Summer Learning Program Wrap Up

The Summer Learning Program at Courageous Sailing has officially ended and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to spend so much quality time with the kiddos and make sure they had an awesome summer.
One of the last lessons Sara planned was how an oil spill would impact the Boston Harbor. We used a computer program at Courageous that would demonstrate how far the oil would spread if such a disaster would occur.

Leann eager to see how far the oil spill would spread.

After we learned how fast the oil could spread and impact the entire harbor, we did our own little experiment. Using baby oil, food dye, feathers, and sponges, we learned a great amount about how an oil spill would negatively impact the harbor and all the creatures that reside in the harbor.
We placed baby oil in a small bowl and added blue food coloring. The students then dabbed their hands in the bowl. We realized the oil felt "slimy," "sticky," and "gunky". We then placed sponge shaped animals and saw how the oil seeped into the sponge animals.
We then questioned our kiddos, "How would you feel if you were an animal who was caught in an oil spill?".

The boys feeling how the oil on the sponge and on their skin

The responses were overall very impressive.  Emmanuel responded that he would be, "...sad because my home would be ruined and my food (algae) would be dirty." Elias felt mad because, "the humans wrecked my home, and it wasn't my fault!"

After learning we all traveled down to the dock to see our sea creatures. Our lesson really gave our kiddos an idea of how the animals would feel if a man made disaster occurred and how oil spills are preventable.
 We then ended our day with an exciting crab race!

Right before our crab race!

Overall, being involved with the Summer Learning Program at Courageous Sailing was a great honor and I am happy to have a hand in making an impact on the younger children of Boston.

Building life skills of our youth!

Below is an interesting white board of quotes and statistics of how much an impact Courageous Sailing has on the youth of Boston. I hope this awesome trend continues to grow and the community of Boston continues to support amazing programs like Courageous Sailing and Save the Harbor/Save the Bay.

:) Ali Hurney 

Monday Funday

Monday at Piers Park was remarkable. I made a few new friends, Donovan, Rocio,  Angie, and TJ, and welcomed back Jack, Michael,Daniel, and Patrick.
Sadly during the morning game Sharks and Minnows, one of our youngest minnows, Donovan hurt his knee.  Vinh and Candido took over the game, as I helped Donovan. Luckily, the ice pack and just taking a break from the running made Donovan feel as good as new.

Besides the early morning mishap, as the day went very smoothly. Rocio enjoyed using the net to capture mussles and Candido picked out the best mussels to use as bait.
As the morning was coming to the end, we had the most exciting events! We began catching sea perch, also called cunner - a fairly common wrasse related tp the tautog.

This is so spectactular because we hadn't had much luck since early in July.
Patrick was the first harbor explorer to catch fish, with Michael close behind.

Michael with the second catch of the day!

Rocio holding the line, as Angie tries to free our fishy friend.

The rest of the Harbor Explorers jumped in and began to fish in the same section. Angie and Rocio were very helpful holding out sea perch and removing the hooks from our fishy friends.

Donovan, Jack, & Rocio sitting on the dock!

It was an awesome morning at Piers Park, and I am so thankful our luck with fishing changed for the better.

:) Ali Hurney

Boys at Piers Park

One day at Piers Park, I had an entire group of boys! It was a rough and tumble morning with rambunctious boys. It was a hectic Friday morning, and I was unsure how to manage eight excitable boys. However, my fears were unnecessary because the boys just wanted to fish!

 

Devin, Alfonso, Michael, and Daniel sitting on the Dock!

John, Devin, Donovan, Michael, Alfonso, Shane, Daniel, and Patrick and I set up a our fishing rods and got prepared to catch some fish. Alfonso, Michael, Devin,  and Daniel sat at the edge of the dock, while Shane, Devin and John chummed with the sardines we used for bait.
 The boys were so entertained by fishing that I took the opportunity to snap some pictures of the boys in action.

Alfonso with his favorite red rod!

John & Jack crafting sailing knots!

