Curley Community Center

This week, I was fortunate enough to spend my first day with the kids at the Curley Community center. I had only ever been there before for programming orientation, and it was fairly rainy that day. You can only imagine how different the vibe was today! Ana and I were back in action, and we brought things back to how they were at Blacks Creek, by starting things off with introductions in a circle. However, it was a bit of a challenge, as they could not coordinate themselves effectively. To quote one boy, "We're from Southie, we don't make circles, we make squares!" Eventually everyone remembered what shape they were supposed to make, and we then played one of our favorite games to get to know each other, "Where the Wild Wind Blows". By the time we had gotten a few rounds in, I could tell the kids were getting antsy to go explore the beach, so I felt that I had to give them what they wanted.

It's a race to experience everything at Curley in time!

Let me tell you, it was pretty much every kids' dream there on that beach, as there was so much to do. We had a group of kids off fishing, and while no fish were caught, one girl was lucky enough to catch a green crab. We had another group over near this big wooden divider, where they were catching large amounts of asian shore crabs and periwinkles. It really brought me back to my day at CHV. We had kids making art with our sand rakes, or in some cases, treasure maps that Imani and Ana had to follow. There were kids building sand castles, or making "ice cream sundaes" out of sand that myself and the rest of the staff had to eat. There was a bustle of activity from the get go, and these kids needed no encouragement to explore. In fact, I almost felt as if we were superfluous, as the only time the kids really needed us was to cut up bait for them. Even then, I get the feeling that they would have been fine on their own, not that we would have let them! I also would just like to let anyone know, for the future that one should always check their tackle box for a sharp knife, so Kamal won't have to use the dullest knife ever seen to cut up our bait. As usual though, we were able to improvise, and everything worked out in the end.

Though I was only there for one day, it was nice to get a new perspective, and see how this community utilizes their beaches. As mentioned before, I rarely make it over to Carson Beach, so it's always a welcome treat. But past that, I was talking to one girl about her experience at the summer camp held at the Curley Center, and she told me about how each day they would spend time in the center, go to a park, go to the beach, and do so much more. I know I've touched on this theme in an earlier blog, but it was another great reminder of how, even though kids these days have a surplus of activities to take hold of their attention, they still want to return to the world around them. Even after the kids were told that they could go back into the teen room, with the allure of games and computers, many stayed to catch fish and crabs. I think that speaks volumes.

Until next time, I'll be taking in everything the outside has to offer,
Zach

Last Day at Courageous

This is a picture of me
steering the boat!

On Wednesday Save the Harbor/Save the Bay had a fishing tournament, and it was great! I was on a boat with Mark, a previous Harbor Hero, and the guest I brought, my little sister Lian. We drove off into the harbor until we couldn't see any land around us! On the way there it was very cold and bumpy, I almost fell off the boat! We used live bait which the owner of the boat said was the best kind, but we ended up not catching any fish at all. Regardless I still had fun because I did something I had never done before. Also the captain of the boat let me drive it on the way back!! At first he let me drive the boat at 15 mph, and then he sped up to 45 mph, and that's when it started getting real fun. My colleague Eric ended up catching the biggest fish and won the tournament!

Me gearing up for the big race!

Friday marked our last day at the Courageous Sailing Center and we had a boat race! There were two different kinds of boats that we got into. The regular type of sailing boat and these ones called Quest boats. The Quest boats capsized in the water which means the passengers were able to swim and jump off. If I were to known this ahead of time I would've tried to get on that one-- I love to swim since I've started working for Save the Harbor. We raced from the center all the way to our office on the fish pier. It actually took a long while even though we could see the office from where we had started the race. Every time we got closer, I felt like the finish line was moving further and further!

Stay tuned for more!
Vince Vila

Fishing Derby Fun!

Gearing up for a day fishing out on the harbor!

Hey guys welcome back! For those of you that don't know my name is Jaiden. This week I went to Save the Harbor Save the Bay's annual fishing derby for the first time! Although I didn't catch as much as I'd have liked,  it was still a ton of fun being on the boat with my friends trying to catch a fish. I spent the day on the Belle with Captain Mike and a few other Save the Harbor staff. Even though the day was longer than a usual work day, I didn't mind because of the fact that I was out there having fun and catching fish!

