A Farewell to Spectacle Island

Last Friday's Beach Event Day in South Boston was amazing! I had a great time. It was so cool to see so many campers come together and just have a day of fun and relaxation, courtesy of Save the Harbor! I was mostly working on Sand Castles, which ended up with of bunch of campers and I digging to strike water (which we eventually did) and campers being buried up to their necks. And even though the stress level seemed to have gone up when lunch began, Save the Harbor did a great job working together; good job guys!

But, my main focus of this blog post was to say my farewells to Spectacle. Although I have only been there three times with Save the Harbor, all my visits granted me some new adventure. My first time was meeting new staff and seeing what the island was all about (by the way, that was my first time ever ON the island); my second time had me flying kite (not going to talk about it); and my final time, which was today, had me kayaking around the island! Thi and I, along with three other people from another group, went kayaking in a sort of informal tour around Spectacle Island. Although the harbor was really choppy, it was such an experience. I have only kayaked on rivers before, and to do it on theharbor for the first time, around such a beautiful island, truly was breathtaking. Later once we came back from All Access I realized what an awesome way that was to end my summer not only at Spectacle, but also at Save the Harbor.

It's not my last blog post, but I still want to say thanks to all my fellow staff and the leaders and senior educators who made this experience for me an unforgettable one. I am going to miss all of you!

Thanks,

David

A LOBSTAH?! IN THE HAHBAH?!

Since my classes ended, this week marked my first week working both mornings and afternoons with Save the Harbor! I was excited to begin working with more people and experiencing different sites and activities.

Tuesday marked my first day working at the Children's Museum, and I loved it. First of all, I just love the museum in general, so being able to work at the location was was great experience. Secondly, I was able to bring all of the facts that I either learned or taught at McDonough and incorporate them in the Museum's harbor environment. It was definitely a different atmosphere, since families are constantly coming and going and flooding the boardwalk, but the new atmosphere offered an aura that was both fresh and enthusiastic. Although we had no luck in catching fish, we were able to catch many green and spider crabs, which were a big hit. Also, since I love languages, I was so thrilled that I was able to practice both my German and French at the site; one family from Germany and another from Quebec were both participating in the program! Tres bien!

On Wednesday was my first day on All Access, and I truly enjoyed it. I love Spectacle Island's rich history and beautiful green environment. I tried flying kites with different groups of kids, and I did not realize how bad I was at flying a kite. I mean, I was REALLY bad. One of the groups' counselors came up to me to tell me that the kite was not set up properly, and that I was flying it wrong. Mind you, I was attempting to fly a kite for a good while before the counselor told me this; it explained the strange stares I was receiving from onlookers. Soon though, I mastered the technique and had fun!

Then today, Thursday, we caught a lobster in a crab trap at the Children's Museum. It was too small to be legal, and it was a boy. After we caught it, we attracted a bunch of attention from curious children hungry for knowledge about an animal they've probably only ever seen in a store.... or on their dinner plate.

Thanks for a great week!

David

High Tide at McDonough!

This week was a sentimental week for me at the McDonough Sailing Center: it is the last week where I am working there every afternoon. So, taking advantage of the final time that I had, I tried to do everything with the kids; crab counting, fishing, crab catching, water games, and anything else where the campers were able to have fun and learn at the same time.

This week was really cool by the lagoon since it was high tide, which re

ally fascinated the campers. Although we could not perform a sufficient crab count due to

the high tide, we were able to explore the beach more and watch the water rushing into the lagoon from the ocean. The sound of the water rushing through the pillars under the bridge resembled the roaring of a tropical waterfall, and even though it did not offer such a stunning view such as a waterfall, it really caught the attention of the campers. They were wondering why water did this, why the tides got high some days and low others, how the ocean works, etc. I was really proud at their enthusiasm and their wanting to know so much. This little moment reflected all the time that I had spent at McDonough and the bonds that I formed with the people there. The first time I started working there the campers were extremely reluctant to even talk to me, and now at this moment they all trusted me with answering some of their biggest questions, or shared with me their dreams to be able to swim to Spectacle Island, or surf on the fast tide coming in. At that moment I was not a counselor to them, or a representative of Save the Harbor, or a boy from Quincy; I was just like another person from Southie; a neighbor they've known for years; a mentor; a teacher; a friend.

It is going to be difficult saying goodbye to McDonough. I know that I am not going to be away for the rest of the summer; I might come by here and there when needed. But it seems that I have just grown so used to seeing all those familiar faces eagerly waiting for me to start fishing and exploring with them; those familiar smells of the lagoon by the dockside or food from Sullie's; that long but tranquil walk from P Street to Castle Island. Once the campers found out that this might be my last week working full time at McDonough, they all reacted with dismay. But one camper stood out, because he said, "You promised me that you would stay if I stayed!" He remembered a "promise" I made with him that if he decided to stay in the program longer, since he was thinking about leaving, then I would stay with him. I did not know what to say; I was speechless.

So, thank you McDonough Sailing Center for a great time this summer. I hope the campers learned something from me, because I learned so much from them.

- David

Crabs by the 80's

For the first time at McDonough Sailing Center, we along with the campers caught not ten, not twenty, not thirty, not even forty... but 80 crabs!

This week we participated in the MIT study concerning the species of crabs and the amount of crabs living in a specific aquatic environment around the Boston Harbor, aka, the crab count. Since this was the first time we were doing it at McDonough, it was hard explaining it to the kids why we were doing this. We try to resort to saying that, "You guys get to be scientists for a day! How cool is that?" One kid turned to me and said innocently, "What if I don't want to be a scientist when I get older?" After some skepticism, the children decided to split up into teams (we first had to explain that everyone can not be on my team and call it a team) and we explored pleasure bay for any potential crabs.

