Goodbye Summer 2016

Well guys, the end has come. I cannot even begin to explain what an amazing summer I had. This was my first summer with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. As you can see by reading all of my blog posts, I had a lot of new experiences that really brought me out of my comfort zone. I learned a lot not only about Save the Harbor, but also about myself and what I am capable of. I could not have asked for a better summer or for better people to share it with. One of the best parts of this job was knowing that I had a team of people supporting me at all times. It was tough to manage Carson Beach at times, for circumstances far out of my control, but I know that I had people behind me and helping me out at all times.

I loved that I got to interact with so many different children, and so many different kinds of camps and groups. It was awesome seeing some faces over and over again during the summer, but just as fun working with groups only once or twice. Just knowing that camps and directors were setting aside time to come join us at the beach was a great feeling. We worked hard to advertise and reach out to the communities, so receiving such powerful feedback and high demand for activities felt really great.

I am going to miss a lot of things about this summer. But I have a lot of amazing memories to take with me. I am already looking forward to making more with Save the Harbor in the future. Until next year, Bridget

First and Last Day of All Access

Hey guys!

So for my last day at Save the Harbor, I got to experience All Access for the first time. It was a BLAST! I loved being able to work with different staff and children. We all gathered in the Pavilion while we waited for all of our families to arrive. It was "free ferry" day to the islands, so we knew we'd have some big numbers coming! We listened to David Coffin give his speech about the Boston Harbor and Spectacle Island in particular (that's where we were headed that day). We also listened to Gabby explain some rules of the island and what we could expect from our trip to the island. It was only my second time on Spectacle Island, my first having been only a few weeks ago for staff day. I knew the set up and schedule of the day would be different than I had experienced.

When we got to the island, we all decided what activities we'd be providing to everyone, and we picked a spot for lunch. Some of the girls brought me Cape Verdean food to try, and spoil me on my last day. It was amazing and so thoughtful of them! After lunch, I went on a beach walk to look for sea glass. I was amazed not only by the amount of sea glass I found, but also broken pottery and ceramic pieces scattered around the beach. Bridget and I spent some time on the beach, looking for cool stuff and skipping rocks. It was a great way to spend the afternoon. We all went swimming before leaving the island, which was cold and rocky but I figured better walk myself in than be thrown by David Coffin! (Word spreads fast around Save the Harbor.) And, in typical Save the Harbor fashion, we took a "last day on all access" group selfie which will always spark memories of a fantastic end to a fantastic summer. All Access was so much fun, I am thankful I got to experience it!

Signing off from Spectacle, Bridget 

Hula Hoops and Dance Parties

Hey guys! Today at Carson, we had a group from the East Boston YMCA hang out with us. We were super excited to have such a big group for us to learn and interact with. On a hot day like this, they decided to park themselves under some trees further down the beach. Well, easy solution! We brought down our toys and tricks to them! While most of the boys took to sports and sand castle building and destroying, we hung out with some of the girls who were interested in our hula hoops. Some of the girls were absolutely amazing with the hoops!


I candidly admitted that although I'm not your average hula-hooper, I was definitely a rock star with the ankle-hooping. I decided to first show off, and then show while teaching them how to hula around their ankles and jump over it. They loved learning this new way, and by the end of the session, one of the girls could bring it from her neck to her hips and to her ankles. Seeing her proud smile while I high-rived her success was an amazing feeling.





We also decided to put on some dance classics. Sedny and Nieomi were on song duty: Macarena, Cotton-Eyed Joe, Cupid Shuffle and Cha Cha Slide were a few of the dances we participated in with our new friends. While one of the boys stared at us like we were crazy, as did the drivers behind the cars passing us by, having laughs and fun with some of the children was priceless and completely worth it. It's been getting quiet on the beach as the summer nears to an end, so it was refreshing to be working with such a large group for the day. I had a ton of fun with them, and they even invited us to their talent show tomorrow (where many of them will be showing off their new and improved hula hoop skills, they say). It was a great day at the beach, and it feels good to say it!


Hope your Thursday was just as good, Bridget

Olliepalooza!

