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

So Long, Farewell

Hello again fellow adventurers!

Well it's unfortunately that time again, the summer is coming to an end. Since the first day of work three years ago, I knew this was going to be a special place to work. I thought I came into this job with a decent amount of knowledge of the harbor, but I could not have imagined how much I have learned in the past three years. From simple things like how to correctly tie a fishing line, to life lessons like how to handle a bullying situation between two kids, I have experienced a multitude of situations that have made me the person I am today.

Fishing With the Mayor!

By far my favorite site this summer was Camp Harbor View. Aside from soaking up the sun and playing frisbee on our down time, the personalities of the kids and counsellors at Camp Harbor View were unmatched. Everyone arrived to the boat in the morning with bright smiles on their faces, ready for whatever exciting events were to unfold over the course of the day. For the first time in three years, I was regularly a part of catching stripers and skates on site. I was just as excited as the kids when we would reel up one of these fascinating creatures, and for some of the kids it was their first time seeing an animal come out of the ocean!

Out of all of the Better Beaches events I attended this summer, my favorite was Aquapalooza. This event truly showed me that music can be the common denominator in bringing a bunch of strangers together in a room (or in this case, on a boat). Bridget, Emily and I were by far the youngest ones on the boat, but age was truly just a number on this cruise. I was amazed to see some of these people in there 50's, 60's, and 70's grooving to the rhythm of the music the entire cruise! while we were regularly taking breaks to catch our breath. That was one of the funnest days I experienced all summer, from the music to the personalities, all around just an amazing day. I would highly suggest this event to all of our 21+ readers, because it is an awesome experience. 

The Dirty Dotties!

When I return to school in the fall, I will be returning with new friends, and tons of new memories. Every single summer my friend group grows, as well as my life experiences. I'm constantly learning new things from the people I meet through Save the Harbor, and I wouldn't want to have it any other way. I will be graduating in the spring with a degree in Marine Biology, and I truly believe that my time here at Save the Harbor has helped me make it this far. I'm excited for what the rest of the year has in store for me, and hopefully I will be back to make more memories in the summer.

Until next time, keep on exploring!

-Luke C. 

There's nothing like working in this city

Goodbye for now!

Climbing structure at Camp Harbor View, on Long Island

Hello and goodbye, friends of Save the Harbor!

I cannot believe that the summer has come to a close. I hope you are all taking advantage of this beautiful weather- keep getting to the beach, it will ease the back-to-school blues!

I wanted to start off with a photo from Camp Harbor View because it represents one of the greatest parts of working with Save the Harbor- there are always new adventures to be had. I did not work at CHV until the end of the summer, but it really made an impact- the staff is incredibly motivated, the campers are fun and engaging, and Long Island is stunning. This is the climbing structure that I was itching to get on (maybe some other time!) I am excited that CHV is making climbing a part of the camp because for me, rock climbing is stress relief, fun, and over-all upkeep. I am happier and healthier now that I rock climb, and I'm glad to see that kids in Boston are learning about this amazing sport!

Jaimie with a crab!

Sisters Jaimie and Julia with their mud-man!

I think I left a piece of me with all of the smiling friends we made at Blacks Creek this year. I'm going to hold on to these memories forever! Blacks Creek was the site I spent the most time at- thanks to our partners at Quincy Recreation, we enjoyed a great summer with the sailing center!  From finding crabs and eels to making sculptures and mudballs during our rare low-tide days, I'll have a lot to miss from this site!

Abdi at Blacks Creek with Jaimie and Jordan!

Alex and Jayda!

One of the most beautiful parts of this summer was seeing our JPAs take up leadership role. Here's Abdi with some of our kids at Blacks Creek. Abdi is the youngest in his family, but he took up leadership like a natural. From teaching the kids how to play "Taps" to taking over all of the responsibility that comes with being King of the Crab Trap, Abdi was an asset to our team this summer. He has a great time with the kids, and they are always smiling when he is teaching them.

