Warmer Water, More Surprises!

Hello,

It's week 4 at the Boston Children's Museum, and we are having a blast. It's hard to believe that it's August already, and summer will be coming to a close in a few weeks. But until then the Fort Point Channel is bustling, and we are catching numerous animals.

According to the National Oceanic Date Center, the waters of the Boston Harbor will be the warmest of the season during the month of August with a projected low of 66 and a high of 68. Depending on the species of animal, the optimum water temperature range is 55 to 64 degrees Fahrenheit. Although warmer waters can make sea animals more susceptible to predators and parasites, it can also mean that there will be plenty of movement and excitement in the waters right below where we fish and crab each day.

For the first time, we caught a salt water eel that we believe was an American Eel. He was dark in color and about 2 feet long. After we showed the eel, to a group of kids and parents, we set him free back into the water, so that he could be more comfortable.

Each day at the Children's Museum is an adventure, and you never know what you could catch.

See you on the Pier,

Iris Ayala

The Fan Pier Fishing Tournament

Hello,

On Thursday, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay attended the annual Fan Pier Fishing Tournament. I woke up early with the hopes of reeling in the winning catch. I met the SHEs, LHEs, and JPAs at the Courthouse stop off the Silver Line, and we headed to Fan Pier. After we set-up the banners, unloaded water and snacks on the pier, and put on our official Fan Pier t-shirts, we had breakfast sandwiches, coffee, and juice. We were fueled by J. Pace's and were ready to start our journey on the sea.

We split up into teams and boarded the boats mixed with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay Summer Staff and kids from the Boys & Girls Club. Each boat was equipped with rods, hooks, bait, water, and pretzels. Sam and I were the two Senior Harbor Educators aboard our boat. Sam was the first mate to the wonderful Captain Charlie, and I helped teach the kids how to fish and put the blood worms on their hooks when they were too squeamish.

(left to right) Candido, Myself, and Sam putting bait on lines

We were able to cruise on the water towards Spectacle Island, Long Island, and around the Boston Harbor. Capt. Charlie tried to find us the best spots to catch flounder, stripers, and other types of fish. I was so excited when every person on our boat was able to catch a fish. I caught an 11 inch flounder, but it was to small to keep. We threw it back in the water and wished it safe travels.

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay at the Fan Pier Fishing Tournament

We headed back to the dock around noon and met up with the other boats. We gathered around to see who caught the biggest fish. There were also guests from the Red Sox that were able to join us. After we took a group photo with our fish, we had lunch and cleaned up. All in all, it was a wonderful day.
                                   
See you on the water,

Iris Ayala

The Elusive Striper

Hello All,

On Monday at the Children's Museum, we caught an elusive striped bass that swims in the Fort Point Channel. Team Children's Museum often sees the fish swimming to the surface to munch on some bread around 2 or 3 PM. On this day, Sam, one of our Senior Harbor Educators, was determined to get the striper out of the water.

Team Children's Museum with the Winning Catch

He started with a simple bread hook with no weight attached. Candido, one of our Lead Harbor Explorers, directed Sam to the area that was most promising. It was only 11 AM, but Candido spotted a striper swimming alone near the bridge. Sam casted out with the hopes that the fish would take a nibble; his prey took a bite. When Sam knew that the striper was securely on his line, he slowly reeled the fish in. The tricky part was pulling the fish up 15 feet and getting it over the railing without losing it. Candido tied a rope to a fishing net, threw it into the water, and scooped up the striper. Many people nearby stopped to watch Sam reel in the fish that was about 35 inches and at least 15 lbs.

The Elusive Sriped Bass and I

After we took pictures with the striper and showed the fish to the kids, we put it back in the water, so it could swim freely. Hopefully, we'll catch one again soon. 

See you on the pier,

Iris Ayala

An Eventful Day

Today at the Boston Children's Museum, it was an eventful and exciting day.

We started the day normally: taking our supplies from the utility closet, cutting up bait, throwing in the crab trap, and setting up the fishing rods. Maybe it had something to do with the type of bait we used.

In the morning, Bruce brought us a bucket of fresh quahogs for the day. We usually use herring or bass for bait. Within the first hour, we caught not just one spider crab but two!