Hey guys! This past Thursday, the South Boston Neighborhood House hosted an event at Moakley Park called OlliePalooza. This was a fun free event for anyone to come to. They offered free hot dogs, popcorn, slush, water, water balloon games, moon bouncing, a DJ for dancing, an inflatable GaGa Ball arena, and much more. We were invited to set up a fish printing table, and to assist the pirate Mary Read with her stories about the Boston Harbor.

We set up the table in the shade of one of the giant moon bounces, as Thursday was one of the hottest days we have had this summer. Fact: children and families are likely to come visit your table if you are in the shade rather than in the sun on a day like that. We were using sea bass instead of flounder, which was new for me. I was unsure at first because these fish were significantly smaller than the flounder we have been using all summer. However, smaller doesn't necessarily mean worse. The fish prints came out beautifully on the t shirts we were using, and our visitors had a great time choosing their colors and making multicolored fish prints. I have to say though, one of the best moments of the day was when one of the teachers at the Ollie Preschool thought we were doing face painting, and I said "No, Ms. Cathy. Fish printing." And she looked and saw a real fish on the table and actually squealed in disgust. It was hilarious.

I also loved capturing the looks of interest, intrigue and excitement on the faces of children who stopped to hear some stories from Nora Dooley .. I mean Mary Read the pirate. They had so many questions for her, and listened so intently, that they were able to answer any questions she had at the end when she quizzed them on her information. Aside from the heat, OlliePalooza was another successful better beaches event that I am thankful we got to be a part of!

See you at the beach!
Bridget

Andres Amador at Carson

Hey guys!

So on Friday, Andres Amador made a special visit to Carson Beach. He is an amazing and well known sand raking artist. He came to do a little tutorial for the harbor explorers and also for a group of kids. We had about twenty children come down to the beach that day for the sand raking activity. First, he gave us each a proper demonstration of how to use the sand rake. Then each of us picked a design from a stack of papers and followed the instructions to create beautiful flowers. You can see the flower I created here. When I began, I was uncertain of how well the flower would come out. But after I finished and saw the documentation, I was really proud of my work!

Once we all had practiced properly sand raking, we worked with kids from the South Boston Neighborhood House who were around seven and eight years old. They each had picked a design too, and we helped them create those pictures along with unique and spontaneous creations. I was so impressed by the work these children did! They were all so focused, and they really took their time in the hot hot sun to make these designs great. I could tell their counselors were proud, and so were we! It was really a team effort to create such work on the long stretch of beach, and the final product really was phenomenal. One of my favorite things was taking the pictures, because I loved comparing the size of the artwork with the size of the person who created it. The difference was drastic, and it was really like making art that was larger than life! Here is Ryan with his flower. Didn't he do a great job?

After the children were done, we worked with Andres and each other to create a mandala-type piece as one team. It took a lot of work and time, but we pushed through. We had to be meticulous with our work and really pay attention to what we were each responsible for. If one person did not complete their task properly, the whole piece could have turned out completely different. And on such a large scale design, it was really difficult at first to envision what it would and should look like by the end. But when I saw the aerial view of our completed mandala, my jaw dropped. It looked AMAZING. I am even more proud of my team for working so hard in the grueling heat to make something so spectacular. It was a team bonding experience and I am really glad I was a part of it.

Happy week everyone!

Bridget M

Staff Day

Hey guys!

So this past Monday, we had Staff Day out on Spectacle Island. Well, okay. We were told all summer that we'd be going to Spectacle Island together. Then 4 days prior to staff day, we were told we'd be going to Lovell's Island instead for a different kind of scheduled day. The morning of, about 15 minutes prior to departure, we were told NOPE, technical difficulties! So all staff members, apples, cheeses, watermelons, sandwiches and snacks raced to a separate dock in order to make the boat to George's Island. En route to George's, we were told that we'd actually be able to make it to Spectacle after all. What a whirlwind of a morning! Although we were all kind of scatterbrained from the changes, we were all super excited to spend time with one another and have some fun on the harbor. Here we are on the dock prior to boarding the Provincetown II boat. Look closely towards the center: you'll see four funny people stacked on top of each other's heads. I'm in that stack of explorers. Aren't we hilarious?

I had never been to Spectacle Island before staff day. I kind of knew what to expect, from talking with my fellow explorers and Save the Harbor staff members. We got off of the boat, and I was instantly impressed. I found myself smiling at the sights of the public taking advantage of one of the many wonders that the harbor has to offer. People were swimming, hanging out on some adirondack chairs, going for walks, and just thoroughly enjoying the day. I was so excited to get the chance to do the same with all of my new close friends that I've made this summer.

