First Time Sailing

Unfortunately this is our last week working with these amazing kids, so I wanted do something I had never done before. I have never been sailing and this week I had the chance to go sailing and it was one of the most amazing things I have ever done. It was really fun being out on the water moving with the wind. At first when we sailed all was at peace were moving fast and we where in control and everyone was having fun. I even had an opportunity to sail the boat for a couple of minutes which was really amazing.

So as we were out on the water the boy that was sailing the boat had to go home because his parents came to pick him up. The McDonough staff came on the motor boat and they took him and left us there with Mae who we thought knew how to sail. Mae then tried to sail us back but it wasn't working, Vinh tried he couldn't and finally I took the post and nothing happened. We were stranded out there for about 20 minutes trying to get back. Finally the staff from McDonough came to rescue us and I couldn't be happier to see land. Even though we got stranded out there, I was really happy to go sailing and I'm really looking forward to taking sailing classes so I can become a pro and make sure I don't get stuck out there again.

Jazeel Mendes- Chao

As The Summer Comes To An End

This has been an amazing second year working with Save the Harbor and it's unfortunate that it's coming to an end. This summer I had the opportunity to experience many new things that I did not do last year. This year was really different from last year, but it was a good type of different. This year I feel that the JPA's were all closer than we were last year. This year I had the opportunity to make a lot of great new friends like Esmeralda, my brother Andy, Somtoo, Carlos, Edward and Abdi. These were the people that I had a change to work with and we became close after a couple of hours of work. I also caught my first fish ever which was really cool because I brought it home and we had the fish for dinner and it was the best fish I've ever had. One of the coolest changes this year was having Sam around to lend some of his art talents to us. I had an awesome time learning how to make fishing prints and the fish mural that we mad was just amazing.

The Squad

Fish Printing With Sam

The Fishing Tournament

It is really hard saying goodbye to not just the staff but saying bye to the kids. I really enjoy working with these kids even though at times it maybe be tough. You can learn a lot from the kids if you pay attention closely to what they say and do. They are all intelligent kids and when a challenge is posted in front of them they always find a way to solve the problem and that's really impressive. These kids that I've been working with for the last two years have really grown on me and it really stinks that I won't be seeing them for a long time. To all the staff it was really great working with all you guys, I had a terrific summer and I'm really looking forward to carving up with some of you guys to hear about how your year is going. To Bruce, Patty and Bridget thank you for an amazing summer.

Jazeel Mendes and this is the me signing out- Chao

When The Animals Came To Visit

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to work the event in the North End. Sundays are not one of the most exciting days of the week to work, but this sunday I was very excited. At first when we arrived the place was really quiet and there wasn't much life around, but as soon as the band came on and started playing it felt like a different place. The bands were all great, especially "Street Magic" which was a group from the same neighborhood where the event was taking place. There were many other organizations like ours that took time from their busy schedule to do something nice for the neighborhood.

La Familia

There was everything from the balloon man to street magicians to even a animal shelter that had the cutest little animals. The shelter brought with them little chicks, bunnies and they even had two little goats. I was really happy that they showed up because we had our touch tank which had sea animals and they brought a whole mini zoo which was really awesome. Everyones faces lit up when we saw them bringing the animals through the park. We also had a chance to show many kids lobsters and many of them had never held one or seen one before. That was also really cool because it's an awesome feeling when you show someone something for the first time. Overall the event was great there was free food and live music and most important all the kids had fun.


Jazeel Mendes- Chao

The Crab Kings

This week not that many kids have been at McDonough, but as soon as we start catching crabs and lobsters they all start lining up to see them. This Monday we caught 6 lobsters and they were all huge. The kids were all really excited to see the huge lobsters that we had brought back with us. Lucky for the lobsters I don't eat them or other wise they would've all been dinner. One of the lobsters we caught was 4 pounds, he was really fat and looked like he had been eating for days.

Me and Mae and Larry

On Tuesday Daniel and I went fishing for crabs to see who could catch the most crabs. When the race started I was down 6 crabs and I had lost all hope of wining and Daniel looked like he was never going to stop catching crabs. However, once I started there was no stopping me, I had caught 5 crabs in less than 6 minutes and I had a bonus of catching 3 crabs at once. The race was first up to 10 but we were so competitive that we raised the number to 20. After we both had tied at 20 crabs we decided that who ever made it to 30 first would be the winner. I was up for most of the race and when I needed 1 more crab it felt like forever because Daniel had 28 crabs and I had 29. The moment Daniel caught his 29th I caught my 30th, at first I was really happy then I realized I just beat a little kid and then I felt bad. But Daniel was a good sport and we congratulated one another and we crowned our self's as the "Crab Kings".