Me on the Belle with the Save the Harbor crew!

Today turned out to be one of the best days of the summer because of how much fun it was. Me myself, I'm not really the fishing type but Wednesday made me rethink that because of how much fun I had. I had so much fun kicking back chilling with friends, in nice weather listening to music while we fished. This was by far one of my top 5 days of the summer and I can't wait to do it again next year!

From ya boy,
Jaiden Coren

2nd Annual Tenean Beach Day!

The Save the Harbor team making works
of art at the beach.

Hello all!

This Saturday I assisted Save the Harbor Save the Bay in hosting the 2nd Annual Tenean Beach Day. We arrived to discover we would be setting up our station next to one full of circus performers, courtesy of Save the Harbor! There we were on the beach flatfish printing with children and adults alike; the parents were blown away by the fact we were using an actual flounder fish, and the kids were delighted to decorate it with inks and make fish prints with it. This one young woman was especially astounded by the current condition of the beach, and the harbor in general, compared to that of when she was a child. She shared with me how she and her brother would come down and fish at the beach and end up walking away with a cooler full of flounder that they would then fry up at the house. The story helped me envision the beach in its younger days pre-dating the big Harbor Clean-Up enacted by organizations like my own and the Department of Conservation and Recreation. It instilled in me a greater sense of appreciation for both the work we have already accomplished, and that which is set before us all if we are to maintain the condition of some of the cleanest urban beaches in the country.

The majestic Boston Fire
Department Marine Unit!

It was shortly after that that the Boston Fire Department Marine vessel arrived! It sailed in from the bay with its sirens ablaze, drawing the entire crowd to the shoreline to watch as it twirled about, spouting water from each of its five hoses aboard the boat-- what a sight! The excitement of the day was only compounded by the free hot dogs and sausages being served throughout the event. At one point a Boston Police van that had been modified as a ice cream truck showed up and distributed free ice cream cups and sandwiches to the public-- a big crowd pleaser from the enormous line that formed in front of it that never seemed to dissipate. Did I mention the mayor was there?! He made a special appearance to the event, connecting with the Port Norfolk community and stressing the importance of being able to provide their children and families with a clean natural resource such as the beach. The kids went home happy to have spent a beautiful day at the beach, and we went home knowing we helped to foster that experience; a good day!

Talk to you again soon,
Maxwilliams

Checking Out CHV

My first official view of Camp Harborview!

Now that my work at Blacks Creek has wrapped up, I've had a chance to experience some other sites, as well as expand my reach within the realm of the Children's Museum. I was lucky enough last Thursday to be able to pay a visit to Camp Harborview. I had never been to the camp, or even Long Island (the Boston harbor version), so I was excited to check it out. It was a nice boat ride over, and I enjoyed listening to the campers pump up their energy levels by singing their warm-up songs. I actually had no idea that Camp Harborview was a day camp, as I didn't think a boat ride there and back each day was not feasible. Having spoken with one of the kids, it sounds as if that would work well. He told me that it's such a long day, and is, "even longer than his day at school".
That's not to say that the length of the day ruins the experience, as all I saw were happy campers, and plenty of activity. They have a great set-up there, and it's so much larger than what I had expected with my view from the harbor. There's a beach and a pool, a high ropes course, a dock to fish on, a giant field, an organic garden, and much more to keep your average Boston youth entertained.

Searching for invasive species, see how many you can spot.