We played a game of frisbee where we formed a circle, and tried to make as many consecutive complete passes as possible. We all agreed that if we could not make it to 20 in a row, we were not allowed to have lunch. It took us a while, but we did it! Thank goodness, too, because those sandwiches and chips were delicious! After lunch, there was a nonverbal consensus to head to the water! We all conquered the rocky shore and ran into the water. It was cold, clean, and the most refreshing thing I could have asked for that day. We horsed around and had a great time, as we always do. It was so great being able to physically enjoy this lovely clean harbor that we spend so much time talking about. Staff day was truly a success!

Hope to see you there next year, Bridget M

Beach Bash and Splash

This past Friday was the 6th Annual Beach Bash and Splash at Carson Beach. We had just about 400 kids attend the event, plus all of the staff members from respective sites around South Boston and other parts of the city. This meant we needed ALL HANDS ON DECK at Carson Beach in order to accommodate all of the kids. We had a wide variety of activities set up for all of the kids to participate throughout different areas of the beach, and a free hot dog lunch!




We had face painting, fish printing, sand raking, fishing on the shore, clamming, kayaking for a few select groups, free ice cream, storytelling with Norah Dooley aka Pirate Mary Read, a designated swimming area, and sports and games on the sand. With all of these activities, it was hard for children (and staff!) to only choose a few! The kids were constantly rotating through the stations, thoroughly enjoying the variety of activities offered, and finding things to do that really matched a wide spectrum of interests, on land and sea.

My favorite part of the day was the Noontime Simultaneous Splash. At about 11:45, the Senior Harbor Educators went around and gathered all of our camps and groups in attendance up towards the steps at the center of the boardwalk. Once all groups and children were gathered, all of the Save the Harbor staff stood on the boardwalk in front of them. Bruce said a few words of thanks, and then we sang a couple of songs with the help of David Coffin, and from the kids who repeated our call and responses! After the songs were done, we made a HUGE line in front of the lifeguard stand. At the count of three, EVERYONE ran into the water full speed ahead simultaneously. It was amazing. In that moment, all of the hard work that went into planning and implementing this event did not seem like work anymore. Looking around, not a single face lacked a smile, adults and children included. Children were splashing and swimming, counselors were laughing, Save the Harbor staff were getting each other wet and acting like the big goofy dysfunctional family that we are. It was incredible. That is the part of the day that I will never forget, even when the setting up and taking down seemed like such a task. It was worth it to be a part of a magical, community moment like that.  

See you at the Splash next year,

Bridget M.

Beware the Giant Beach Ball

Hey guys! Last night, we had the second Family Fun Night of the summer on Carson Beach. This time, we had a nice set up for fish printing again. But we also introduced some new games and activities to the families who came out to hang with us! We brought a GIANT inflatable beach ball to the beach. Let me tell you, that was as much a hit for the kids as it was for the staff and other adults in attendance! Although it went rogue on us a couple of times, we still had an absolute blast with it!




Also, with music playing the entire night, you know that some harbor explorers (yours truly included) had to make an appearance on the makeshift "dance floor" at the front of the pavilion. We had a blast dancing to Cha Cha Slide with some new friends and old. Some of us stayed dancing throughout the evening, making up choreography with kids and having a great time like we were kids ourselves. We had many more families than last time, which was such a treat! With the cooler air, more people came to check out this awesome event on the beach and learn about what their neighborhood beaches can offer on a daily basis!

We had an absolute blast with Norah the Storyteller (aka Mary Read the Pirate), sports on the beach, hula hoop contests, marble searches, dance-offs, chalk drawings, fish printing and just getting to know new and old faces in one of our favorite spots, Carson Beach! Another successful Family Fun Night, just another successful Better Beaches Event!

See y'all at the Beach Bash and Splash!

Bridget

Team Carson Lets off Some STEAM

Hey guys, it's me again. This past Friday, we had a group of high school interns from a company called Vertex join us at Carson Beach. There were 30 of them, and 6 Harbor Explorers. Vertex had a variety of reasons for coming to Carson on that day, and they persevered through the rain and gloom that hovered over us for most of the morning and early afternoon.

