Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Save the Harbor Partners with Local Sponsors to Host Early Beach Season Cleanups

In preparation for the 2023 beach season, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay partnered with corporate sponsors to host beach cleanups in Dorchester, South Boston, Revere and Quincy. Though the metropolitan Boston area has some of the best water quality on its beaches, volunteer support is always needed to maintain these sites, remove the trash that continues to wash up or blow down from the rest of the city, and to keep the ramps and walkways free of sand and accessible for people with physical disabilities. 


We kicked off the beach cleanups in April with our friends over at Boston 25, starting the day at sunrise on Wollaston Beach in Quincy. With help from XS Brokers, WIN Waste Innovations, Friends of Wollaston Beach, and DCR more than 30 volunteers cleared trash from the beach and sand from the access ramps.


Volunteers from Boston 25 clear sand from the access ramps at Wollaston Beach in Quincy



On May 15Coast Cannabis sponsored a team of 18 of their employees and partners from High Profile Dispensary to pick up trash and remove invasive species around the basin at Malibu Beach. 


Employees from Coast Cannabis, High Profile Dispensary, and Save the Harbor/Save the Bay at Malibu Beach


I’m incredibly grateful to our first-rate site staff who keep these beaches in great condition year-round in good weather and bad” said DCR Commissioner Brian Arrigo. “Thanks to Save the Harbor and these corporate and community partners for volunteering and lending a hand to support that ongoing work.”   


National Grid sponsored their own cleanup day, scouring the Malibu Beach for those pernicious bits of trash and plastic that hide in the sand where kids play. The team also focused on clearing away waste and invasive species along the beach and boardwalk. 


National Grid volunteers clear invasive species from the boardwalk at Malibu Beach 

“National Grid is committed to contributing to real and positive change in the communities we serve, which is why we’re so proud to support Save the Harbor and their efforts to make Malibu Beach accessible for everyone,” said Caroline Hon, Head of Gas Network Strategy and Planning for National Grid, New England. “It was a great day joining in with colleagues to protect Boston Harbor."


On May 17, Hines sponsored 20 employees to clear cigarette butts, pieces of plastic, and other debris from Revere Beach alongside DCR and Save the Harbor staff. The group worked hard to remove invasive plants from the beautiful garden beds at each beach pavilion. After the cleanup, Hines offered a tour of their new residential development on Revere Beach that will include 209 housing units above a retail space. 


Hines volunteers scour Revere Beach for any trash that could wash into the water

Volunteers from Charlesbank took to Carson Beach to tidy up ahead of the crowds we've already seen at Carson Beach so early in the beach season. They cleared sand from the sidewalks, removed invasive plants that were growing over the boardwalk, and removed trash from the area around the bath house.


Charlesbank volunteers get excited for the cleanup day on a warm afternoon at Carson Beach

“Malibu, Revere, Carson and Wollaston Beach are important recreational assets to residents for exercise and relaxation,” said Save the Harbor Executive Director Chris Mancini. “They are home to our Beats on the Beach Block Party, the Dorchester Boys and Girls Club’s kids day, free movie nights, beach paddle boarding and yoga, and a number of other amazing, free Better Beaches events all summer long. We’re so grateful to our neighbors from Boston 25, Coast Cannabis, National Grid, Hines, and Charlesbank for contributing their time and effort to taking care of our beaches.” 

Beach cleanups are an important way to increase accessibility to our shared natural resources. The teams worked to remove sand and debris from walkways and ramps, ensuring that people using wheelchairs, older residents, and people with strollers can access the beach. Save the Harbor will continue to host beach clean ups in the shoulder season months of June, September and October. If you have a group interested in stewardship opportunities with Save the Harbor, please reach out to Kristen Barry, Deputy Executive Director, at barry@savetheharbor.org  

Monday, May 8, 2023

Media Advisory: Metropolitan Beaches Commission Report Release on May 12

Media Advisory

On May 122023, at 9:00 AM at the Edward J. McCormack Bathhouse at Carson Beach in South Bostonthe Metropolitan Beaches Commission and Save the Harbor/Save the Bay will release their 2023 report, Breaking Barriers: Improving Public Access to the Metropolitan Beaches



The report is based on a series of public hearings and listening sessions focused on overcoming obstacles to beach access for people of color, people with disabilities, and people who do not speak English as their first language.

We hope the findings and recommendations contained in the report will serve as a blueprint for improving beach access for everyone going forward. 

Please join us and our partners from the Department of Conservation & Recreation and the region's waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities as we begin of our collective effort to put these recommendations into action, continuing to make our beaches healthy, welcoming, inclusive, and fun places for everyone.


Event Information: 

 Breaking Barriers: Improving Public Access to the Metropolitan Beaches  

Release of the Metropolitan Beaches Commission 2023 Report 

9:00 a.m. on Friday May 12, 2023 at the Edward J. McCormack Bathhouse, Carson Beach

165 Day Blvd, South Boston, MA 02125 

 

About the Metropolitan Beaches Commission 

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay manages the Metropolitan Beaches Commission for the Massachusetts State Legislature, which created the Metropolitan Beaches Commission (MBC) in 2006 to take an in-depth look at the Boston metropolitan region’s 15 public beaches in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull. These beaches are owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Today the Commission is a permanent legislative Commission charged with making specific findings and recommendations to the Legislature, DCR and the public on ways to improve the region’s public beaches.

You can find our more about the Metropolitan Beaches Commission and download transcripts, meeting materials and prior reports at https://www.savetheharbor.org/mbc

Wednesday, May 3, 2023

Breaking Barriers: Improving Public Access to the Metropolitan Beaches

  


Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and the Metropolitan Beaches Commission are pleased to invite you to the release of our 2023 report, Breaking Barriers: Improving Public Access to the Metropolitan Beaches on May 122023, at the Edward J. McCormack Bathhouse at Carson Beach in South Boston


   


Over the past two years, the Commission held a series of public hearings and listening sessions focused on overcoming obstacles to beach access for people of color, people with disabilities, and people who do speak English as the first language. This report contains our findings and recommendations, which we hope will serve as a blueprint for improving beach access going forward. 


We hope you can join us and our partners from the Department of Conservation & Recreation and the region's waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities as we begin of our collective effort to put these recommendations into action, continuing to make our beaches healthy, welcoming, inclusive, and fun places for everyone.  

Event Information: 

 Breaking Barriers: Improving Public Access to the Metropolitan Beaches  

Release of the Metropolitan Beaches Commission 2023 Report 


Open to all community members invested in more equitable beaches 


9:00 a.m. on Friday May 12, 2023 at the Edward J. McCormack Bathhouse, Carson Beach

165 Day Blvd, South Boston, MA 02125 

 

We look forward to seeing you there! If you plan to attend, please RSVP using this form: https://forms.gle/JE7exFPSh1gG3j7g6Whether or not you attend you will receive a copy of the report by email.  

 

About the Metropolitan Beaches Commission 

Save the Harbor manages the Metropolitan Beaches Commission for the Massachusetts State Legislature, which created the Metropolitan Beaches Commission (MBC) in 2006 to take an in-depth look at the Boston metropolitan region’s 15 public beaches in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull. These beaches are owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). Today the Commission is a permanent legislative Commission charged with making specific findings and recommendations to the Legislature, DCR and the public on ways to improve the region’s public beaches