Norah Dooley, Patty Foley,  and some of our guests at the Beach Bash! 

Ahmed, Ketchup King, at the Beach Bash!

Similarly, I found myself learning from our JPAs! Jayda, above, is one of the most organized and motivated people I have ever met. We arrived at Nautical Day at Blacks Creek and she immediately caught us an eel for the touch tank. Jayda's unbeatable and energetic smile and disposition were inspirations for me this summer. Thanks for teaching me so much,  to all of my brilliant JPAs!

As I reflect on the rest of the summer, what I remember most are smiles and sunshine. I'll always be grateful to Save the Harbor for giving me this amazing opportunity. For letting me work with Ahmed, our expert LHE, when I was nervous on my first day; for having an on-call pirate and a president who enjoys listening to sea tales with kids; for Bridget Ryan, our incredible Head Teacher.

Thanks for an amazing summer, Boston!

 Carolyn House

Another unforgettable summer...

Remember how I mentioned in one of my blogs that hopefully by the end of summer at Piers Park we will catch a fish? Well... We did! Ironically, it happened on the very last day of camp! Also, It wasn't just no ordinary fish, but it was a squid! Which has never been caught here before. What a great memory, definitely one that will stick with me and the kids for a very longtime.

"I caught a squid!"

Its crazy and sad to realize that this summer is actually coming to an end and to know that this will be my last blog. Honestly, Save the Harbor Save the Bay has made another unforgettable summer for me. This summer, I got to met a group of funny, awesome, and amazing people. I also got a chance to grow many close friendships with the kids that will be apart of my memory. I will remember having tons of fun with the kids and my team playing a competitive game of capture the flag, fishing and crabbing, and of course all the laughs we had together. I had a fantastic summer and hopefully you all did too.

Besides all the fun, I also learned many things and developed many skills from working here, and most definitely will be using them in the future. Which makes me very grateful for having the honor and opportunity to be able to work for Save the Harbor Save the bay.
Very soon, I will be heading to college and there will be many changes in my life. I don't know what path college will take me and where it will lead me to. Whatever happens, I hope I will see you guys again someday. Till then, I wish you all the best and good luck.


Day one: When we all met each other for the first time.

Farewell,
I miss you guys already!
Nhu




Is It Really Over Already?

It’s hard to believe that summer is already over! It seems like just yesterday I was cluelessly wandering the Boston Fish Pier trying to find the elusive Save the Harbor office and telling myself that I would eventually get used to the intense fish smell (not quite so). But alas, time flies when you’re having fun, right? Over the course of these short weeks I have had the opportunity to explore unique parts of the Boston Harbor, work with some of the best and most dedicated coworkers, catch more crabs than I had previously thought humanly possible and meet some of the most curious and inspiring kids from the different Boston communities.

I came to Save the Harbor with the hope of sharing my enthusiasm for the environment and I can confidently say that I achieved that goal. Seeing all our Harbor Explorers show up early every single day (even on those gray and rainy ones) ready to get their hands dirty was incredibly rewarding and inspires hope for future generations of environmental conservationists.

Each day brought new experiences and my list of favorites from the summer would be endless. But, here’s a quick list of things I am already missing:

1.     Crab Races

2.     Sharks and Minnows

3.     Starting the day with the amazing view from Piers Park

4.     Shoreline walks with Southie kids

5.     Lobstahssss

6.     Impromptu dance parties on the dock

7.     The unconditional love for Save the Harbor staff

8.     Spending the day with goofball kids

A special shout out to my JPAs - Jazeel, Monique, Nhu, and Vinh. The summer would not have been the same without you guys. Thanks for showing up every morning with smiles on your faces. The East Boston and Southie kids (and me!) will never forget their summer with you.