The Kids Looking at All Crabs We Caught

Jazeel Mendes- Chao

Beach Bash and Splash Mural!

Friday was my second year doing the Beach Bash and Splash and I never expected that this year would be as exciting as it was last year. This year was different because we had Sam here to help us with the murals which made things much easier and more creative. Sam is an awesome art teacher, so when it came time to make the murals he gave me a confidence boost (he could tell I was nervous) and I felt much better and was ready to work. This year I also had the opportunity help kids color and cut their drawings to place on the mural.

Sam Teaching Us How to Paint Fish!

 For the mural we first had to paint a green/blue color on the paper to give it a deep ocean feel. After we had finished painting the murals we had to tape the outside of the paper and paint it with different colors so it would give it a more warm feeling. After the kids showed up we helped them make their drawings and cut them up. After they cut their drawings we used mod podge to put the pictures on the mural. At first it seemed like glue, but once on the canvas it dried up and gave it a shiny appearance. We had so many kids making drawings that we couldn't fit them all in, which was unfortunate. At the end of the day the mural came out amazing and I had a really good time with Sam. 

Me Working on the Mural

Jazeel Mendes- Chao

Staff Day MVP

Staff day started of really well because everyone was at the pier on time and no one was left behind, so that was awesome! We all made it to the island safely and then we had a chance to hear a few words from Bruce and Patty about our amazing summer- then we were of to the games. The no access team came in with a lot of excitement and hope that we were going to win but it turned out that we got creamed in kickball even though I was the MVP. The all access crew was on their A game and it was unfortunate that we lost the dodgeball game, but all that mattered is that we had fun.

The Squad

After the game we headed down to Bruce's boat where we ate some hot dogs, cookies, chips, cheese and some water to wash everything down. After we ate, we had the rest of the day to ourselves to do any activity we wanted to take part in. I took a walk on the beach then I had time to catch up with some JPA's that had been moved to other sites. I also had the opportunity to get to know some of the other JPA's better. Overall it was an amazing day and I really can't thank Bruce, Bridget and Patty and everyone else enough for an awesome day.


Jazeel Mendes- Chao

Blue Cross Visits Save The Harbor

This week has been a really busy week with Staff day, the Blue Cross Blue Sheild day, and the beach bash and splash on friday. I was really excited for the Blue Cross visit because most of my friends are working for Blue Cross so when they came in it was really cool because I had an opportunity to show them a part of Save the Harbor. The day started of well, I had a chance to play with some of the kids who were going to Spectacle with us and I had a chance to learn what the all access crew did. The kids were all coloring and they were all really excited to go on the boat and visit the island because some of them had never been before.

The Blue Cross Crew

The day on Spectacle was well spent, we had an opportunity to help the community by cleaning the trash of the beaches and cleaning the dock which was filled with sea shells. After we had finished our duties we had the rest of the day off to go and explore the island or go play kick ball with kids. A few people went on the kayak tour which I thought was really awesome. My friends and I took a long walk to the beach and explored the island. Towards the end of the day it drizzled a bit but no one was complaining and they were pretty excited because they had to run for cover and everyone was just laughing and having a blast. My friends' review of the Save the Harbor was a 5 out 5, they said that they all had a really amazing day and that they had a lot of fun.

Me and Andrea Sweeping Away 

Jazeel Mendes- Chao

The Seafood Festival

I usually spend my Sundays with my family but this past Sunday I was working at the Fish Pier doing fish prints with kids and representing Save The Harbor. The day started of well, it was a warm sunny sunday then things took a turn and it started raining and it wasn't a pleasant place to be. The people who were at the Fish Pier we're awesome enough to not leave and they waited the rain out. When it was pouring we had an opportunity to learn how to use paper and paint to make fish prints. In the beginning I felt like it was going to be complicated but Sam helped me out and after I gained some confidence I felt like a pro.

Sam showing us how to do fish prints

After I learned how to make the fish prints, I had the opportunity to help many little children and a few adults learn how to do it. All the kids that made their fish prints, depending on the color and the fish they chose,  came out beautiful. My favorite fish that we worked with was a Fluke, the Fluke was really flat and it made it really easy to print. The Fluke was one of the most popular fishes that the kids chose because we were using the colors Pink and Purple and the kids loved it because they were really colorful. I never expected to have as much fun as I did working on a sunday.