Since the day saw a different schedule than normal, we were able to spend our first hour scavenging the shore for Asian Shore Crabs and Periwinkles. Perhaps scavenging is the wrong word, as you couldn't flip a single rock without finding a crab or five periwinkles. This is due to the fact that they are invasive species, meaning that they are a species that was introduced through unnatural means, and are taking over the ecosystem. At Save the Harbor we've started finding measures to help control these populations, one method being cooking delicious food with them. We collected a great deal, which our Vice President Chris cooked up. I didn't sample it myself, as I ironically do not enjoy eating seafood, but I have heard the recipe is good.
When we weren't collecting morsels for Chef Chris, we were helping out with a STEM fair, as well as the Fishing Club. I would have to say, my favorite part of the STEM fair was the station in which all the kids worked through a financial literacy worksheet that caused them to think about saving for the future. While it was not super in depth, and may not have been a dream summer activity, I thought it was important. I wish I had begun thinking about my finances earlier in my life. I don't know if it's necessarily something that every kid is going to take to heart, but it seemed to resonate with some of them. I overheard a counselor talking to a camper, reminding him that if his dream of playing professional baseball falls through, he'll need a back up plan. I also saw a kid reading through the sheet again, long after they had moved on to another activity.
After a delicious lunch, the time finally came for us to do what we do best, and that is teach kids how to fish. While we were not lucky enough to catch any fish that day, we did have some red rock crabs in the trap, which are quite different than the green crabs that I'm used to. Some of them even had limpets and barnacles clinging to them, which were the kids were interested in. But their clear highlight was when Jennifer showed them all how to feed crabs, and they could not stop attempting to feed them. Of course, some continued fishing in the hopes of catching a whale, while one boy sang to us with the voice of an angel, which he usually uses to serenade the members of his church.
All in all, I liked having a chance to visit another site, and see how things go throughout the harbor. Fishing club was one of the most popular activities at Camp Harborview, and it's nice to see that boys and girls of many ages are drawn to the water. Whenever people talk about kids these days, they act like they're distraught without their technology to guide them. All I see, whether I'm at Childrens, Blacks Creek, or Camp Harborview, are kids who are fascinated by the world around them. It's up to us to help them explore.

Until next time, I'll be spending some time in nature,
Zach

Fun Friday at Atlantic Wharf!

Touch Tank Learning!

Welcome back to Atlantic Wharf, we've missed you since last Friday. Let me tune you into what will be going on today: First we will greet the groups and have lunch, next we will give a history lesson with some demonstrations about Boston Harbor, finally we will split into 3 stations and rotate every now and then, so come on down and learn something new! 

Patrice and I are at the touch tank. We pull up the crab trap to find about 8 green crabs and put them neatly into the tank. We set aside the tank into the shade under the sign and strolled onto the green grass to teach the youth about the history of the harbor. Maxwilliams, our senior harbor educator, talks to the two groups of camps present about the travel of waste from your toilet to the Deer island treatment plant and into the clean harbor.

Crab Holding Expert.

We pledged to keep the harbor clean from here on out and for the next 6 generations because it is extremely important to be able to enjoy the resource and do activities out on the beaches and water. Patrice crowned everyone and after each person I would shout, "Hooray for the harbor!" We dispersed into our stations and our first group was excited to learn about our crabs. Though many of our pupils knew a little about crabs, they certainly did not hold back asking questions about them. We had actually only caught all female crabs that day except for 1 male towards the end. Despite the tank full of females the kids still learned how to tell the difference between genders. By the end of each session we had expert crab holders and a few names for some of the ladies in the tank.

Until next time,
Kharliyah

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

So Long Blacks Creek

As the poet Robert Frost once wrote, "So dawn goes to day, nothing gold can stay." This became very true, unfortunately, as we wrapped up our final day of programming for Summer 2017 at Black's Creek. Unsurprisingly, my staff, the kids, and I, were not ready to say goodbye, as we really have enjoyed our time there this summer, and getting to know one another. It's sad to think that we all will be going our separate ways, possibly to cross paths again, but who ever knows. Truly though, the most unfortunate loss was one pointed out by Ana, who said, "We never got to have our group lunch at Friendlys!" The Friendlys in question being one we drove by each day. However, one of the kids in the program told us that it is fairly slow, so maybe it was for the best.

At the end of each session I like to gather all the kids and ask them four questions about their experience that day. I'll either ask for a show of hands, or call on kids if it is a question that needs further elaboration. The questions are as follows: 1. Who had fun today? 2. Who caught an animal today? 3. Who did something today they've never done before? 4. Who learned something new today? For the last session with each group (we had four unique groups in total), I asked the kids to not only think about that particular day, but their summer as a whole. For this blog, I'd like to answer these questions myself.

1. Who had fun today?

Playing one of our favorite games, "School of Fish".

