E.S W-6/ I met Johnny Depp

Hey everyone, What’s up y’all?! I’m back with another bloooog…

Before I talk to you guys about this week let’s take it back to Sunday morning to the Seafood Festival, that took place at the Fish Pier. As you guys might know, that was my first Seafood Festival ever in my entire life. I  know, I’m literally new in most of the sites and events but ( I like it like that ♫). I was so excited and curious, a lot of things came to mind as I was heading to the event. Like seafood contests, games, activities etc.. My first impression when I got there was “Wow” my eyes were shining like a kid’s first bike. Everything was passing through my mind so fast I couldn’t keep still I just wanted to see everything that was going on and keep watching. It’s weird, but at the same time it’s an amazing feeling being able to get surprised by things the way kids are.

I was even trying to hide my excitement! ☹❤

Short Story: So, I was at our section doing fish printings on paper and shirts (yes, you read that correct.. we make shirts now!). I was doing my job and everything was flowing and vibing you know, very excited for everything that was going on. Then I see this group of pirates walk past us and I was like “WOOW” (It gets better guys just wait)! So, I heard one of my coworkers saying “Guys look it’s the REAL Johnny Depp!" I was in shock! I could feel my cheeks hurting and covering my eyes due to my huge smile. I spent 2-4 minutes running back and forth from our tent to where they were. I decided to finally ask for a picture, thinking inside my head (OMG I cannot believe I just asked the REAL Johnny Depp for a picture). A half an hour passed and I was still bragging about how I met the real Johnny Depp and was telling my coworkers that I got a picture with him. Until guess what… It turns out that he wasn’t the “Real” Johnny Depp! Painful and heartbroken much? I can’t explain how sad I was because I had been fooled like that.

Horseshoe Crab!

Now this week I was all over in different sites. I started off at Blacks Creek where the kids caught a horseshoe crab by the tail. One thing I must admit is that those kids are fearless because horseshoe crabs are scary to me. I was excited for them from afar since I didn't much care for the horseshoe crab.

Cutie Pie! ❤

On my last day at Blacks Creek, I got a little bit emotional on the inside because Mya, wasn't there. She was one of the most amazing people I met at this site and I was sad because I thought I would not be able to say goodbye. But when we were almost leaving, there she was. She came to say bye! I was speechless. I couldn't believe how fast it ended. I recalled every moment we spent together since the very first day we met, when she walked up to me and said "Hi, what's your name?" Besides the horseflies and there not being a lot of shade I can honestly say that I'll miss Blacks Creek and the amazing kids that joined the program this summer. They gave me reasons to smile everyday no matter the circumstances. And at the end of the day I'll go home and think of those wonderful moments.

Trying to keep the ball up!

On, Friday I was at the Beach Bash at Carson Beach where I was in charge of Sports and the Huge Beach Ball. My coworker decided to relocate the Sport site near the water because it was super hot and she thought more people would be intrested in "water sports". We were playing baseball with our new friend JayJay. It was a great day at the beach. When the kids started chasing the ball, our staff had to help chase the ball because the kids were very strong and the wind was in their favor as well. We started a new game with the ball which consisted of not letting the ball touch the floor. Now, one thing I'll say don't ever ever try to keep up a huge ball in the air by yourself. Trust me you'll feel ready and stronger than ever but if you're a skinny person like me, that ball will smash you to the ground like it did to me!

This week was full of emotions but I prefer to stay with the moments that made me feel happy and most important, with those moments that I know for sure that the kids had an amazing time. If they were happy then there was no way I couldn't be.

Have a great day and stay tuned for my next blog! 

~ Esther ❤

Talk about site changes!

Hello followers! Maeve here and I am about to tell you all about my most recent week on Boston Harbor. On Monday I was put at Piers Park Sailing Center where I was most of last summer so it was nice to interact with their staff again. We started the day with a game of tag on the lawn and then we learned the rules for the week. After that we went on the dock where we teach kids how to use the rods, how to identify a crabs gender and how to identify different types of ocean animals. In the middle of our programming it got very dark and cloudy over downtown Boston and then it began to downpour on us! The kids loved it and they wanted to stay on the dock so we did and it passed within 5 minutes. It was nice to get a break from the hot sun since the rain really cooled us down.

They're so silly

Besties

On Tuesday I was put at Blacks Creek in Quincy, where I was all last week. Every day last week the kids worked on building a little lake for the crabs and they get better and better at it each day. Today they had a lot of help because our second group of kids was rather large which meant they made a big lake. They spent most of their time on it figuring out how to make the bottom walls stronger since the beach is slanted a bit. They finally finished and there stood a beautifully engineered crab lake.