It was a beautiful day and I realized what a beautiful skyline we had and took that opportunity to snap some pictures. Alfonso was really happy because he was able to use his favorite red fishing rod all day John and Jack were perfectly content practicing different types of sailing knots we have learned this summer. They even tried to make up some of their own.

The group of boys excited to be fishing!

Sadly, we did not catch any fish, but we had an awesome morning fishing and building relationships with my boys from East Boston  

:) Ali Hurney 

AWESOME STAFF DAY !

Hello Explorers,

Two days ago we had our ''Annual Staff Day'', that was incredibly awesome...
My Staff and I cruised all over All Access boat , while socking up the hot sticky sun.
Looking at the lovely water i saw a lot of interesting things in the water that caught my attention at the moment for example; waves and couple of fish that looked cool to me. hehe ...

We finally got there to Spectacle Island , yay ! I was so excited even though it didn't seem like it to others. I finally went walking on the beach , and it totally helped me feel at peace and i started looking at the water and the rocks. I'm weird , i know but i love rocks and there texture and color. I sat down and put my head phones on and started listening to nice soft music :)

 Unfortunately I'm disappointed  that i did not take any pictures at all at Spectacle Island but if i did , it would have been the best pictures ever !! So I'm pretty bummed over that.
We headed back to Bruce and Patty's fantastic boat to enjoy some delicious food , that they took there time and prepared for us, that i am Thankful for.

However, did i mention how fun and delicious it was... Well believe it, it was the best !
I could not get enough of the '' hot dogs and chips'' even though its was plain meal, well to me it was delicious.

 Then we hiked up the hill to play a game of capture the flag that unfortunately was too short to find a winner. It was a nice day to sit back and relax with my group.

- Ana Munoz

LOBSTER LOBSTER LOBSTER

Courageous Sailing in Charlestown has been THE place to catch lobsters. We caught the biggest one I had ever seen and after I realized it was a male I finally took the leap and decided to take him home.
I named him Freddy, placed him in a paper bag with ice and took him home with me. I was a little worried because the commute home on the T was hot and crowded but Freddy made it home safe and sound.
I placed Freddy in my fridge to relax and headed out to purchase a lobster pot, a nut cracker and itty bitty forks. I bought a 16 quart red pot for $30 at my local Homegoods and headed home. I checked on  Freddy & let him hang out in the lid while I boiled the water.

Freddy getting ready to go for a hot swim

While I was waiting for the water to boil, I gave myself a pep talk. I had never caught, cooked and cracked a lobster in the same day and I had to make sure I could do it. I had tried to place a lobster in a pot of boiling water before, but I wimped out. Before I knew it, the water was boiling and I had to say goodbye to Freddy. I made sure to plop Freddy into the water quickly to ensure he would die quickly and not to splash myself.

A quick 11 minutes later Freddy was bright red and ready to be cracked. I let Freddy cool for a few moments and then began to crack  him open.  When I was younger, my Dad had always tried to have me crack my own lobster, but I always refused. With Dad no where in sight, I was on my own. I started with breaking off the claws and slowly  but surely made it to the tail and finally the legs. I ate a few pieces with butter but saved the rest of the delicious meat for a fierce lobster salad. 

It was a day filled with new adventures and there is nothing like eating a lobster fresh out of the Harbor!!

Freddy and I  :) 

:) Ali Hurney 

Lobster Salad Recipe:

This is the lobster salad recipe I tried and it was amazing! A few ingredients and a couple minutes later I had a delicious lobster salad that lasted minutes (!!) at a family party. Enjoy :)

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/dennies-fresh-lobster-salad/

New Faces at Piers Park

Vihn, John, Libby & Billy the Striped Bass!

My friends from Washington Heights visited Piers Park again. These kiddos were not my usual harbor explorers, and many of them have never gone sailing before!
Ana, Vihn and I all pitched in together to welcome our 19 cherubs in addition to our regular harbor explorers. While Ana and Vihn led our returning Harbor Explorers, I introduced my friend Billy the Striped Bass to my new friends.  I have never seen children's eyes get so wide with excitement. We touched the body of the bass and realized it felt rough or smooth, depending on how we touched it. We were adventurous and placed our fingers in the mouth of the Bill to feel his tiny but sharp teeth.