Unsurprisingly, everyone always raised their hand for this question, except for the occasional kid who may have been pinched by a crab that day(though it was rare!). It was never a dull moment at Blacks Creek, and I relished all the fun we had. We'd start off our day with laughs and smiles as we played warm up games(or sometimes simply attempted to teach a new game) and joked around. We had fun catching animals, giving them goofy names, searching for that elusive water bug, playing Gagaball, and so much more. Everyone was always smiling at Blacks Creek, both staff and kids alike, as we really did have fun together. I think the highlight for most kids would be catching crabs, but playing Gaga was a strong contender, especially if you ask Erik. Each day the kids would ask me if we could play, as if I would deny them the opportunity to play the game that should be America's pastime.

2. Who caught an animal today?

Just a small sampling of the many hermit crabs caught this summer.

Though we were not able to fish at Black's creek, there still was an abundance of other creatures to be caught, which the kids were always extremely excited for. We caught inumerable Green crabs and Hermit crabs, as well as the occasional Horseshoe Crab (which each session was lucky enough to witness!). There were shrimp and minnows, snails and clams. We got to look at birds that the kids were unfamiliar with, like egrets and cormorants. We even had a rat run through our circle one morning, much to the dismay of Nieomi. Every catch brought excitement to the kid that caught the animal, and they all loved the chance to catch a variety of animals. I loved watching the chaos that would erupt each time an animal was spotted, especially when it was a school of minnows and all the kids would go rushing for them. 

3. Who did something today they've never done before?

These kids had never held a horseshoe crab before!

Blacks Creek was a hotbed for unique experiences for these kids, even those who had attended last year. Myself and the rest of the Save the Harbor staff were new to the site this year, so every day brought with it something new that we had never experienced, starting with day one when we finally got a good look at the place. Normally, seeing a live horseshoe crab was the most common answer, but they could run the gamut from silly answers like, "I've never been to Blacks Creek Jail before", or, "I've never beat Jahari in a race before", to more serious answers like, "I've never caught a crab with my hands before", or, "I've never known what it means to molt before". There was such a mix of silly and serious, in a way that only childhood innocence could bring. These were the answers that always kept me on my toes, but reminded me of why we were there in the first place!

4. Who learned something today?

My friend Dennis and I attempting to do an
"extended dab".

When I asked this question, the kids would normally pause for a minute, as they had to rack their brains as to what they had learned in the day. But once they could think, and some times with a bit of prompting, they could recall a great deal of information. We learned about each other, what everyone liked and didn't like. We learned about green crabs and how to tell if they are a boy or a girl. We learned that crabs can regenerate limbs, and that hermit crabs will trade shells. We learned what it means when a crab molts, and one group got to experience it first hand. We learned that horseshoe crabs have ten eyes, and are essentially prehistoric. But most of all, we learned that Blacks Creek was the ultimate place to have fun and learn about the harbor this summer!

When I look back on my first summer at Blacks Creek, I know I will have a lot to remember. I think of the pair of brothers with true love for this place. How one was the king of catching crabs, and the other was king of unpredictability. I'll think of the sisters who were part of a team of "mascots", that attempted to raise morale with dancing and cheering. I'll think of when I assembled a team of Blacks Creek Police, who were there to keep the peace and report to me if they felt someone needed to find themselves in Blacks Creek Jail, which thankfully no one did. I'll think of the boy who asked to read my Aquatic Invertebrates Field Guide, and spent the morning doing research, and how he later would call and wave to me from the sailboat he was learning to sail in. I'll think of the girl who was able to tell everyone what an exoskeleton was, after only her first day of programming. I'll think of the boy whose mouth was always full of food or a sassy comment. I'll think of the boy who was intent on finding a water bug, only to be absent the one day we caught one. Most of all, I'll think of the numerous memories we made, too many for me to all share here. I'll think of the boy who told me that his favorite part of the day was when everyone else went up the hill to play games, and it was just the two of us searching for animals. I'll think of all this, and be glad.

Watching this horseshoe crab walk away, I like to think it's symbolic of the
summer.

Until next time, I'll be reflecting on my great experiences and of course feeling a bit of the Save the Harbor blue.