My team, Team Awesome, started off pretty strong and we found a few crabs. Then, once one of the other teams started catching crabs by the dozens, we started to really kick into gear. We looked under rocks, through forests of seaweed, and by the end of the session, we caught 80 crabs!!! However, through much trial and hardship, my team came in last... yet each kid in my team was not dismayed by our place we came in; they were just proud to have caught 80 crabs in less than thirty minutes!Who knows what we will do next week! But I know this week was definitely a success.
- David

Dancing in the Park and Swimming in the Sea

Hey all! Last week not only seemed to be a busy week for myself, but everyone seemed to have an eventful few days considering the hot weather. On Tuesday I participated in the Friends of Wollaston Beach's "Dancing in the Park" with a couple of other friends from Save the Harbor. Although we did arrive a little unorganized (we searched the beach for literally anything to put on display; we even resorted to seaweed and bird feathers!) nevertheless we had a great time and children learned a lot about the marine environments around them.

The lobster touch tank was a hit, and I even learned a lot about lobsters myself! It was so funny to see small children overcome their fears to actually pet a lobster up close (many of the kids saying that they usually only see lobsters at the supermarkets). The smaller items that we had on display, such as clam and mussel shells, feathers, seaweed, and other small marine life, were also a big hit. It is pretty interesting how we take for granted biological wonders that we sometimes pass off as trivial; I was surprised to see how many people could not distinguish a clam from a mussel shell. Therefore, while examining shorelines, catching fish, or exploring any other maritime area, I will always examine anything I find; who knows, I might learn something new!

As for McDonough Sailing Center, it was really hot! Luckily, the kids were begging me to go swimming with them; how could I refuse the beautiful ocean on such a hot day (102 degrees to be exact) ? Little did I know that once I got in the water, the campers were planning to launch a water war on me. So, after a little while of swimming, and a little crabbing, and some fishing thrown in there as well, I was able to call it a week.

- David

Sea, Sand, and Stripers

Hey all! Wednesday was a very exciting day at the McDonough Center in South Boston: we caught the first catch of the summer! Two of the campers there, Jacob and Dylan, were extremely proud of themselves when they discovered that they caught a pretty good size striper. Right before we put the last rod away, which was being used by Dylan and then passed down to Jacob, Jacob shouted that he caught something and I had to grab him before he fell into the water because of the fish! After the fish put up a decent fight, we brought it onto the dock (which was sinking because of all the spectators) and allowed the two boys to drench themselves in their patience that paid off. Although it may be a while until we catch another fish in South Boston, it added a great air of enthusiasm to the kids for the rest of the week. Today, all the kids were talking about the "ginormous" fish that Jacob and Dylan caught, and a bunch of kids wanted to see if they could catch one even bigger. Along with fish, McDonough was overflowing with crab fishing too. Today it got to a point where we had to put some of the crabs back because we did not have enough room for the amount of crabs being caught every minute! From catching fish to beach exploring to hunting crabs, this was an extremely eventful week for the kids. Right when I arrive to the gates of the sailing center, I am bombarded with eager adventurists who want to examine the beach, or catch crabs, or immediately start fishing, or even just sit down and talk for a while. Although I am notoriously know as the "Quincy Kid" (and David when talking formally) by the campers, I am really starting to enjoy the work I do with Save the Harbor. Thanks for reading!

David Coletti

First Week: Castles, Crabs, and Losing Traps

Hey all! I am so happy to say that I really enjoyed my first week! This week, I worked at the McDonough Sailing Center in South Boston at Castle Island, and what a gorgeous view the area offered me. The ability to see most of the Harbor Islands was a great advantage to teaching the kids about each island, and the beach front allowed the kids to fish and crab trap with plenty of space. I worked with an amazing group of people, and I formed great friendships within a few days. One of my favorite memories from this past week was one of the crab traps coming off of the rope and being stuck in the water. Although I was a little skeptical of their ability to be able to retrieve it, three campers were DETERMINED to fetch the trap from the depths of the ocean floor and to save the day. In reality, it was a struggle for them. However, they did not give up. They absolutely refused to come out and take a rest when we asked them to, and they each took turns trying to dive down and rescue the trap. Even when their mom came to pick them up, they did not stop attempting to get the trap. Eventually to got to the point where Conor had to jump in and get the trap, and although the girls were not the actual savers of the trap, they were truly proud of the effort they put into the job. Also, today a girl caught the biggest crab out of all the other crabs caught this week, and she was so excited to tell her mom when she came to pick her up. Although we had to throw it back into the water, she left the camp with a genuine smile. So far, my work experience payed off. I mean, it's not everyday kids will swim to the bottom of the ocean for you!

David

My First Wave for Save the Harbor

Hey all! I'm David, and I am so excited to be apart of a great organization! This is my first year as youth staff with Save the Harbor, and I honestly do not know what to expect. I can not wait to meet new people, experience new things that I have never encountered before, and definitely push my comfort zone. I never really expected myself to be doing work around the water, since science was never really my strong point, however from the training sessions and from talking to people I realized that this organization goes far beyond just aquatic and scientific focus points. It is truly a job that calls for people who love working with people, which is what I am really ecstatic about. Speaking of which, one of my main goals throughout this summer is to meet new people and to find out their stories, of how and why they are involved in such an organization such as Save the Harbor. Already I have met people from not only different parts of Boston, but also from the Greater Boston area. Secondly, I love working with kids (the past two years I was a camp counselor) so it is awesome that Save the Harbor can combine meeting new people and teaching younger children together. By the end of the summer, besides having a great tan, I hope to have made some new friends, created some great memories, and contributed my part to saving Boston's harbor front.

David