The Crab Lake

Since this week has been full of clouds and spotty showers, it is not unusual that on Wednesday at Piers Park we got poured on. We were fishing on the dock and it was really windy. All of a sudden it was pouring and the drops were the size of quarters. However, this only lasted about 3 minutes and then the skies cleared up really fast. This was not the case on Thursday though.

To keep with the theme of switching sites, Thursday I was at Blacks Creek once again. What I thought was going to be a rainy day that would ruin all of our fun turned into a nice shady day since the dark clouds were there but no rain fell. The first session of course worked on making a nice pool for the crabs to swim in but they didn’t have enough time to finish it. One really exciting thing that did happen in the first session though is that we found the biggest horseshoe crab yet! It was huge, so huge that it was too big for our touch tank and we had to let it go soon after we caught it.

Luckily, the second group was just as interested in making a crab pool and they had plenty of time for it. Before we went up to the Gaga pit we had a crab race which was fun because we made a competition out of it since usually we just dump the crab bucket back into the water. We only had 6 kids in the second session and all 6 of them wanted to play Gaga ball so bad that we went up to the pit for the last 45 minutes of the session. Time at Blacks Creek goes by relatively fast because there are only two sessions and you get to be with new kids all the time.

At the Gaga Pit

The first crab race

The second crab race

The biggest Horseshoe crab I have ever seen

Friday was the Beach Bash and Splash (not a mini one this time) at Carson Beach in South Boston. To help set up for the hundreds of kids that would be showing up at 10 am, there was a lot of setting up that needed to be done to prepare. By the time we finished setting up signs and games, all of the kids had shown up and I went to the fishing group where we caught tons of crabs. Although we already had about 20 crabs in a bucket for the kids, each new crab was just as exciting as the one before. I would say that fishing was the busiest activity of the day because we had a steady flow of kids for the entire event. We got a delicious lunch of hot dogs, veggie sticks and baby carrots and the day flew by! It was the perfect weather for a nice splash into the ocean and I have to say that I am very grateful to be assigned to fishing so that I could cool off by being knee deep in the water. Friday was overall a very fun day for all of the kids that participated and even for the staff too!

Luigi is upset

I hope you have enjoyed reading about my crazy week working for Save the Harbor. The weeks are going by so fast this summer but at least we have all of August left.

Talk to you all soon!
Maeve Fittz

Two Beach Events: Completely Different Experiences

With four weeks down and three to go (for me at least!), I have worked at Blacks Creek, Piers Park, and the Boston Children's Museum. As stated in previous posts, I have enjoyed working at various locations because each audience, setting, and set of activities are unique to each site. This is why I enjoy working beach events. So far I have completed two beach events this summer: one at Nantasket Beach and one at Carson Beach. I have liked the beach events because they allow me to interact with a new audience in a new setting with new activities.

The event at Nantasket Beach was a sand raking event with Andres Amador, a professional landscape artist. The event was basically several open sessions with Andres where people followed the instructions of Andres to create art in the sand. I participated in the first session to assist Andres in any way he needed. We began to create different shapes in the sand, such as circles, squares, spirals, etc. After the first session, Andres asked everyone at the session to say a word that described their experience. Some of the words stated were calming, imaginative, and fun. Numerous people came up to the session or to the open sand raking section of the beach saying, "I am not creative enough". Once they started raking the sand, however, they realized their artwork was beautiful and that sand raking is less restrictive as drawing or other forms of artwork. The pictures from that event have not yet been published.

Our sand raking crew!

The second beach event I participated in was the Beach Bash and Splash! It was at Carson's Beach, a place I have not been to yet. There were several activities our staff were leading, but I was at the face painting station. Upon arrival, I had no idea what I would be doing but I was excited to learn that I would be at the face painting station. At first I was really insecure about my face painting skills. I was insecure because I did not want the kids to be embarrassed or for people to ask what the kid was supposed to be. After painting a few kids' faces, I noticed how happy they were once I painted their face despite how "good" it was. It definitely taught me that being "good" often times prevents me from having fun and being in the moment. Working with kids this summer has taught me lessons like this.

One of the faces I painted!

Sea you later,

Ellen

E.S W-4 //Black Creeks & Beach Bash Vibes :P

Hey everyone. I’m back with another blog!

Exploring!