-Zach

Thoughtful Activity

The view of Carson Beach from my station, featuring the infamous
giant beach ball

On Friday I was able to experience my first ever Beach Bash and Splash, and boy did it live up to the hype. I know that this event has been covered quite extensively by my fellow staff, so I'm going to attempt to put a unique perspective on this most magical of days.
It was exciting for me to be there, as I actually have never been to Carson Beach before! Living on the South Shore, there are many beaches that are much easier for me to get to, so I rarely travel northward to visit a beach, unless there's something big attracting me there. Of course, the Beach Bash and Splash was just the event to cause me to make the trek, but I was more than glad to do so. It was really cool to me to be able to know that right outside the city of Boston, is this beautiful beach that everyone can take advantage of. I've always found myself wondering about the balance of nature in urban areas, and while my favorite ecosystems, forests, may be in short supply, right here in the Boston Harbor is a wealth of marine life and activity literally a few feet off the road. 

Speaking of activity, this day was filled the chaotic activity that only hundreds of children can bring with them. Having never been to this event, I really couldn't grasp the scale that this whole thing was on, until I found myself caught in the middle of the splash. I wish I had found time to change into my bathing suit, but I still was able to get pretty soaked simply by the splashes of everyone running around me, including that pesky David Coffin. Honestly though, I was glad to be dripping wet, as I felt as if my first Beach Bash and Splash experience would not have been authentic otherwise! The children all were so happy to be here, and I was glad to be able to witness them as they fish printed, got their faces painted only to then immediately go swimming and come out with runny paint, attempted to fish off the shores of Carson Beach, played with a giant beach ball(and maybe ran over a couple of innocent families), and jammed out to the Moana soundtrack, among other things. 

How many staff does it take to fish print and face paint? With this many kids,
it's all hands on deck!

I found myself reflecting on an idea the Bruce likes to push, whenever he discusses the current state of these urban beaches. Essentially, the point is that, many years ago, nobody would go swimming, as the water was filled with sewage and chemicals, and was obviously not safe to swim in. Thanks to the efforts of all those involved in the harbor clean up, things have gotten so much better, as evidenced by the numbers of kids swimming at the beach that day. Bruce hopes that one day, these kids won't ever know about the previous sorry state of the beaches, unless they are doing a history report on it. As for myself, being introduced only recently, I've only ever known Carson Beach as a beautiful one, capable of creating and inspiring cherished memories for the kids, and the staff, that attended this Beach Bash and Splash.

Until next time, I'll be pondering the beaches!
-Zach

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

A Bittersweet Defeat

Ready, set, hut!

My last day of All Access Spectacle Island last week was bittersweet. We began with a highly competitive game of two-hand-touch football on one of the island's drumlins with a group of campers from the Boys and Girls Club. Being the big shots they were they thought their entire club could face off with me and just three of my Save the Harbor associates. They were right. After getting creamed 3-1 in the preliminary round, we figured it would be better if we recruited some of their star players for our STH team. It wasn't until the addition of their athletes that our tide finally turned; it was a gritty game, but by the skin of our teeth we pulled off a 3-2 win against those unlimited springs of energy in the next game of our series. The final tie-breaker game started with promise, one of our receivers caught a 20 yard pass bringing us within inches of the goal line-- just what we needed to overcome the six point deficit we were faced with (the opposing team had failed their extra-point attempt). In my haste, the next play I threw a pass that was intercepted by one of the Boys and Girls Club counselors that had joined the game for the final event. It was a devastating blow that ultimately resulted in a loss for our team, hence the bitter portion of my day.

Baby sculpin fish caught on Spectacle!

With our tails between our legs, the Save the Harbor squad returned to the pier after the game to assist the fishing club with clean-up. We arrived to discover that we had finally caught some fish on the island!! Our fellow senior harbor educator, Jenn, with her fish-whispering abilities was able to net some baby sculpin, a green shore crab with a baby flounder in its clutches, as well as a skate! After a month of tireless searching, we were finally able to prove to the kids, campers and STH staff alike, that you can catch fish off the islands! After the crushing defeat we were dealt on the drumlin, seeing the kids' excitement as they held the baby fish that they had caught really made up for it. Hopefully we will see the same success next week on George's Island-- I've got my fingers crossed!
Yours truly,
Maxwilliams

Wonderful Day for a Dip in The Charles River

Me attempting to free a fishing line
one of the kids had gotten snagged.