Until next time,

Sarah C

J

It's So Hard To Say Goodbye

      Hello everyone, hope everybody had a great summer.  I'm a returnee for the Save The Harbor Save The Bay so it was great for me to come back another year and work. I met a lot of new staff and connected with a few people this summer. I enjoyed my summer working here. Also, I learned how to fish, give educational talks on marine life and Boston beaches to children and families all over Boston. I enjoyed working at various work sites this summer also. I experienced a lot this year, and holding a 3 pounder lobster was really cool! He would be yummy for dinner! Haha!  Overall, I had a blast working with STHSB once again. Thanks for everything. Farewell my readers.

  

My first time holding a 3 pounded lobster!

It's not bye, it's see ya later!

Capturing moments

Bye!
-Juelle Benjamin 

Goodbye Everyone :/

Its been a nice seven weeks working with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. Waking up early every morning was a struggle. I'm not a morning person, but I made sure I woke up early just to see the smiles on the kids' faces. Sometimes I arrived at work not feeling like myself, but when I saw the kids I immediately was in a better mood. I had the best time working at McDonough Sailing Center and Piers Park and I am going to miss all the kids sooo much.

I hope to work with everyone next year. It was nice working for Save the Harbor this year. I learned a lot through out the weeks. Everyday I learned something new. I enjoyed working with Sarah, Nhu, Vinh, Myriam and Jazeel. I would love to work with them again because they made my summer fun and enjoyable. Byeeeeee everyone! Enjoy the rest of the summer and hope to see you guys next year :D

Vinh's farewell blog

Once again I find myself writing my exit blog, albeit for the third time. They say third time's the charm and that has definitely held true for me this summer. This summer has made my first two summers pale in comparison because this summer was the first that I felt the entire senior marine educator pool was quality and fun to be around. I personally have to give a shout out to my most favorite SME Sarah Chang. I have worked with her every week this summer and I have grown very fond of her. She learned the ropes very quickly and adapted to everything that was thrown at her. I am very grateful to have had the chance to work with her, along with all of my fellow coworkers. I hope I will have the opportunity to return next summer for another two months of fun!

My highlight of the summer!

See you next summer on the harbor,

Vinh Tran

Farewell Summer '11

Well, that's the end of another great summer. This has been my second summer working at SH/SB and I'm glad to say that it was more fun than last year's. That being said, last year's summer was also very fun, I did not think I could possibly ever have more fun working in the summer than I did that year, but I have been proven wrong. One of the main reseason why this summer was so fun was all the fantastic people I got to meet. Our staff this year was more than double what we had last year. I also had the opportunity to go on all access three times more than I did last summer, so I got to meet three times the amount of wonderful kids I met last year.

Perhaps the only downside to this summer was the fact that I only caught three fish, compared to last year's 8. Nevertheless I had a ton of fun trying to catch and helping so many kids have a go. Personally, the joy of helping one of the young anglers catch a fish was greater than catching one myself.

So, as they say, all great things most come to an end, with this blog post, another fantastic summer working at Save the Harbor Save the Bay comes to an end. But hopefully just until summer 2012. Look forward to working with all of you again next year.

Enjoy the rest of your year folks.

~Aruna Bah

Memories Last a Lifetime

Taking this summer job was a great idea. Now I have experience working in the office from the six week internship I did this past April, along with experience outdoors. Having the chance to work with children from Boston was wonderful. As I taught them how to identify a female and male crab, the type of crab, etc. I was able to learn with them. A lot of what I did was new to me. It was my first time working, working with kids, fishing, crabbing and flying kites. The time has come, summer is coming to an end, but I will carry these memories forever.