This is my second week at Black Creek and it started with a little of rain showers and super humid. Everything was going well, the water was getting nicer as the day passes; it wasn’t muddy anymore. There were a lot of Snail Crabs, Hermit Crabs, Sea Snails and regular Crabs. It was perfect for the kids. Every time they found a creature, it gives them more desire to keep exploring.

After exploring, we all went to play Ga-Ga Ball, but there was a huge problem. There was no ball to play. Ouch! The kids were so disappointed. My coworker decided to put a little bit of fun into it, since we were already there. The game consisted on playing Ga-Ga Ball but with an invisible ball. The kids used to hit that invisible ball so hard, that the ball would bounce back to them as they jumped, so that the ball wouldn’t touch their feets. It was super fun because nobody knew were the ball was. But there was this one person who pretended to know were it was all the time, meaning that everyone had to listen to her in order to know where the ball was and who was out.

The Crabs's Home!

Our last session was only 2 kids that came in. It was so awkward. They didn’t used to talk to each other or even ask questions. There was no Sea Snail, Hermit Crab or regular Crab visible for them to catch.. It was really boring. My co-workers started throwing rocks to the water making them believe that it was a big fish flying "ahahaha". They actually believe it at first because they were smiling at us as they wait for another fish to “fly.” To keep the happy and excited vibes, we all started building a home for the crabs so that in that way they would want to come and visit us soon.

Sand Sculpture ❤ 

At Black Creeks, the kids decided to create 2 islands in the middle of the “sea.” & yes it was in the middle of the sea literally that they create. The kids shaped it with an unique form. They used sand and water to built it. For extra decors (because you know they’re all about that fancy decoration life) they used seaweed as trees and plants, and the little buckets to build sand castles around the edges. After their walls were strong enough, they all worked together to pour water constantly, creating a new home for the Hermit Crabs and the regular Crabs. I must admit, it was the cutest and most detailed piece of sand sculpture I've seen so far. Is the way they took time for every single detail and the way all of the kids contributed with their ideas as they putting it to work. & all of their thoughts were reflected in that amazing sand sculpture. I'm still in shock OMG!! I still can't believe I had the pleasure to lived that moment with them. They made me realize that kids are not just simply "kids." They have the capacity to create wonderful things and think of ideas that not even us who are older would've think of.

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ Fun Friday ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

Cutest Kitty ❤

Cutest Unicorn ❤

This Friday was my second Beach Bash at Carson Beach and it was amazing. My working site was Face Painting & Tattoos. Unfortunately, we didn’t had any tattoos but it was okay, because we were a group full of talents. As the groups of kids were waiting in line for their turn, we had to keep them busy, so there was a piece of blank paper for them to draw the first thing that comes to mind. So yes, we had a lot going on but we managed it to get the work done. I was surprised of the kids patience as they were getting their face painted because they asked for very specific and details things, it was a little bit challenging but enjoyable at the same time because hey, the kids looked like a Snack (Urban Dictionary) with it lol. Besides the hot day, I can say that every kid had an awesome Beach Bash. They could've been fishing, swimming or even in the touch tank I know they did enjoyed it to the fullest.

Stay tuned for my next blog!!!!!!!

~ Esther

Beach Bash and Blast!

Fishing Instruction 101 class in session.

This Friday marked Save the Harbor Save the Bay's annual Beach Bash and Splash! It was a blast! I loved seeing all the many campers and variety of different camp groups there at Carson Beach celebrating with us. I was lucky enough to spend most of the day knee-deep in the cool ocean water, fishing with eager campers yearning to, obviously, hook a fish, but also to learn how to cast a line and use a fishing rod correctly. My Save the Harbor crew lead many tutorial sessions, allowing the kids to understand the basic mechanics behind casting a get a handle on how to fish. Many of them expressed their skepticism regarding actually catching a fish there at Carson, but I reassured them all that I was just there earlier in the week and witnessed a man and his son pull out a nice sized striped

Way haul away, we'll haul
away Joe!

bass while fishing from the beach! Though we weren't as lucky with reeling in any fish of our own, many of the kids went home with the new knowledge of how to fish and cast a fishing rod and to them, that's makes all the difference!

