Day 0 - Introduction

Hello world (or at least blog readers)!
   
My name is Colin McRae. I'm 18 years old and I'm going to be a freshman at NYU in the fall studying music technology. I've studied classical piano for 10 years, and I also played percussion in my school's marching and concert bands. I like to play video games, and I usually go for long bike rides to stay in shape. I'm part of a weekly D&D group with my friends, and I also try to go to pick-up ultimate disc games over the summer. I live in Swampscott with my brother (16), my parents, my aunt, and my dog Percy. Swampscott is a coastal town north of Boston (next to Lynn and Marblehead), which means that I have a long commute to work, especially because I'm still learning the ins and outs of the subway system.

Working with Save the Harbor will be a new experience with me, but I think it's a good change. I'm excited to be outside 5 days a week, and I get to teach little kids about the harbor and environmentalism (even if I don't personally know everything about it). The work I'm doing is something I wish existed when I was little, and probably would have changed the way I see the harbor now. I can't go back and experience that, but I can make sure others can. Both the kids I'm teaching and I will learn something new, and that's a good enough reason to get up early every morning to go into Boston.

The first two days have been thrilling! I don't have many of the skills I will need over the summer, but luckily I learn quickly and orientation is fast-paced. It's only been two days and I've already learned how to hold crabs, gone fishing in the harbor and caught a perch, and eaten raw (but clean) fish (Basil Freddura, the head chef at the Daily Catch, made the best ceviche I've ever eaten, right in front of us). I was taught the basics of storytelling by Norah Dooley, a professional storyteller, and got to listen to Captain Claudia Gelzer of the Coast guard for over an hour. Most of the stuff we've done has been fascinating. I'm looking forward to my actual first day on Monday. I'll be at Blacks Creek in Quincy, and despite not knowing what I'll be doing other than being there with kids, I'm sure I'll enjoy it.

See you in the next blog!

~Colin

Fourth Times the Charm

Hey my name is Preston and I've been working for Save The Harbor for 4 years now. It's always a blast coming back to Save The Harbor and I can't wait for the summer to start! One thing I'm looking forward to this summer is all the new faces that I will see at our many sites. It's always a pleasure seeing new kids come along through our programs. Many try fishing a few times and just go through the motions. But seeing the amount of kids return with previous and new knowledge about the harbor is always amazing. I enjoy throwing the football on the beach and late night hoop sessions. I am outgoing and really friendly. I'm always trying to have a fun time and I love trying new things. My goal this ear will be to try something new everyday, and make this summer a memorable one. I'm also looking forward to enjoying the summer with our staff. Its always a pleasure getting a chance to work with some amazing people. HANDS! If you hear that just get your hands ready, a football will be coming your way, fast. Get ready for an exciting summer because I can't wait! Until next time, Preston. 

Hello from Claire!

Hi everyone! My name is Claire and I am a new Environmental Policy Intern here at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. I am currently in my senior year at Boston University, where I am getting my degree in Environmental Analysis and Policy. Coming from suburban New Jersey to Boston has been an awesome change, even though there aren't as many trees for me to hug in the city. Growing up around farms and parks taught me to appreciate animals and nature, so I decided to study how our society can protect and sustain them. One of my favorite things to do is travel, and I am always searching for the balance between urban sprawl and wilderness no matter where I go.

Smiles from Salthill Beach in Galway, Ireland!

My favorite childhood memories are of exploring the woods by my house and searching for shells on the Jersey Shore (and yes, there are actually beautiful beaches despite what you might see on TV). Once I took AP Environmental Science in high school, it became more clear that I wanted to spend my life working to protect the environment. I am excited to be working with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay because it is an organization that works for conservation in so many ways. It's important to show people how awesome their environment is, especially since there are so many unexpected opportunities in the city! I hope that through my work here I will be able to see policies in action as we advocate for the planet and show communities around Boston how they can enjoy the natural world from right here in the city. There are so many awesome natural areas in Boston that wouldn't be as great if there weren't as many people working hard to protect them.

Boston is a city with so many resources, and I can't wait to work with everyone at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay in conservation projects and to share my enthusiasm for the environment with other curious people!