Candido, Lead Harbor Explorer, and I cracking a quahog

Also, we have been chumming the waters with white bread and a few saltine crackers. Candido, our Lead Harbor Explorer, and I spotted a few striped bass close to the underpass. We often see the stripers after our lunch break at about 2 pm.

While we try to catch the stripers, we like to talk to the kids and family we see about what they find in the channel each and every day. Many kids and even parents are surprised to see how many different types of creatures swim below them.

Sam, Senior Harbor Educator, fishing for a striper

It was a fun day filled with sun, laughter, and teachable moments. I am hoping for many more days like this one at the museum.

See you on the pier,

Iris Ayala

Off to a Great Start

We kicked off our first week of the Boston Harbor Explorers program at the Children's Museum. This is my 2nd year at the site, and I'm looking forward to all the experiences, seeing new faces, and creatures we will catch off the pier of the Fort Point Channel.

My team at the Boston Children's Museum is LHE, Candido, JPAs, Marco, Sumtoo, and Edward. I'm really excited about what we can accomplish at this site.

As the week comes to a close, we've caught green crabs, spider crabs, cunners, moon jellyfish, and tunicates. Candido, our Lead Harbor Explorer, and I are currently dedicated to catching one of the mysterious striped bass that roam the waters of the Fort Point Channel each day around 2 PM. With the help of Sam, a Senior Harbor Educator & fisherman extraordinaire, we will catch one soon enough.

Candido, Lead Harbor Explorer, showing the crowd a spider crab

We've experimented with many types of bait such as herring, quahogs, and bread. We still have some tricks up our sleeves and plenty of summer to catch a striper!

See you on the pier,

Iris Ayala

Ready for Another Summer

Hello All,

Iris Ayala, one of your fellow Senior Harbor Explorers, here ready for another amazing summer with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay.

It's hard to believe I've been with the organization for a year, and in that time, I've gained valuable experiences both as a Senior Harbor Educator and as the Senior Staff Assistant. It was a transition from fishing, crabbing, and lobstering in the summer in the sweltering sunshine to sitting in a more convention office environment, but I was able to discover firsthand all the hard work that Save the Harbor does behind the scenes and able to contribute to their successes.

I am more than ready to sport that blue polo, cut up bait, and work with young and diverse minds on the docks of the cleanest public beaches in the country.

Today, the Senior Harbor Explorers and the Lead Harbor Explorers will meet the Junior Program Assistants. One of my favorite parts of the summer is to work with the high school students. In college, I studied English and Secondary Education in hope of teaching high school English, and I plan on applying to BPS in the next few weeks. Each Junior Program Assistant brings a valuable and integral asset to the Summer Youth Program, and it's always fun getting to know the teenagers and working with them to teach other about the Boston Harbor, but for them to learn a couple of things along the way.

Coming to a dock near you,

Iris Ayala

HarborArts 2013

On Saturday, September 21st Save the Harbor attended the 3rd Anniversary Celebration of HarborArts, Inc. commemorating the opening of the first exhibition ever held at the Boston Harbor Shipyard & Marina. It was a beautiful day at the Shipyard, and we were excited to see so many people supporting the community, arts, and East Boston neighborhood.



Setting-Up at HarborArts

The day before the event Edlyn Chavez, our Development Intern, and I set-up a crab trap nearby hoping to catch some sea creatures. On the morning of the event, we set-up our touch tank ready to show off Larry the Lobster and Rock Crabs straight from the Boston Harbor. We were also able to collect Mussels and small Moon Jellyfish. We quickly released the Moon Jellyfish, but I thought it was interesting to see how many we could scoop up with our tiny dip nets.



Showing the Anatomy of a Rock Crab

This was my first time at the HarborArts Festival, and it was a great experience to be a part of such a well organized and successful event led by Matt Pollock of HarborArts. The theme this year was "East Your Art Out", and in the past three years the festival has grown in sponsors, vendors, and participants. There were many vendors from the East Boston Neighborhood and artwork from across the globe. The band, London Bridgez, played live music, and hamburgers were cooking on the grill to satisfy anyone's appetite.


Vendor Tent



Found Art from Animal Shells

Save the Harbor was also able to see many friends new and old at the HarborArts Festival. Rachel Edwards, one our dedicated Board Members, stopped by with her daughter to see Larry and his friends. They enjoyed learning about Larry the Lobster and touching the different animals.