The fun, however, did not stop at fishing! Save the Harbor also offered activities such as face painting, fish printing, sports madness, clamming, and the opportunity to explore the different types of crabs that were caught from fishing in a touch tank. There was a humongous beach volley ball that was sliding around the beach with an entire posse of campers chasing after it. We even lead the audience in a rendition of our famous sea shanty Haul Away Joe! The crowd was dazzled by the shanty's lyrics, not to mention the simultaneous hauling of those imaginary hulking sails. At the conclusion of our performance came time for my favorite part of the evening-- the SPLASH! I changed into my bathing suit and spent a couple extra minutes cooling off and enjoying the beautiful day floating on my back in the buoyant sea water. We all sure were hungry after a day of festivities, so it's a good thing we had come prepared with 700+ hot dogs that we grilled and served right there on the beach! I want to give a big thanks to the generous, hard working people of the Department of Conservation and Recreation for accommodating all of us and allowing us to host our event on the beach.

All the many Beach Bash and Splashers!

Until next time,
Maxwilliams

Fun in the Sun!

Look at the baby green crab!

Welcome back guys! Nice seeing you again. For those of you who may not know who I am I'm Jaiden and this week were back at Spectacle Island and so far it's been a blast! So far this week we've helped everyone that's come with us to the island have the most fun possible. Whether that be from fishing, swimming or even sports. No matter which activity you did as long as we were there, we made sure everyone around us had a good time!                                                                                                       

This week we caught dozens of crabs while fishing. From rock crabs to green shore crabs, and even to spider crabs, the kids loved playing and interacting with every single one of them. For some of these kids seeing a spider crab is a party for them and that's something I'm proud to say I played a part in making happen. Everyday brings new faces and news smiles and a new energy and it brings joy to every single one of us at Save the Harbor Save the Bay!

Some campers getting hands
on with our touch tank.

From ya boy!
Jaiden coren

First Ever Beach Bash!

Beach Bash!

As you may already know this is my first year down at Save the Harbor, and as July came to a close I reminisced on the memories already made from my first ever job. Also, I looked at what was to come considering the fact that I am (kinda) picking up where Ahmed left off. I was told about three major events that the staff from Save the Harbor get to participate in, and I finally got to experience one of them: the Beach Bash, and holy was it fun!

I was assigned to sports with maybe the most athletic people of the Save the Harbor staff: Preston, Patrice and Jaiden. We played football with a bunch of camps, and even kickball and all the kids loved it. I learned how to throw a football better than before (I'm still garbage), and even though the burn killed, I loved the moment.

The Splash

Soon we set up for the big moment, the splash! The camps and other kids gathered around the harbor walk, and David Coffin lead and taught the people a good song we all love and know Haul Away Joe! As we sang we did a count down from 3 to 1 and once we hit 1, the kids and some staff stormed into the water, and enjoyed the dip considering it was very hot, but it was very fun. Some people got splashed, the innocent and the guilty but it was very fun. We ate hot dogs, apples, and pretzels, and did some other activities like face paint and fish print. It was a great way to close a long week of hard work! Up next: the Fishing Derby!

Singing out,
Qalid Hassan :)

Beach bash and splash!

Singing haul away Joe!

 Hi everyone! Today was a really exciting day not only for us at save the harbor but also for about 500 other kids too! We were all at Carson beach in South Boston today for the annual Beach Bash and Splash and it definitely has been one of the highlights of my summer. This year we had a ton of different stations for the kids to visit such as fish printing, sand raking, fishing, sand castles, face painting, crabbing, sports and many more! I was assigned at fish printing which I had a lot of fun in even though it got a little messy. The kid's reactions at seeing the dead fish on the table were priceless! They either screamed, stared in wonder/disgust, or asked "can I touch it?!" In the end, all the kids that visited the station ended up touching the fish and making a fish print. We were only half way through the day and we had over 60 fish prints which we started hanging up under the tent which made it look really cool. The kids would see the fish prints that were hung up and immediately came over wanting to make their own! It was a morning full of red, blue, yellow, pink, and all the rainbow colors  on the flounders!

Aside from fish printing, I also helped out with some face painting because it was a really popular station. All the kids wanted to become their favorite character whether it was Spiderman, or Batman, Pikachu, Hello Kitty or many other things! Since I'm not the best artist, I stuck to just drawing flowers and hearts for the kids that wanted those and they actually came out better than I expected. Not only did I get to paint on other kids, I also got some paintings myself! I got some henna inspired flowers on my leg and of course Spongebob on my arm! My friend got Patrick too so it was really cute and awesome!

Spongebob and Patrick paintings!

Not only did I have a lot of fun at the beach bash and splash, but I could tell all of the kids also had a lot of fun and many tried new things they had never tried before. When it was time to splash into the water, everyone stood together and counted which gave a strong feeling of community and made me feel like this is what summer was all about. This beach bash was a memorable one and I honestly can't wait til the next one!

- Rusenny