These high school students were coming to learn a little STEAM from us; that is, some Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math. How on earth could we incorporate STEAM into our amazing and clean harbor? Pretty easily, actually. These interns learned a lot about how the harbor gets so clean: where does the waste go? How does the waste get sorted? How does the water get so clean that Carson Beach is now one of the cleanest urban beaches in the country? They got all of those answers from Bruce and the harbor explorers. They learned about high and low tides, and the "rule of twelfths" which explains how the tide comes in and out. We had a wonderful artist, Olga, help these young adults paint 13 giant rocks, which we then placed equidistant from an average high tide to an average low tide. This activity required teamwork, math skills and engineering ideas. And of course the art piece!

The teens also took some time to do a beach cleanup, where they combed the surrounding areas for trash and helped keep our beach as clean as we like it. At the end, we tested the interns by asking what they learned today, and to give us something personal about what they love and appreciate about the harbor. Overall, it was a great day because we got to have different kinds of conversations with these interns than we are used to, and it was great working with people on a more peer-level as well. I think they learned a lot from us and I hope they take this information with them into their future endeavors!

Until next time,

Bridget

No Fish? That's BANANAS!

Hey y'all!

So, if you've been keeping up with any of my blogs, you'll notice a trend. Every single cool thing I've talked about has happened at Carson Beach. I mean, everything that happens at Carson Beach is exciting so can you blame me? But in reality, until yesterday (Wednesday), it was the only site I'd had the pleasure to work at. Early this week, when I heard that there was another fishing trip for Camp Harbor View, I volunteered to go. When I was told yes, I was beyond excited not only to work with some staff members I do not get to very often, but also engage with new faces and do new things! We don't really fish at Carson, and halfway through the summer, I was dying to give it a go!

After collecting the campers and getting ourselves together, we made our way to Captain Charlie and Sam's fishing charter. The kids were clearly excited, and it was awesome to be able to see the kinds of bonds they'd made with the Harbor Explorers prior to that day. Well. We get going, heading out into the depths of Boston Harbor. I was a little hungry. I say to Kristen, "Hey, do you think it would be weird if I just ate a banana while we're heading out there?" She laughs and says, "No go ahead!" So I take my banana out and begin eating it. I then hear Sam say "You are NOT really eating a banana right now, are you?!" I stared at him in shock and said, "Yeah." He tells Charlie to turn around. Captain Charlie sees me, rolls his eyes and yells, "Peel overboard!" I say, "Wait, really?" and Sam says, "Yes. Really. Otherwise we won't catch anything." Well I whipped that banana peel SO fast over the side of the boat and could not stop laughing. I think Kristen and I had tears in our eyes.

Fast forward to us anchoring in our first (of over a handful) fishing spots. I watched Sam bite the head off of a seaworm and spit it out before showing everyone how to bait the hook. Gross. I dropped my line and waited. I moved to several spots around the boat, as I did not want to either get tangled with another line, and also, I wanted all the fish for myself! Well. The only thing I managed to catch all day was a huge chunk of seaweed and a missing seaworm via a crab! Sigh. But the others' luck was not much better. Only two flounder for keeps, among some skates and some flounder that were not big enough to keep and had to be returned to sea. On the ride home, sitting with my friends and fellow explorers on the bow, Kristen and I recounted the banana story to all. We decided that although that may not be the real reason we had an unsuccessful fishing trip, it was sure a great story to tell! And, if hanging out with new friends and faces and laughing is an unsuccessful day, then count me in!

Catch you at Carson,

Bridget

Monkeying Around

Hey guys! Happy weekend! Today at Carson, we had the pleasure of hanging out with a group called "Let's Get Movin'" from East Boston. The mission of this group is to promote physical activity and strength to children from ages eight through fourteen. We had a group of fourteen girls, ages ten to thirteen, join us today for some beach fun! Our original plan was to engage in some sports games and fun on the sand. But this heat?! No way! All of the girls wanted to go swimming, and us harbor explorers were not opposed to getting a little wet on a day like today (it comes with the territory of Carson). But instead of calling it a wash, we decided to join the two ideas together. We brought our volleyball into the water and slowly but surely got a little game going. At first some of the girls seemed nervous or shy to participate in some light fun. But soon enough, our circle got bigger and bigger and I think they realized that I was not very good either (I cannot speak for my fellow explorers, but I am no volleyball star). Here are a couple of photos at the beginning of the activity.