This week marked Save the Harbor Save the Bay's last day at the Community Boating Sailing Center on the Charles River. It was a sad affair, but the environmental science coordinator, Molly, had a treat in store for us. She had scheduled our morning session to go paddle boarding on the river! I had never been paddle boarding before, and quite honestly, had spent the summer growing envious of those kids enrolled in their program lucky enough to be able to paddle out all the way put to Cambridge. I erred on the side of caution and removed my cell phone from my pocket before embarking on our trip, and so I wasn't able to grab any cool pictures! This preemptive act turned out to be a blessing in disguise, however, because I ended up falling in the river trying to avoid crashing into one of the fellow paddlers! I went through the rest of the day with a soaked uniform-- my team thought that was really funny; I'm not sure I did tho!

This group hardly needed our help!

This week on All Access we revisited Spectacle Island, my favorite as you all know. With the returning of the fishing gear we had stored at Community Boating Sailing Center, we were able to bring a couple more rods with us out on the island, which made a big difference. With them, we were able to serve a lot more people, and give more children the opportunity to fish on a Boston Harbor Island. This week in particular the kids were especially good at tangling up the fishing reels; every time I turned my attention to another child, the previous one I had been working with's fishing line would be tangled in one big mess! Thankfully my team was rehearsed in troubleshooting and repairing the rods after a summer of untangling and re-rigging them. The crap trap yielded a boatload of crabs, all of different species! There green shore crabs, red rock crabs, Jonah crabs and even spider crabs! The kids were in awe at all the crustaceans crabbing around in our touch tank. One group was especially knowledgeable about crabs and mobbed around the tank, pointing and identifying the crabs' sexes!

Stay tuned for more,
Maxwilliams

"Rain, Rain, Go Away!"

They seemed to like the rain much
more than me!

Boom!

That's the sound that the thunder makes when the lighting hits the ground. It's pretty loud, but it's nothing compared to the screams of the kids when the thunder claps. I honestly think the lighting and thunder are more scared of the kids than the kids are of them.

Kids playing in the rain!

The day started off like any other day. We took the kids fishing, sailing and kayaking. However, the day took an unexpected turn when it started to rain during our Capture the Flag game. The sun was still going strong and shining during the beginning. The teams were chosen and we stared each other down from the safety of our own sides. I felt the tension between the two sides because of the intense rivalry between them. It was a match to see who was better, Oysters or Clams! The clouds started to roll in and we knew the battle was about to start. Both sides charged at each other with no plan in mind. It was flag or nothing. Casualties were being

taken on both sides as kids tagged each other one after the other. As the game went on, droplets started to fall from the sky. But droplets quickly turned into pounding downpour of rain that smacked against your skin when it hit you. With one last chance to grab the flag, both teams made one final push to secure a victory for their side. It was clear that there could be only one victor at the end of the day. But to our surprise, it was neither oyster nor clam. It was the rain. With the rain coming down harder than ever before, both sides agreed to call it a truce and we all ran as fast as we could to the tent. At that point, it was clear that we were no longer oysters or clams! We spent the rest of our day inside our tent and singing campfire songs until the rain finally went away. What an eventful day at Piers Park! It was fun, but I would like to finish the game next time!

Until next time,
Henry

First Day at Piers Park!

Hello Everyone!

My first kayaking adventure!

I traveled to Piers park for the first time today! I had no idea what to expect. I loved my previous adventures on All Access, but I was also excited to experience our ocean on a different site. When I arrived, I realized that Piers Park was a camp filled with energetic staff and campers. To get out some of the energy that all the children arrived to  the camp with, the day started off with an never ending game of Everybody's It. If the staff hadn't stopped the game, the kids would have kept playing all day. After our time on the field, we proceeded to go on the dock. We set up fishing and a touch tank for the kids. Although I could not take the kids sailing because of my lack of expertise in that area, I was able to take the kids out to kayak. We traveled around the shore and under the dock to pick up both trash and invasive periwinkle snails. It made me happy to see how enthusiastic the kids were about picking up trash and cleaning the harbor. 