Me helping a girl pain a fluke

Jazeel-Chao

Amazing Moments

Alex Holding His First Crab Ever

This week at Piers Park I had the chance to be part of what I think was a really important part of a young child's life. I had been working with a boy named Alex for the past two weeks and he has never touched a crab, so this week I made it my mission to show Alex that crabs are not harmful if you hold them the right way. After we had caught a few crabs there was one that had no claws and I thought, "that's going to be the first crab that Alex will hold!" After a few seconds of playing with the crab and showing him that it was harmless, Alex worked up the courage and he held the crab all by himself. I think I was more excited then he was to see him holding his first crab. Since then Alex is now able to hold the little crabs with ease, and he is slowly getting more comfortable holding the bigger crabs- I'm fine with that because Rome wasn't built in a day!

The Lobster We Caught

McDonough has been really amazing this week because most of the kids that never touch the fishing rods or the crab trap are all now active and involved. I really love it when I see all the new kids working together and doing something for the first time. Before they try fishing or crabbing they say it's difficult but once they start there's no stopping them. This week we have been fortunate enough to catch lobsters. This attracts even more kids because most of them have never held a lobster before and when they do they are always ecstatic and can't hold their excitement in!

Jazeel Mendes

The Crabs Are Coming!!! The Crabs Are Coming!!!

It's only been two days at Piers Park and we have caught over 20 crabs, this has never happened and we are all really excited. We have caught three Red Rocks and over 20 Green Crabs, so you know that the Crab races have been pretty amazing. This week had a lot of new Harbor explores and most of them have been afraid to touch the crabs, but they have slowly worked up the courage where they can now take the crabs from the Crab trap themselves. The new explorers are all really enthusiastic and they all are really estatic to go fishing and crabbing. The kids have all been really amazing with the crabs and we have an outstading record of zero kids pinched and almost all of the kids have held at least one crab. The kids are all learning to tell the difference between female crabs and male crabs, they have also had the oppurtunity to learn which crabs are from the harbor and which ones are invasive.

Us and The Rock Crab

Often times working with too many kids can be at times chaotic but these kids have all been such sweethearts and they all work together and are always looking out for each other. Every morning before we head down to the docks we play some games to wake the kids up, this week we played a new game called the Ship Wreck to see how well the kids follow direction and how well they can work with each other. The game has been a total success, all of the kids have proven to be really focused and they all love working with one another. In a game where listening and teamwork are very important the kids make it look easy. I really enjoy playing with the kids in the morning and in doing so I get a chance to get to know each kid on a more personal level. This can really help because we all tic different and when someone is broken it would be easier to spot them and see if I can be of assitanse in any way. Working with these new brave souls so far has been really amazing and I can't wait to continue the week and learn more about each kid.

The crab race

Jazeel Mendes-Chao

The Fishing Tournament and After

The fishing tournament was really amazing and one of the most unexpected things happened, I caught a Cod and I was one of the winners. Last week was really great because I did not only bring dinner home, but I caught my first fish that was a keeper. The Cod I caught was exactly 24" which was the legal length needed in order to keep the fish. When I went home I was really excited to show my catch to the rest of the family and when they saw my fish they were all really happy and proud. The next day my Mother made the most amazing "Peixe Guisado" which is basically roasted fish that my Mom added some magic to and it was the best fish I've ever had.

My Cod

This week unfortunately my hot streak of catching fish has ended, but we are still at large with crabs and lobsters. On monday at McDonough they caught 2 skates- I was not fortunate enough to see them because I wasn't working on monday. Tuesday went great because we caught a lot of crabs and most of them were red rock crabs and that's always a good sign. The red rocks that we caught have been the biggest that we have caught this year and I'm really hoping that we don't run out of luck so we can keep on catching more crabs. The kids all really enjoy catching crabs, especially the red rock crabs because we only catch them on rare occasions compared to the green crabs. I know the rest of the week is also going to be great because I know we are going to catch more crabs and I know that the lobster trap is going to be filled with lobsters.

Jazeel Mendes

The Mother Load Of Lobsters

When it comes to catching Lobsters, McDonough never fails to disappoint. Whenever we go out to check on the trap we always return with at least three Lobsters. I don't really eat Lobsters, but when we catch them I'm always so interested to figure out if it's a boy or a girl and whether it's pregnant or not. I really love McDonough because of the kids, but more because everything there is plentiful. We are always catching a lot of Crabs and Lobsters and all of the kids really love playing with all the sea creatures we catch. When we first bring in the lobsters the kids are afraid to touch them but once they learn how to hold it and see that they are generally harmless they each line up to hold the Lobster. This week for example it's only been two days and we have caught four Lobsters and someone is going to be having an amazing dinner because I hear that Lobster tastes really good.