Claire looking for snails on Revere Beach

Sean the Harbor Educator

(I'm on the left)

Hello. My name is Sean Keane and this will be my first summer working for Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay as a Senior Harbor Educator. In 2014, I graduated from UMass Amherst and began my career in education as an ESL Teacher for adults at various non-profit organizations around the city. I truly enjoy my job and find it a rewarding and worthwhile way to spend my time. There's nothing I'd rather do this summer than to continue to help and educate people, especially for an organization as important as Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay and a cause as special as the Youth Program.

I grew up in Wilmington, which is a few miles north of Boston. Although my town is landlocked and has no beaches, I was still lucky enough to spend a lot of my childhood around the ocean, mostly on Cape Cod where my grandmother lives, in a little inlet in Pocasset Harbor. I spent my summers as a youth searching for crabs and other creatures in those mucky waters, and fishing off of kayaks and local docks. I still love putting on a pair of goggles and exploring the seafloor, and I still feel the same excitement that I felt as a child when I discover something strange or new. 

Mr. Coffin speaking to us on our way to George's Island.

Last week, I met the entire Save the Harbor staff at orientation. Naturally, at first, most of us were shy and quiet. It can be frightening to be in a room full of strangers. That attitude quickly changed once we began the activities that our supervisors had planned for us. On Wednesday we all took the ferry over to George's Island. It was my first time going to a Boston Harbor Island, and I learned a number of interesting facts about the Harbor, the islands, and the city itself. I always knew that some of Boston was man-made land, but our leader Mr. Coffin made it abundantly clear that the majority of Boston is man made, and he showed us which parts of the city were constructed and how the projects were completed. We also saw the huge sewage cleaning bubbles on Deer Island at the city's treatment plant, which Save the Harbor helped to implement. I'm happy to be associated with an organization that is doing such essential work for the city and for future generations of Bostonians and I'm eager to share this excitement with our young learners this summer.
-SEAN

The staff on George's Island

Rusenny's Intro

Hey there!

My name is Rusenny Abreu and this is my very first year working at Save The Harbor as a Junior Program Assistant. The minute this opportunity was presented to me I was very excited, yet a bit nervous. I've never really been involved in any summer programs or any jobs of this type. I remember coming in for the interview and paperwork and asking myself over and over, "Do I really want to spend my summer working? Is this really for me?" A typical summer for me would be staying home most of the time, doing absolutely nothing, and only going out once in a while because everyone else would have SOMETHING to do over the summer. Learning about this opportunity of working for Save The Harbor was very different for me.

First Day of Orientation

I can honestly say that after the first day of orientation all my doubts about this program began to fade away. I realized that this is more than just a "summer program" or "working." I realized that Save The Harbor was not just a random job about showing up and doing regular tasks, but instead more about learning and experiencing and seizing the opportunities that are going to be presented to us each and every day. It is about pushing yourself to do the things you'll look back on later on, in months, or even years from now, and say "I am so lucky to have experienced this."

First time putting bate on fishing rod

This summer I'm really looking forward to working at Save The Harbor and learning about the environment surrounding it. As teens(speaking for myself especially), we rarely take the time to admire and learn about the environment around us. We don't really get out and enjoy the things that we have, all because we don't realize we have it. Such as the Harbor's beautiful beaches and the different places around it. It is actually exciting and eye-opening to see all the things that the Boston Harbor has to offer and I'm definitely looking forward to an awesome summer!

Ary's Introduction

Hey guys, my name is Arianna; also known as Ary. This is my second year with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. I am an uprising senior at Matignon High School in Cambridge. I am very excited to be back working with the Save the Harbor staff. This is going to be a summer filled with excitement and exploring new things. I will be working at Piers Park, a different site that I was at last year, and I am very excited to see what new adventures this site will bring.

 

I know that this year will be filled with different surprises and new experiences and I am happy that I get to share them with some of the new staff this year. 

Until next time, bye

-Ary 

Amanda Leyton-Nolan Intro Blog

Hello, my name is Amanda Leyton-Nolan. I am 16 turning 17 on August 18th and I'm going to be a senior at the O'Bryant School. I play three sports: soccer, softball, and I run indoor track. I love staying active rather than just sitting around all day, but in my spare time I enjoy relaxing and playing video games too.

I'm looking forward to a summer of being out in the sun all day and helping younger kids enjoy their summer. I look forward to teaching someone how to do something that they never knew they could do. I'm also looking forward to making a lot more friends this summer and connecting with people from all over Boston.