After we finished up at the dock, we headed back up to our tent to eat lunch. The kids would need the fuel for the rest of their action packed afternoon. The activity up next in the day was a visit to the park to play in the water sprinkler. After a hot morning, the kids got the chance to cool off in the water. The kids didn't even bother drying off because the activity that was next up on the list was a game of capture the flag in the sun. We finished up the day with one more round on the dock. It was a great first day at Piers Park and I can't wait to come back here tomorrow!

I hope you enjoyed hearing about my first day at Piers Park!

Henry

Second time at Courageous!

Patrice actually kissing a crab!

Thursday I went to Georges Island where I did fishing with Patrice, Kharliyah and our senior harbor educator Max. This week we have not been catching as many crabs as we usually have which is unfortunate but today was a success! Most of the times the majority of the crabs we catch are through the crab trap, but today we only caught 5 from the crab trap and the rest where reeled up on the fishing rods! It was like every time you turned you saw a new kid reeling in a crab. I think the kids have gotten used to the crabs because now they just reach in the water with no hesitation or fear of getting pinched, which is good in my opinion. Even my coworkers have gotten a little too comfortable, like Patrice, as you can see in the picture below.

Today I went to Courageous Sailing Center and I did fishing with Ana while our senior harbor educator, Jenn, did fish printing with Qalid. We had 4 rods on the deck but the groups were pretty big so while some kids were busy taking turns using the fishing rodsI would take the other half of the kids that were waiting and play four square with them. I'm used to playing four square the normal way without any tricks or calling anything so I was confident that I was going to be winning, but I was so wrong. The kids are so clever with the rules that I could not keep up and ended up losing to 10 year olds! I was disappointed, but it was still fun. In between groups, when they were done going to both fish printing and fishing, we would bring them down to see the crab trap, we have two of them at Courageous. When we went down, the first one was empty, and when we went to pull up the second one it was stuck. Jenn could not lift it up and at first I thought that maybe she was just not strong enough so I tried and it really was stuck! All of us ended up pulling on it and eventually we were strong enough and pull it up together.

Me playing four square with the kids.

Sincerely,
Vince Vila

I'm a Teacher Now!

Fishing off the pier with fishing club!

Welcome back Guys! Today I was stationed at fishing club with our senior harbor educator Max, Patrice and Jaiden. We caught a spider crab and I thought it was really ugly looking! Patrice opened the crab where it keeps the little eggs and its so cool because we could see all of its eggs. We showed the kids and they were amazed. David always tells everyone that goes to the island to "do something that you've never done before" and today I did many things that I hadn't done any other day at work which was teach the kids about crabs and their babies. It's so cool it's like I'm a teacher now!
     

Playing sports on the island's drumlin!

Every time I'm at fishing club I volunteer to cut up the bait that we're going to use that day. Today's bait was fresh calamari. So every time one of the groups came I was plopped on the floor cutting the squid and they would all shriek, "Ewwww that's nasty!" My response is always to urge them to touch it. For some reason they always do touch it even though they say it looks nasty and weird. After I finished cutting the bait I helped the kids bait their hooks for them. They all looked at me like I was crazy, but little did they know that I do it all for them cause as long as their happy, I'm happy too!


Clocking out,
Marly Burgos

                                   

Tree Climbing Adventures

Me holding the crab net with 
all the crabs in it!

On Monday I went to the Children's Museum and it was pouring! We weren't able to fish on the dock because the rain was ridiculous, but we still set up the crab trap and caught 36 crabs! Jennifer told me that that was nothing compared to the amount of crabs they usually catch, which was surprising because I have never seen so many crabs at once and that was not even considered the average amount of crabs they catch at the Children's Museum. This one little girl and her family came to the touch tank and when I picked up the crab and asked the little girl if she wanted to touch it. She ran behind her mom terrified until I showed her that if you hold the crab correctly their pincers can't get you and she finally held the crab! The look on her face was priceless!   

Today I went to George's island and did sports with Patrice, our senior harbor educator Jenn, and Kharlyiah. Patrice was playing a game of football while Jenn, Kharlyiah and I played multiple sports with the kids including volley ball, kickball, dodge ball and we even climbed a tree! Volley ball got very intense with the little kids because they kept hitting the ball with all their strength so we had to show them how to properly hit the ball so it won't go across the field. Overall I think that the tree climbing was the most fun and funniest activity we did today, especially the way Kharliyah got down, oh man! You would've laughed until you cried!