Well, I guess I cannot say exactly how it happened, but then the game morphed into some volleyball-turned-monkey in the middle activity. It was hilarious! If the person in the middle got the ball, whoever had touched it last had to switch and become the new monkey. To be honest, I was the monkey twice (see the photo! Sigh.). And let me tell you, it was stressful! I was trying to "get up" as Preston would say, but not so easy with running shorts weighing you down in the ocean! It was hilarious. My favorite part was the dedication that these girls showed: diving for the ball, jumping up so high to get it, swimming out to it if it left the circle, so that the monkey would not get there first. It was amazing! I think overall, this group had a ton of fun getting moving and still staying cool on this hot beach day! And I may have been in a polo and shorts, but nothing was stopping me from joining the harbor fun!

Enjoy your weekend explorers,

Bridget M

The Harbor is Alive! (And Clean!)

This week, we had a small group of older elementary school-aged children come see us at Carson Beach. They wanted a chance to learn about the beach, the harbor, and to be able to participate in some of the activities that we offer as well! Their group was focusing on civic engagement and natural science, something they hoped we'd be able to tie in with. I was super excited to be able to share some of the knowledge I have not only about Carson Beach specifically, but about the Boston Harbor overall.

Here I am giving a little spiel about the harbor; I started by asking how many of them had been to this beach before. When not many hands were raised, I asked how many think they would swim in this water. I went on to declare that Carson Beach is one of the cleanest urban beaches in the entire country. When I talked about beaches in California, Florida and Hawaii not being as clean, both children and counsellors' faces were shocked. It was amazing to be able to share this information and be able to visibly see that it was actually being processed.

After we discussed the importance of keeping our beaches clean, so that we can use both water and sand, we went on to play some games on the beach and create some art on the shore. We attempted sand raking, but unfortunately the tide was only starting to move out and expose the perfect damp sand.

So, a small group and I worked on filling up buckets of water and pouring it on the sand in order to make our own wet sand for creating sand art! Also, I introduced some of the children to periwinkles, and my friend Elijah here because quickly interested and enthralled by them. Overall, it was an amazing day and the same group will actually be returning tomorrow for more fun. Can't wait to see what else the beach has in store for all of us!

Until then,

Bridget M.

Family Fun Night on the Beach

Hey guys, so I got to work my first event as a Save the Harbor employee this week. I worked the Family Fun Night on the beach, put on by the South Boston Neighborhood House. We brought sand rakes, fish printing materials, and pirate gear to support the pirate Mary Read. We also brought our JetBlue sponsored blue marbles to hide on the beach as a sort of treasure hunt for our family fun night friends!

After we set up shop on Carson, a group of harbor explorers took the sand rakes down to the water. Shortly after, they came back up and sadly shared that the tide was in; there would be no sand raking for us this evening. Note to self: check tide schedules before offering an activity that relies heavily on where the tide is. Oops! But not to worry, because fish printing was a hit! We had one fish, which was great because we could really focus on an individual child and their own fish print. A lot of the children seemed freaked out at first that it was a real fish (albeit a dead one). But once they got over the initial shock, they were so amazed by the final product that they created! It was awesome to see. Children also made fish-themed crafts that they really enjoyed. Here's my friend Ari, so proud of her art products!



We also hid about 10 blue marbles on the beach, and set all of our event goers out there to try and find them. We told them that they would be entered to win enough JetBlue miles for a trip! And, as a one-time winner myself, I assured the searchers that this was a real possibility. Here we have featured a marble-finder in all her glory.

All in all, Family Fun Night was a huge success! Looking forward to the next one already.

Wrapping up another week as an SHE,

Bridget

Stuck in Muck

Our week on Carson Beach started out very messy .. and I mean that in the best way possible. When our first group of kids came to the beach, the tide was extremely low. Now, I know that many of you have been to Carson beach before. But have you really seen what lies there at low tide? Sand, you ask? Nope. The only word I can possibly use to describe it accurately is muck. Grayish, goopy, squishy muck. The stuff that makes a "plop!" sound when you step in it. Anyways, so there we were: a group of kids from the South Boston Boys and Girls Club, a couple of harbor explorers, and a vast expanse of muck. Heck, a bunch of muck never hurt anybody!


