school I managed to become my school's president. Helped plan events and help give the faculty on what it’s like to be a student and what students want to change. I got to have my last year playing the sports I love which are volleyball, basketball, and softball. I had amazing teammates who we’re always so supporting. I’m so excited to be back at Save The Harbor and this is my fourth year here. I love spending my time outside, interacting with youth and fishing too! I also loved meeting new coworkers at orientation and getting to know them. I can’t wait to see what the next adventures are!!! 

See you next time on the water- Ari

First Month done!

    Hello, I just finished my first month at Save the Habor. I worked at the Children's museum for the first month and we caught many things such as green crabs, spider crabs, and a little flounder. Today I wanna talk more about green crabs and spider crabs. Green crabs are invasive species because when they arrived here they would compete and eat native species. Green crabs are typically around 2.5 to 4 inches and a fun fact about them is that you can identify their gender by their abdomen. Normally males have a triangular abdomen while females have a round and bigger one.

    The next animal I encountered was a spider crab and these crabs can get pretty big. On our first week at the Children's Museum, I believe we caught a very big spider crab The Common Spider crab is a species of crab that lives along the sea floor on North America's Atlantic coast. They will often feed on large starfish. A fun fact about spider crabs is that they can actually live in very toxic and polluted waters. They are very cool to find while fishing in Boston Harbor.

1 month down and I am already enjoying every moment I have working for Save the Harbor and working with new people and making new friends. One of my favorite parts of the week would be Atlantic Wharf because we would fish in front of it and then get free food. Then we would go to the Northend which was also nice because they have a nice park near it and a basketball court. I also really enjoyed going around constitution with Jason.

I am super excited to start the second half of Save the Harbor at All Access because I've never been on an all-access site yet. I am also excited to get to know other members of Save the Harbor and spend the rest of Save the Harbor with them. I am also looking forward to our Friday team events because so far I've enjoyed every single one of them. 

Year 2: Yahoo

Hey Everyone!!, My name is Madison Murphy and this is my second year with STH and I am so excited to be back! A little about me... I recenlty graduated from Sacred Heart University in CT with a bachelors of science in Marine and Coastal Science with a minor in dance! My junior year of college I was able to study abroad for a whole semester in Dingle, Ireland which was such an amazing experience! In college I was a member of the preprofessional dance company, in Kappa Delta sorority, part of the environmental club, a global ambassador, and also was part of the kickline team. During my time at SHU I volunteered my time to work at a local awuarium helping guests touch and experience our animals. Recently I was hired as a 7th grade science teacher in Everett and if it wasnt for the love I have for working with STH and educating the public on the importance of science and our beaches I wouldnt have been able to acheieve it! I am so excited to be back for year two with STH especially at Camp Harborview! I love working at CHV because the staff over there intertwines with our energy so well and I can see how excited the kids at the camp get to come fishing with us! I am also so excited to have Ari as my LHE as last year being her LHE we got to form such a great bond and friendship and I love seeing her grow as a leader. I am so excited to see what the future holds and to see how this summer goes!! Its been great catching up and I hope to see you on the water soon! Madison Pictures: - graduation pictures!! - field work in ireland!! - surfing in ireland!!