Before we climbed up, you can see the fear 
on Kharliyah's face!

Until next time, 

Vince Vila

"I want to hold it, I want to hold it!"

Me introducing young
campers to me new friend!

This last week on All Access was a blast! My team and I spent it on Georges Island, familiarizing young campers with their harbor and the many creatures that live in it. Fishing off the pier yielded more crabs, surprising I know. The kids delight in reeling them up, and the best part is letting them investigate their catches in our touch tank. The young children are usually timid towards them at first, but it's not long after after seeing my associates and I pick them up and learning a little bit about their anatomy and life cycles that they perk right up and begin asking to touch and hold the crabs themselves. I enjoy seeing the kids venture from their comfort zones and get hands on with the sea critters; they always bunch up their little faces, almost as if they can't believe they're holding a real live crab in their hands!

These two were my star
pupils of the day!

We educate campers and counselors alike!

The children love fishing so much, I know they would do it all day long if they could. Often times groups of them will stay for a couple sessions and I have to encourage them to get out and explore the island! I myself was able to explore the fort housed on the island, with its pitch-dark tunnels and legendary "Lady in Black". I walked in with two little girls I had seen sitting outside of one of the tunnels too scared to venture inside. We held hands as we tried to navigate through the darkness, but even with them being arms-reach from me I could not see either of them. The farther inside the dark tunnel we got, the harder they began to tug on my hands trying to reverse our direction. I was pleading with them to continue onward until we had reached the back wall, but then I heard a scream come from right next to me and I was unaware there was even a person in there with us! Suffice to say all three of us bolted out of there screaming bloody murder until we had reached the safety of the sunlight. A part of me is still disappointed I didn't reach the end of tunnel, I know deep inside that I have what it takes-- I will have to fix that on our next trip back!

Until next time,
Maxwilliams

I Thought I had 20/20 Vision...

They were all here to welcome me back!

My team came back to Georgia's Island and it was a lot different than last time, but it was still time to have some fun working for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. So it was time to start with sports, after eating lunch, and dealing with David Coffin's shenanigans (still an awesome guy). I walked there cautiously, just because I had some pretty nice shoes and did not wanna see a surprise, but we went through the dark tunnel. I went through it before and thought I remembered it, but my, the amount of people I bumped into and the walls I banged my head against would shock you. I banged my head on the same wall two times in a row thinking there was a turn, but to my surprise after breaking the forbidden rule of no flash light-- and no I am no rebel, everyone breaks that rule-- I saw that it was a dead end. And when I stepped outside I felt like Dracula because I could not handle the brightness. I was in there a bit too long I think!

Where is Spongebob, we found Patrick!

I just said let me do what I do best, better than everyone I know, and that was fishing. You already know what Qalid the Pro usually does, ask Max to put a hook on the line, but bait it MYSELF, and cast it as far as possible. Though not lucky, I did share my expertise with the kids. We caught starfish, and crabs, but if we were given more time I bet we could have caught something because our bait does not normally just magically disappear. Well, it was a great time if you really forget about the fails. I mean come on, the kids will always put a smile on your face!

Until next time

Qalid Hassan :D

Fun in the Fort

Playing catch at George's island.

This week started off great on Georges island! It began with a rainy Tuesday no doubt, but it turned into a fun one by the end of the day. My Tuesday was spent at sports in the opening of Georges island, where we spent time with the kids playing football. Although it was a bit rainy and a little cold we held it together and still managed to have a ton of fun and didn't let the weather affect us at all. We also helped people go through the dark tunnels on the island and might I tell you that its by far one of the coolest things ever.

Strike a pose for the blog!

While Tuesday was a blast, Wednesday was just as amazing as the day before. It was warmer, sunnier and we had a whole bunch more fun. No more rainy day gloom hanging over the harbor! Today I spent the day fishing off the dock at George's island with a bunch of different groups of kids from he city and might I just say it was a blast. They had a lot of fun fishing and I had a lot of fun showing them the way to do it properly. I couldn't have asked for a better day!

From yours truly,

Jaiden Coren