I remember my first week I was at Piers Park. I grew close to as eight year old girl, Olivia. Olivia was teaching me how to speak Italian. :) Even though she only knows how to say fruit in Italian it was lots of fun. While I repeated the pronunciation of the fruit she spotted a wrapper floating in the Harbor. She screamed at me "Kristina go get the net, QUICK!" I quickly got the arancione "orange" net and handed it over to her, and she patiently waited for the plastic potato chip bag to float closer to the dock before she was able to have a safe scoop. I let her know if everyone was as aware and concerned about trash in the Harbor, it would be even cleaner. I told her imagine if everyone was able to scoop and grab a piece of trash they seen floating in the Harbor, and she said "I guess we need more people like me. People who care about their environment". Overall, Olivia and I learned something new. I learned some Italian and she learned that we need more concerned and caring people to help keep the Harbor clean.

This summer I caught my first fish. It was a 35" Strip Bass that won me two Red Sox tickets in the fishing competition. The fish was so heavy, until this day I can not believe I was the one who reeled in that large fish! I am so proud of myself. I love the fact that I was announced in the East Boston Times and that my parents brag to his friends about it. This was by far one of the best memories this summer. I learned how to fish this summer and managed to catch one of the largest fish as my first. My mom has the newspaper article pinned up on her bulletin board at work for all her co-workers to see. It makes me feel good about myself every time this memory pops into mind. If I was to never accept this summer job I would have never learned how to fish and never would have caught one.

Staff day! That day was fun with my co-worker. I had the opportunity to learn about my co-workers. On the boat ride to Spectacle Island I learned along with others that Mehki takes his Mac with him.everywhere, or as Kassy says "His Jumbo IPOD!" haha. I learned how most of us had similar taste in music that later led to the discussion of an upcoming concert. Surprisingly the majority of us staffers are attending it! When we reached Spectacle Bruce and Patty, two amazing host, had prepared hot dogs on the grill. Of course Manny, Hughes and I were the first to create the line and ready to eat! :) We ate and socialized amongst each other and laughed at silly imitation Mekhi, Hughes, Manny and Vihn did. While some decided to play a game of capture the flag others hit the beach later on that day. I hit the beach and cooled myself off. It was such a relaxed day.It ended in a great way, a hula-hoop contest. Candido impressed us all with his hip movement and jumping skills that led him be the hula-hoop champion although Kassy was last to drop hers. Getting back to Boston I was happy with the tighter bonds I had built with some of my co-workers.

The first time I seen ghost at George's Island! It was scary! The main attraction at George's Island is the dark tunnel. As many times as you go by the tunnel there are a bunch of kids and adults waiting to overcome the fear of entering this creepy, dark tunnel. While I helped get people in and out of the tunnel two older women had snapped a photo of the tunnel. They both came out with a scary look as if they saw ghost.. Surely their camera captures white blots down the tunnel that seemed to actually be GHOST! I was freaked out. I could not believe this. I quickly pulled out my camera and snapped a bunch of photo of what seemed to be a never ending tunnel. My camera along with the other women's camera had caught the same image. Some people said it was the lens of the camera that was dirty; therefore, I cleaned it several times to still get the same picture. A bunch of blurry, white circles in scattered places in the tunnel.

The Clam Seeding was something different! My team and I had headed to Thompson Island. As we waited for the ferry Bruce took pictures of us. At first I thought the event was going to be cancelled due to the weather forecast, but the weather pulled through was okay for the day.I had no idea of what we were going to do, it was a surprise to me when I heard we were headed to Thompson Island. It was a surprise to all of us staff along with what we were up for at the island.Once we got there we were told we were going to do clam seeding. I was not prepared to do so because I had jeans on. Luckily, the staff at Thompson provided us, around 40 people, long rain boots and gloves. I tied my hair up, pulled up my boots up and put my gloves on. My group of eight headed out to the water, it was low tide. We placed a net on a muddy surface and began digging around the square net. After we did that we pulled the net back and began racking the surface removing Green Crabs we seen.We all grabbed clam seeds and carefully sprinkled them on the surface as the other eight groups did. We pulled the net over the seeds and put tons of mud on the edges of the net to told tight when the tide comes in. At the end of the seeding everyone was dirty! Some had squishy, dark , watery mud on their face, gloves, arms, pants and shirts.Before we knew it, it was time to bring our materials back and head back out to Boston. This was my first time clam seeding and I enjoyed myself. I hope I get the chance to do this again!