We then ventured down to the dock, where my usual harbor explorers were so helpful in sharing the dock space. We first explored our crab traps and learned the difference between males and females.
Also, we learned how to hold a rod, make a rod "safe", drop cast, and some of us got to learn how to make a long cast.
Many of my friends could not wait to come back and learn how to bait a hook and hopefully catch some fish!

My friend Daniel holding Billy

Many special moments were had and it would not have been successful without the help of my trusty staff!

:) Ali Hurney

Moments of Excitment :) !!!

So exciting , to see my wonderful friends at Piers Park. I have had the most amazing opportunity this summer of 2012 to spend awesome quality time with amazing wonderful kids and staff. Although, the kids and staff have taught me  a lot of amazing things, that has helped me opened up within myself and to gain confidence  to help other youth , and co-workers as well.

Today was practically one of the best days of my summer here and I cant wait to tell my friends all about it. We have learned today about Adaption with the Crabs (Red and Green) about the change that helps the crabs how to survive and how to catch their prey and become better predators. I learned a lot!

Shane, is a  9 year old boy, who is so inquisitive and curious about fishing.  Shane wants to have a better understanding of the  harbor and that  amazes me. He has very cool stories to talk about and is  always so engaging. 

Earlier this week , Shane and I was trying to take out crabs from the lobster trap , but this huge red rock crab was holding on so tightly to the trap and with his other claw trying to pinch us . However, the crab felt so endangered that he let go of his own claw. We decided to keep the claw or use it for bait. Shane mentioned that he needed more of a collection from what he already had at home so he saved it and let it dry up and brought it home.

- Ana Munoz

Learning through exploration!

The Harbor Explorer program really jumps into the most beautiful parts of our city and grabs a hold of our kiddo's hands. The kids get to see the ocean in their backyard as a resource for them, whether they tell their little brothers and sisters everything they learned about crabs that day, or ask their parents to go down to the water.

A very special part of the Harbor Explorers program is what is going on at Courageous Sailing this summer. The Summer Learning Project, which features  rising fourth grade children from Boston Public Schools, have been taking advantage of all that can be learned about the ocean. The children are in a hybrid program that focuses on making sure there is no "summer slide", but education is continuing throughout the summer.

Life cycle of our favorite sea creatures!

 The Summer Learning project applies the concept of inquiry based learning, which fits in perfectly with the goals of Save the Harbor Save the Bay. 

Sara from Courageous is spearheading this program specifically at the Charlestown Sailing, and the Save the Harbor Save the Bay staff is on hand to help!

Anthony helping with the life cycle!

 Sara teaches the lesson of the day, as we stand by to help, and then we all go down to the dock for some hands on learning!

It's a wonderful program that makes sure that our kids from Boston not only get to explore the ocean, but they get that extra push over the summer break.

Sara instructing the children!

:) Ali Hurney 

Taking Chances

We have caught an unusual amount of lobsters this year in Charlestown. Additionally, the prices of lobsters have dropped significantly. This may be due to the increase in the water temperature, especially in the Boston Harbor.
Although this may be bad news for the local lobster men who rely on the harbor to provide them resources, it is great news for us at Save the Harbor Save the Bay. The more lobsters we catch, the more Harbor Explorers can learn from them! Every so often, I encounter a child who is not as fearless as the others; the child who hesitates when it comes to holding an underwater creature. This is where modeling behavior and coaching comes into play.
Camille, a very brave sailor from Courageous, needed a pep talk to hold a lobster. Camille was excited to see lobsters in the traps and floating tanks,but hesitated when it came time to hold them.

Camille getting guidance on how to hold the lobster

Thankfully, the more exposure Camille had, the more comfortable she became, and soon she had no hesitations when it came to holding the lobsters and asking when we were going to pull up more traps! This is one of the most joyful parts of my job as a Senior Harbor Educator, seeing our Harbor Explorers getting out of their comfort zone everyday!