Our Second Biggest Lobster Yet

Unfortunately, the weather has not been the greatest this week but we never fail to use our imagination to make the most out the situation. We found a bunch of dried up crabs shells and legs and claws on the beach, so we had an great idea to see if we could rebuild one of the crabs. We were actually able to piece together two Green Crabs and they looked as if they were whole again- just not breathing. This was also a great learning opportunity for many of the kids because we were able to show them how many legs a crab has, which claw went where, and what purpose each of them served. The kids also learned how to tell a Green Crab apart from the rest of the other crabs, you simply count the spikes on the crabs shell and it should spell out Green.   

The Crew Piecing Back Together a Green Crab 

-Jazeel Mendes

 

The Rain That Never Came

So far this week the weather has not looked sunny, but was always cloudy and making everyone feel as if it was going to rain. The weather hasn't been much help but this week at Piers Park we have caught our first spider crab and our first red rock crab. For a week where much was not promised it's been great because after we caught our first crabs that are not invasive, trapping crabs becomes much easier as if we have broken a curse. The kids all really loved the red rock crab because many of them had never seen it before and when they laid eyes on its beautiful red shell all the kids fell in love. I was also really happy because the kids had an opportunity to see a red rock and a spider crab, we are always catching green crabs and they are not even from the area.

Me Donovan and Our First Spider Crab

I'm really excited that one of the harbor explores from last year, Donovan, came back for a second summer. Donovan was one of the most enthusiastic kids that I worked with last year and he's really excited that his brother can join him in the program next year because right now he's only four. Donovan loves fishing so much that he had asked his Mother to buy him a fishing rod. Donovan had received his gift and last year he always had his fishing rod in hand when arriving to the park. In fact before we would see Donovan all you would see is a rod sticking up in the air and everyone knew that it was Donovan making his way through the Park. This year Donovan still has his fishing rod but he hasn't brought it in yet because he wasn't sure if he should or not but he said when he could he would bring it in and show everyone what an awesome fishing rod he has.  

-Jazeel Mendes

My Return to Piers Park

This is my second year working at Piers Park and I was really looking forward to returning this summer to reconnect the amazing friendships I had made last year with all the kids. Piers Park is one of the most staggering places to work, the kids are all wonderful and well behaved. Most of the kids that I worked with last year are not with us this week but it's still exciting working with the new kids that joined the program. Two of the kids that returned for a second year are Chanu and Kristine, these two kids are both really funny and they love being by the harbor fishing and catching Crabs. In these few days I've also met Lucia who is one the most focused kids I've ever met. Lucia loves fishing, she is always asking questions about how to catch a fish and how she can cast further. I find this magnificent because it shows that she really loves the program and she's always ready to learn new things and share it with the world, as a JPA there is nothing on this planet that makes me happier than seeing kids so focused and eager to learn new things.

Me Showing Luchia How to Fish

Me and Chanu Removing The Crabs From The Crab Trap

This week has been like a roller coaster, one day we catch of a lot of Crabs and some days we get none. But no matter how good or how bad a day we are having the kids never cease to impress me with their creativity and their amazing ability to turn any boring situation into an entertaining one. On the days that we have caught a lot of crabs the kids get really excited because when we have our crab race everyone has a crab they can race. On the days where we caught few crabs there were always plenty of Jellyfish in the water. The kids would catch them with their nets and we would determine which type of Jellyfish it is.This week the most Crabs we caught at Piers was about 13 in one day, we had a huge race on that fortunate day. Overall my first week back at Piers Park has been terrific and I'm really looking forward to meeting all of the new kids that will come through our program over the summer. I'm really looking forward to the return of some of the kids that I worked with last year for it would make me really happy to know that they loved the program last year.  

The Crab Race

Jazeel Mendes

June's Return to McDonough

My first week back at McDonough has been amazing and everything I had expected it would be when I returned. Returning to McDonough has been so terrific because it feels as if I had never left and that I had been with these kids throughout the school year. All of the kids from last year that had spent the summer with us were as excited as they were the first time we arrived last summer. What surprised me the most is that the kids knew who I was and they didn't forget my name, well my nickname "June". This year we have a lot of new comers to McDonough and they are all really excited to learn about marine life and how they can help the ocean stay clean. What I love most about McDonough is the unselfish characteristics that all the kids there possess, the kids there love sharing the materials we bring in and you never have to say "pass the rod to the next person" for they know they are all there to have fun and enjoy each other's company.

Me Showing Her How To Fish

So far this week we have not yet caught a fish or any lobsters but we are all positive and hopeful that we have as rich of year as we did the last. Even though it has been really hot these last couple of days, we are all still enjoying ourselves and teaching the kids as much as we can about the harbor. Especially when it comes to learning the different types of crabs that are in the area and if they are female or male. The kids are all curious and that is amazing because they are all interested to learn new things. We also went on a walk around the beach to find sea stars, while we weren't fortune to find any, it was cool walking around the beach and enjoying the cool wind. Week one has been amazing and I'm really looking forward to spending my summer at McDonough with all these awesome kids.