Overall, this has been the most memorable summer! A summer of learning, teaching, having fun and networking. It is a perfect way to end my summer and begin my new beginning in the fall for college in Schenectady, New York. :)

It's already over?

This summer working for Save the harbor/ Save the Bay went by faster than I thought- maybe too fast. I made a lot of new friends and was able to see a lot of new things, some of which I would've never thought possible. It's crazy because this time last year, I probably wouldn't have seen things how I see them now. This was a good thing for me because I learned how to come out of my shell and adjust to new surroundings. I'm thankful that I had the opportunity to work with Save the harbor/ Save the Bay, I learned a lot and I also grew in some ways. Hopefully I will have the chance to work here next year but until then it was nice getting to know my coworkers and the harbor! See you later!

GoodBye Everyone :(

This was the best summer ever for me with SavetheHarbor/SavethBay.
I loved working with all of you.

I learned a lot and went to places I've never been to. My favorite event was the Summer Splash. I had so much fun working with all of you! I wish we could have spent more time together!

It's hard to say goodbye to each other. I hope all of you have a great rest of the summer. Be safe.

-Candido

My Boston Harbor Love Story

The lobster traps have all been pulled up, the fishing rods are all de-hooked, the sailing centers are empty, and the incredible co-workers that surrounded me all summer are heading back to school. It's bittersweet, for sure, as all goodbyes tend to be. But my overwhelming feelings, even as I said goodbye to BJ before he left for his first year of college, and even as Conor and I painstakingly organized all of our equipment for its winter hibernation, are of contentment and joy.

Why? Because with the end of the youth programs comes the end of my first summer as a Bostonian, which is actually not an ending at all, but a joyful beginning. I consider this summer my own personal success story of setting out on my own and finding a place where I belong. It's such an amazing feeling to know for certain that this was what I was supposed to do, and where I was meant to be, for the last 9 weeks. And while you might even argue that no one who has lived here less than three months is allowed to refer to herself as a Bostonian, I'm going to have to disagree. Try moving here in the gorgeous summer weather and immersing yourself in everything the city has to offer. Eat new types of food, see Shakespeare on the Common, watch the 4th of July fireworks against the city skyline. Try working in the Seaport district, Charlestown, Quincy, East Boston, Dorchester, South Boston, and on the Harbor Islands-- and learning the bus, train, car, and boat routes between them all. But most importantly, try being in touch with the city's natural environment, and sharing it with the city's next generation, every single day. Then tell me you're not in love with this city. Tell me you wouldn't feel like a true Bostonian, too.

Thank you to everyone who welcomed me to this new home: Lindsay and Jen, thank you for your constant support and guidance. Bruce and Patty, thank you for the opportunity to be a part of our organization's amazing efforts and of this amazing group of people specifically. To my coworkers-- I've said this before, I've learned so much from you this summer -- not only about things like music and movies and frisbee, but about strength and selflessness and passion. Thank you for that. And to the children of Boston that crowded the beaches, docks, sailing centers, and boats this summer-- thank you for reminding me of the wonder only a child can possess, and for helping me discover that I want to make education a part of my life for many years to come. You were the reason we got up so early, sweated through the hot days, and shivered through the downpours... so that you could be the next generation of Harbor stewards. Thank you for exploring the Harbor with us.

I am sad to see the seasons changing and the youth programs ending, but I am grateful for the gifts this summer has given me. Surrounded by a network of both old and new friends, anxiously awaiting my move into my new Cambridge apartment on September 1st, and guided by a phenomenal summer's memories, I see a long love affair with Boston, and its Harbor, stretched out before me. Hope to see you all again along the way.

Lots of Harbor Love,
Michelle Palermino