Camille holding the lobster all by herself!

:) Ali Hurney

Brave Boys at Courageous Sailing

Nate at Courageous Sailing is one of the most fearless children I have had the pleasure of meeting so far. Nate spends most of his time sailing at Courageous but when I do get to see Nate, he is always thrilled to go explore on the dock. His partners in crime on one particular afternoon were Logan and Alex. We pulled up every lobster trap, baited them, added underwater creatures to our floating tank.

Logan helping to bait all the traps!

The boys pulling up the traps!

Alex, Nate, & Logan investigating the mussels colonies 

Often when we get to Courageous Sailing it is a hectic and exciting time. The sailors are finishing up lunch, Save the Harbor staff are applying our third layer of sunblock and chugging our remaining water. We gather our equipment and announce we're heading down to the dock to investigate and explore. The frenzy officially starts with kiddos finishing their lunches and running to grab life jackets. It is within these moments ideas are formed, and lives are changed.
Why are these children so excited to investigate the traps? What did we catch today? Why are we catching more lobsters than usual? Why aren't we catching more fish? All these questions can be answered through exploration. Exploration allows critical thinking skills to be developed and the process of questioning to be validated as a young person grows up. These hands on experience can not be compared  or replicated to classroom learning. While classroom learning has it's own benefits, the memories occurring with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay can not be replicated. I'm grateful to be a part of the process and memory making with STH.

:) Ali Hurney

Stormy Weather

The view of the Zakim bridge looks like on a typical day.

Afternoons at Courageous Sailing Center are usually filled with sunshine, creatures that live in the depths of the Boston Harbor, and excited children.

 One particular afternoon we did have bits of sunshine, but the majority of the afternoon was cloudy, wet, and was spent creatively brainstorming ways to distract ourselves and our young sailors from the ominous clouds above.

Before we knew it, the sky was gray  and the dock was rocking ferociously. Adult sailors were frantically moving to secure the sailboats, while the Save  the Harbor Staff and Sarah were in a tent teaching our young students how to tie appropriate sailing knots; hoping they didn’t notice the thunder.

View of the stormy weather

Eventually, we moved to the larger tent where every staff member and child were waiting out the storm. Marine life animals were crafted out of clay, knots were made, songs were sung, and books on aquatic life were read.

It seemed that the adults were more nervous about the impending storm, our sailors and explorers were very content playing with clay.

  

Silas showing off  his clay creation!

Overall, another exciting day with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. Even in the depths of tornado warnings, children are being made aware of the impact of the ocean!

:) Ali Hurney

Exploring The World On the Other Side

 Hello My Name Is Ana Munoz,

I Graduated from Brighton High School and I will be continuing my education with my first
year of College. I will Be attending Bunker Hill Community College then transfer over either to Boston College or Boston University either way I will be successful. What helped me enjoy my time at Save the harbor / save the bay so far as a new member of the staff is that it teaches me how to interact with not only kids but as well as my team that I work with.
Life is about going beyond your expectations and to enjoy every step of the way. I not only believe this organization is great but I believe everyone works as hard as they can to make an impact on everyone and that is what I feel that I can bring to this job. Leadership and commitment are what I follow on my every day step. I can't wait to see what else it brings.
I want to exceed and develop more of an experience with this organization because they work on dedication and team work. Working with kids has really opened my eyes to a better and brighter day. Life is always about living it and every step of the way and staying humble with in your self. Working here has really impacted me and finding out who I really am as a person.
I am excited for this summer, and I will take my experience with me everywhere i go :)

These are an amazing Kids , They are not just learning from me but there teaching me something new each and everyday. Experiencing something new with them is always a great and joyful time  it reminds me how great life is especially with great  kids like these

Now this would explain my title a little more I never really experienced fishing. It was a great experience with my team and the kids and it made me so excited to catch my first crab and lobster. I cant wait to see what else is in store for me.


---- Ana Munoz

Sandcastles and Sunshine at Revere Beach!