 

We were also able to spend time with our new Development Manager, Ryn Miake-Lye, while she volunteered for HarborArts to help direct traffic and oversee parking.

 

It was a wonderful day to spend time in the East Boston community educating families about the Harbor, working with our Save the Harbor Staff and Board Members, and enjoying the last bit of Summer and welcoming the Fall season.

Until Next Time,
Iris Ayala

South Boston City Point Neighborhood Association End of Summer BBQ

On Saturday, September 7th Save the Harbor attended the South Boston City Point Neighborhood Association's End of Summer BBQ sponsored by Sullivan's of Castle Island and Save the Harbor/Save the Bay in Marine Park. The SBCPNA held the event to celebrate the successful summer in Southie. No end of Summer Celebration would complete without hamburgers, hot dogs, sunshine, and laughter. It felt like summer wasn't quite over.

South Boston City Point Neighborhood Association's End of Summer BBQ

Vice President of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, Matt Wolfe and I, set-up a touch tank with Larry the Lobster and a smaller lobster friend. Matt showed the families of Southie the anatomy of the lobster, described where Larry lives and what he eats, and even convinced the animal to display his powerful back stroke for the children.

Matt Wolfe, VP of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, holding Larry the Lobster

Many from the neighborhood gathered to eat, learn, and even paint with help from South Boston's Watercolorist Laurete, Dan McCole. I always enjoy events in Southie, because there is a strong sense of community, and the community is welcoming and willing to offer a helping hand. 

To read more about this event, please follow this link from South Boston Online:
http://www.southbostononline.com/CPNAsummerparty.cfm

Until Next Time,

Iris Ayala

Better Beaches Events 8/10-8/11

This past weekend, I was able to attend two Better Beaches Events, Open House at Carson Beach and Family Pride Day in the North End.

We talked about water quality at the Open House with the Department of Conservation and Recreation. We tested the pH balance of three water sources: the ocean water at the beach, bottled water, and the drinking fountain. We found that the ocean water was the most balanced at 7.0, the bottled water at 8.0, and the drinking fountain at 8.5. For animal and plant-life to survive, the pH balance level needs to be within a range of 6.5-8.0. If the water is too base or too acidic, then the water may be harmful to animal and plant life. It was really fun to test the water with the JPAs, and I learned a lot about the water in Boston.

Water Quality Testing with Save the Harbor Staff

At the North End Family Pride Day, we brought a touch tank with an authentic Larry the Lobster. We had to be creative to find a water source, because there was no dock on the water. But with one of our JPAs help, Jennifer, I was able to walk over the rocks down to the water and put enough in the cooler to keep Larry afloat. Our Save the Harbor table was set-up next to the travelling petting zoo, and it was great to see the young children playing with the farm animals. Thanks to the North End Against Drugs we were able to enjoy a bratwurst with peppers and onions during the festivities. We were even able to hear an all-male acapella group. It was a fun event to enjoy with our Save the Harbor Staff.


Save the Harbor Staff at the North End Family Pride Day

Until the next event,

Iris Ayala


Happy Staff Day 2013

This past Monday was Staff Day here at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. We boarded the ferry out to Spectacle Island for a relaxing day of kickball, kayaking, swimming, and of course, hot dogs.

 It was a beautiful day at the Harbor Islands, and everyone on staff got a lot of sun. We started our day playing wiffle ball at on top of the hill. Due to the windy weather, we quickly changed our game to kickball. I realized that catching a kickball is a hard thing to accomplish.
For lunch, the Save the Harbor Office Staff grilled, and we ate helpings of hotdogs, chips, and cookies on the dock by Bruce's boat. It was really fun to just hangout and releax with each other.
After lunch, the Department of Recreation led a guided kayak tour. It was my first time kayaking, and it was great! I didn't mind the water has it splashed onto my legs, because it was cold and refreshing. The best part was that I didn't flip over.

We had 30 mintues or so before we left the island, so I decided to swim. We had to wait a while for the next ferry back to Boston, so we were able to lay out, dry off, and even nap a little bit. It was an awesome Monday, and I can't wait until next year's Staff Day!

Stay Sandy,

Iris Ayala

Staff Day, Barbeque and Hula Hoops OH MY

Hello Harbor Explorers!  This week has been fantastic and jam-packed:  Monday was staff day, then Tuesday and Wednesday I got to explore Georges Island with tons of kids and to wrap up the week, I have tomorrow off!