Us Tying Off The Crab Trap

Jazeel Mendes 

The Intro: Jazeel Mendes

Ola everyone, my name is Jazeel Mendes and this will be my second year working with Save the Harbor Save the Bay. I was born in Cape Verde, a set of ten islands of the west coast of Africa. I came to the U.S. when I was 11 and 6 years later here I am a 17 year old senior at the Madison Park. I'm currently studying the carpentry trade at school and I'm hoping to one day join the Union. I also play soccer for my school, were we have been City Champs for years straight and hoping to continue our wining ways next year. I love watching Soccer and Basketball, so it's not that hard to tell that I'm really loving the World Cup (Go Brazil). I also love watching Basketball and ever since I learned about the game I've been a Celtics fan and that will never change.

Me and Andrea at the Celtics game

I'm really static to be working for Save the Harbor for a second year because last year was one the best summers of my life. Last summer I was to able to make new friends and I was also able to be part of the lives of the Children that came through our program. Last year I made many memories from having an ice cream fight at Mcdonough to fishing along side Bruce at the fishing tournament, because of Save the Harbor the list goes on and on and I know that this year we will have an amazing year to top what we did last year. This year I'm really hoping that when we have the fishing tournament the weather will be nice and I'll catch a stripped Bass. I know we are going to have a wonderful year I'm really excited to start working again.

The Piers Park crew having fun

I'm really grateful for the opportunity to be working for Save the Harbor and I just want to thank Bruce, Bridget and Patty for bringing me back for a second year. I will work really hard and pass down what I've learned to all the kids that will be joining us this year.

Thank you 

Everyone have a great summer...... Chao

The End at Piers Park

This is unfortunately our last week and for some unknown reason we have seen a lot of jellyfish. The jellyfish have come from out of nowhere and the kids are enjoying them. I don't like the jellyfish because they're slimy and feel nasty. The kids love the jellyfish so much they have forgotten about the crabs. Just kidding, the crabs will never be forgotten, because our whole summer was based mainly around catching them.

Jellyfish/slime blob

The kids are sad that this is our last week, but they have been enjoying themselves. They wish that summer was longer so they could stay here. I'm really sad that we are leaving these kids and can't wait for next year. I hope to come back to Save the Harbor next year and help improve on everything so that the kids can enjoy themselves even more. 

Casting competition between Isaiah and Chanu.

The week before the last

This was the second to last week at Piers Park and McDoungh. This week was pretty good. We caught a lot of crabs and fishes. The kids all enjoyed themselves and they were all very happy. For most of the kids, this week was their last week and they all said they would really miss us. I'm really happy with all the kids that showed up.

Donovan hoping for a fish

This week, for the first time ever we caught, not one, but two fish at Piers Park! The two fish were caught by our Explorers, Michael and Nick. They're cousins and the day before, Michael had promised Nick that he would catch a fish and they both did. This week was an awesome week, but its sad that we have only one more week with these great kids.

Fishing Master

I feel like I have become a great fishermen. I've caught to fish on my own and helped kids catch their own fish. Piers Park is super fun and all the kids are really sweet and always ready to learn. At McDoungh the kids are out going and fun and they really love to fish. I love working at both of my sites mainly because of the awesome kids I get the opportunity to meet.

Pulling up the crab trap at Piers Park. 

This week was the last week for a few of my favorite campers. There's one camper who's been at Piers Park since the beginning of summer. His name is Donavan and he's always happy and excited to be at camp. This week, I went to the Beach Bash and Splash, which was a lot of fun and all the kids loved it. We have one more week with the campers and I really want them to enjoy themselves. Next week I want to have a good week for me and the kids. I just hope their all excited to return next year.

Blue Cross Meets Save The Harbor

This Wednesday, all of the Blue Cross Blue Shield program participants had the opportunity to go to George's Island. We cleaned the beaches and walked around picking up trash. George's Island was really fun because I had the opportunity to be on the boat and give people plums and it gave me a chance to interact with them. All of the people that went to the island were all really cool and wanted to help keep the island clean.

Blue Cross Blue Shield meets Save the Harbor

At the island I had the chance to be with my friends from Blue Cross that work in different areas. It was really cool showing them a little of what Save the Harbor does. On the island, after we cleaned up, we ate some good burgers from the store. My overall experience was pretty good and if I was asked to return to the island again I would do it with no hesitation.

Keeping George's Island clean!