Friday afternoon I had the opportunity to take a drive to Revere Beach and be a part of the sand sculpting festival. I had never attended before, and lets just say it is now on a must do list for summer.
The sculptures were breathtaking. It was amazing that these pieces of art were created from sand. Talk about using the resources nature provides.

Sculptures hard at work.

.

  The piece of art that reflected Fenway Park was my absolute favorite. It was vast, yet incredibly detailed. It not only was a beautiful replication of Fenway, the advertisers featured were all people who sponsored the sand castle festival. Save the Harbor Save the Bay was properly represented!!

Fenway Sculpture. 

 Underneath the education tent Save the Harbor Save the Bay was one of organizations that were present to provide materials and experiences about the importance of preserving and cherishing the ocean.

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay Table

It was great to see other organizations that all support the main cause of ensuring the ocean is clean and healthy for all the living organisms and for us to enjoy. It was a wonderful way to confirm that they work we do is having an impact and we are not alone in wanting to treasure the ocean.

How many lobsters?

Some words come to mind when one thinks of New England. The Patriots, colorful foliage, The Cape, long winters, Dunkin Donuts,The Boston Red Sox,  and seafood, are a few off the cusp thoughts. 
One image that is  especially present  is lobster. Bright red pots filled the brim with boiling water. Lobsters moving about in murky tanks in nice, and not so nice restaurants. A freshly toasted hot dog bun filled with lobster meat with a side of cole slaw.

Well, these are my personal  visuals. One visual that did not come to mind is pulling up a trap with a lobster thrashing about. Or placing the bands on a lobster's claw to ensure no fingers would be harmed. Definitely not holding a live lobster in each hand on a dock in Charleston.

Well, guess what I did today? I pulled up traps with lobsters in them. I placed bands on their claws so little fingers wouldn't get harmed in the touch tank. I held TWO lobsters, one in each hand, and one of each gender.

Lobster #1. 

I did not believe such things were possible.
And then they happened!

We had an incredible day at Courageous Sailing, complete with lobsters, and showing children how to hold, and identify parts of the lobster.

My friend William holding the catches of the day!

Best Day.

:) Ali Hurney

Piers Park and Courageous Adventures !

Today was another beautiful day to enjoy Boston Harbor.This morning at Piers Park, I was so happy to hear from Christopher & Christian and how excited they were to try to catch another flounder!

The floating crate we use to hold our sea creatures. 

We caught many crabs and were able to place them in an floating tank for tomorrow.
And then we made the venture to Courageous Sailing in Charlestown.
It always gives me great peace to travel across Boston Harbor as a part of my daily commute. It really allows me to take a moment to reflect on the beauty of the Boston Harbor.

A view from our commute from Piers Park to Courageous Sailing

Ana, Candido,Karrisha and I continued to have an exciting day and facilitated learning about the difference between omnivores, herbivores, and carnivores. We showed this by explaining how we use fish as bait for the crabs, which makes them... Carnivores!

Kerrisha demonstrating how to hold a crab!

We wrapped our day up with fishing in the harbor. A lot was learned and fun was had!

:) Ali Hurney

Jumping in!

All smiles during training week!

Training week has absolutely been an adventure. Between meeting the staff, exploring all the different sites, catching my first crab, and filleting and cooking my first fish; a whole new world of experiences has been opened up to me.  This is my first year as a Senior Harbor Educator and I am wondering how I have not participated in this amazing program yet.

The filet of Pollock I filleted and prepared!

I have always been a water person. I distinctly remember refusing to leave Nantasket beach as a young child and insisting that I want to live in the water. 

While at Camp Harbor view, located on Long Island, 

Michelle holding the correctly labeled buoy!

Michelle, Andrew, and I moved a bolder in order to acquire buoys. It was not until later that we realized the buoys we snagged had "Michelle and Ali" written on them!

It was at that very moment, I chose to jump in. While I have many experiences in education, I had never had been fishing, crabbing, or spent too much time on a boat. However, I remembered life is endless moments of learning.

I will keep you updated on all the awesome experiences yet to come!

-Ali Hurney

Close shot of the names, spelled correctly!