The week started off with Staff Day, which includes an annual trip to Spectacle Island for some fun in the sun and lunch on Bruce and Patty's boat.  While some staffers headed up to the fields to play (what I heard was) an intense game of kickball, I stayed right on the beach.  A nice swim followed by a ranger-led kayaking excursion with Thi, Sarah, Iris and Jennifer was lots of fun, especially since it was the first time I had gone kayaking this year!  Thi and I got a little competitive but I proved myself the fastest kayaker this side of the Charles River by the end of the day.

Me, Thi and Vinh enjoying the waves

Tuesday and Wednesday I was on Georges Island with All Access.  We had an exceptionally great week -- we took out over 700 kids between the two days!  I also got to see something unusual on Tuesday:  leader extraordinaire David Coffin invoked his barbeque rule while we were out on the island.  According to David, if he can smell barbeque, he can have some barbeque.  While I had never heard of this rule before, the other visitors to the island must have been familiar with it, since they gladly offered him his choice of what was grilling.  David even manned the grill for a little while, but was removed from duty for bad behavior.

David made some friends!

Wednesday we were lucky enough to have the 2013 summer interns for Blue Cross Blue Shield join us on Georges for their day of service.  They helped clean up trash from the beach and trails around the island -- a big thank you to all the kids for their hard work, especially the Save the Harbor staffers that are from Blue Cross!

Hard at work...or hardly working

All in all, a great week out on the harbor islands, and a long weekend for me to enjoy!  Next week the whole staff will be gearing up for our 3rd annual Beach Bash and Splash on Thursday, so more cool pictures and stories to come!

-- Carolyn

New Experiences This Summer

During our Staff Meetings, Bruce asks us to share one thing that we've done this summer that we've never done before. There have been many firsts for me this summer. I was surprised when I was chosen to be a Senior Marine Educator, but it has been a great experience to learn while doing and absorb as much information about the harbor and marine life as I possibly can. I really enjoy working with the Jr. Program Assistants at the Children's Museum to provide a great fishing and crabbing program. I've worked with high school students for the past 4 years, and it's never a dull moment.

Children's Museum JPAs

This is also the first summer that I've fished almost everyday. When I was younger, I fished with my father, but my fishing duties were limited to passing him worms to bait. I never complained about my duties, because I was pretty happy looking out into the ocean view with my pink Barbie fishing pole. Since then I've learned how to bait a line and what type of bait to use, how to tie a weight and hook to a line, how to cast, and how to catch the small blue fish, herring, and pier fish in the channel by the Children's Museum. I've learned a lot in a month.

A Great Catch at the Children's Museum

This is my first summer as the Better Beaches Coordinator, so when I'm not at the Children's Museum, I'm busy scheduling events and signing up our Summer Staff to work on the weekends (I call it a leadership opportunity). I've been able to work at the Revere Beach Sandcastle Festival, South Boston Neighborhood House Family Literacy Night, Friends of Lynn/Nahant Kids' Event and Concert, and many others. From my previous work with Americorps and City Year, I am really eager to be in different communities and learn how they function. Since I'm a Boston transplant, I've learned a lot about the coastal communities and about the culture of the city.

Summer Staff at South Boston Neighborhood House 

Even though there's only about 3 weeks left of our summer programs, I hope to still have many firsts.

Stay Sandy,
Iris Ayala

Kids Event and Concert at Lynn/Nahant Beach

On Saturday, July 27th Senior Marine Educator, Tom Rebula, and I attended the Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach Kids Event and Concert. We set-up a touch tank in the marine animals section, and we were joined by the Nahant Marine Center. They had several touch tanks available including Green, Spider, and Jonah Crabs, Starfish, Mussels, Quahogs, and a Blue Lobster. Equipped with our wild caught North Atlantic lobster brothers, Larry and Harry, Tom and I introduced them to the families that crowded our tables.

We showed the kids and their parents the lobster's dominant crusher claw, its antennae, how to identify whether it is a male or female, where the animal lives, and what it eats. Some of the kids even touched the tail of the lobster and were splashed as Larry tried to swim underneath the seaweed and back into the cold salt water.

Many of the children who visited the Marine Animals tent had their faces painted as Batman, Wolverine, Hello Kitty, and with rainbows. There also was a balloon booth, a snack booth with cotton candy and popcorn, and a kids concert to conclude the activities. 