We grabbed our clamming tools and all headed right in. We might have sunk ankle-deep into this muck, but we used our tools and hands to really get on in there. We found tons of periwinkles on the surface, some hermit crabs, and some clams. The kids LOVED discovering and learning about these different sea creatures. However, that was not the most astonishing part for me. I was surprised, thrilled, and so proud of the fact that these kids were FEARLESS. I heard camp counselors in passing say things like "this stuff is gross," and "Yeah I am not walking in that, I'll watch you from here." And then you have the children: not a care in the world about this clay-like substance that is now taking over most of their exposed skin. They looked like a pottery class gone bad. It was amazing. Overall, I had as much fun as (if not more than) the kids we worked with. What's wrong with a little muck now and then anyways?

A recent survivor of a mucky Monday,

Bridget

Embracing my inner child

The first week at Carson Beach was kind of an interesting one. Carson Beach differs from many of the sites due to the fact that there are no specific camps or groups that come to the site every day, or even every week. In many ways, the week seemed to operate in the opposite direction than I had expected, but not in a bad way. The first day, it down poured for the first two hours of work. All of a sudden, the rain cleared, and within about an hour, we had 167 children on the beach! The harbor explorers got to work bringing out materials and fun for our new friends to experience! It was actually a great first day, because it allowed us to get to know our site, get our bearings, and get a handle on how the summer might pan out. It was the perfect day for "land fun," and we had an absolute blast interacting with all of the kids on the beach! (Below, Preston engaging in a soccer game with a few children from the Boys and Girls Club, making the best of a not so great weather day)

So this was how our week and our summer began - 167 children to play with, educate, interact with and learn with. And yet, the week did not end the same way. Thursday and Friday were relatively chilly days on the beach, and the water was pretty choppy. So instead of twiddling our thumbs all day, we decided to use the games and materials at our disposal and get to know each other at the same time. There were six of us at carson on Thursday. Six harbor explorers, no children for a long chunk of time. That means it was time for us to be the children. I cannot remember the last time I laughed as hard as I did when I'd see a frisbee fly overhead and hear my team members yell "GET UP!" or hear the phrase "Bridget, HANDS!" only to turn and see a football headed straight for me (I swear my life flashed before my eyes!). I appreciate that we got the opportunity to interact and hang out with each other, because I learned more about what each of my team members can offer to the children we will continue to serve throughout the rest of the summer. (Below, one of the many times I was taken by surprise, and probably did not "get up" high enough to catch the tricky little thing!)

See you at Carson! - Bridget 

Stepping Out of the Comfort Zone

My name is Bridget McGrath, and this is my introductory blog post as a Senior Harbor Educator for Save the Harbor Save the Bay this summer! I teach first grade at the Tynan Elementary School, and prior to that I've always worked with children in one way or another. This is my first summer working with Save the Harbor Save the Bay. And if this past week of orientation is any indication, I am going to have an absolute blast this summer! I am so excited to be Site Coordinator of Carson Beach in South Boston, and to share Save the Harbor’s awesome activities with families and programs from all over the city!

I’d like to share an experience I had this past week. Personally, I went way out of my comfort zone during orientation. I participated in several activities that I never thought I would.  Whether because of an actual fear or just a fear of being embarrassed, I often stand in my own way of things. I did not have that choice this week, and it was liberating. On Thursday, at Carson Beach, I was one of the first Save the Harbor team members to try a Stand Up Paddleboard. After Stacey gave the lesson, I was so nervous and yet I knew if I walked away without trying it, I would never forgive myself.

So I strapped on a life jacket, walked down to the (pretty chilly) water, and jumped right on board. Getting from my knees to my feet was the scariest part, and the most exhilarating. It was a rush, standing up there and being in such control of everything. And what’s better, looking back at the shoreline to see fellow Save the Harbor members watching, supporting, and cheering me on. I cannot even describe the feeling that gave me. So this summer, my goal is to make sure that children who come to see me at Carson will leave with that same feeling; proud of doing something new and fun, and just thoroughly enjoying it! I’m looking forward to a great summer!