This was my first time visiting Lynn/Nahant Beach and Red Rock Park. It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon, and I really appreciated how clean the beaches were. I hope to swim in the waters of that beach soon!

Stay Sandy,

Iris Ayala

Solo but it's Always GoGo

           Hey Guys I'm Back!

  Last week was the most epic heat wave ever! Despite the heat, many parents, adults, and kids came to visit us at the Children's Museum! Earlier in the week it was only Iris and I at the museum, but even solo everything else was the same-- kids came rushing in and adults were also curious too!

Iris and I showing a group of parents and kids what we caught

Me, holding a fish I caught...with the help of the net of course!

    For the first time we started catching fish, in the crab traps of course! All the fish we caught were a decent size and were slimy! EW! I even called myself the fish whisper a couple of times, because I saved two fish!-- Once one small fish's head was caught in the net and wasn't able to move, so I knew just what to do! I jumped out of my seat and ran to the net to delicately pull the little head out of the net! I was elated that whole entire day!

All the crabs we caught packed together

In total, we caught about thirty crabs in one day! This was unheard of to me, so I had to take a picture of this metaphorical prize...

Although we are located at the Children's Museum, children are not the only ones invited! To my surprise so MANY adults had no idea hold to hold crabs, the difference between a girl or boy crab, or even that crabs are fortunate enough to grow back their limbs!

Chris and I showing and teaching adults how to hold crabs

Lastly, I caught our very first spider crab! It was HUGE... I was secretly scared to hold it!

1st Spider Crab we've caught

                             Peace, Love, and Happiness,
                                         Anicia Gillespie

Wollaston Beach Discovery Day 7/13

The Department of Conservation and Recreation hosted Wollaston Beach Discovery Day this past Saturday on July 13th. They provided informational material about testing water quality at Wollaston and even provided a water quality test kits for kids to use. Friends of Wollaston Beach and the Aquarium also had informational tables and touch tanks available. The kids learned how to test the amount of bacteria and oxygen in the water.

Annie Adams from Save the Harbor/Save the Bay testing the water quality at Wollaston Beach

Informational Poster about Water Quality by Emily Ostroff from DCR

Despite the overcast weather, Quincy community members brought their families to the beach and enjoyed building sandcastles, throwing frisbees, and hula hooping. They had the opportunity to see the animals that live in the ocean water, what types of shells are commonly found in the sand, and how to keep their beach clean and healthy. It was not a bad way to spend a cloudy Saturday afternoon. 

Until the next Better Beaches event stay sandy,
Iris Ayala

Howdy!

Hello Blog World,

My name is Iris Ayala, and I will be a Senior Marine Educator with Save the Harbor, Save the Bay this summer. I'm originally from San Antonio, Texas, and I studied English and Secondary Education at Univsersity of the Incarnate Word. I moved to East Boston last July for work, and I was so lucky to live across the street from Constitution Beach, one of the sites that Save the Harbor, Save the Bay will be at this summer.

For the past two years, I have worked with City Year as a full-time volunteer. This past year I was a project leader with Care Force, a sector of City Year that travels the country engaging corporate sponsors to deliver high impact community service events. I developed skills and knowledge in carpentry, painting, and landscaping. For my last event I worked in Richmond, Virginia with the Friends Association where I led 25 corporate volunteers from Aramark to construct a water heater fence, storage shelves, and install play turf into their outdoor area. As my time with City Year came to a close, I wondered how I would spend my summer in Boston, and I started the long process of applying for a job.

I discovered that I loved working outside and learning more about the natural environment around me. I remember spending sweltering Texas summers in Corpus Christi, Port Aransas, and South Padre Island where I fished, camped, and swam with my family. When I was a kid, the Corpus Christi Aquarium was my favorite place to visit, because I was able to touch live sting rays, learn about the communication methods of dolphins, and identify types of sea shells. I came across a listing for the Senior Marine Educator position at Save the Harbor, Save the Bay on Idealist, and I knew it was the job for me. Although the Boston Harbor is a little different than the Gulf of Mexico (the water is so cold!), I am really excited to explore the beaches and learn from all of the talented staff at Save the Harbor, Save the Bay.

Have a wonderful 4th of July, and see y'all by the water,
Iris Ayala