A Summertime Splash!

This past weekend the whole Save the Harbor team went to Carson Beach and had two epic barbecues. On Friday, we invited over 400 children from youth programs all over Boston to join us in our celebration. We had different events going on at once. Children were able to build sand castles, fish, fly kites, play sports, paint and color, and even learn about the Harbor. There was even free drinks, food, and snacks that were given out to everyone who participated in making this event a successful one. The arts section was, without a doubt, the best activity that was there. It was hosted by Thi, LaToya, Leon, and I. Thi drew different marine animals, including characters from Spongebob Squarepants. The children painted, colored, and drew on white paper. The most unique aspect about the arts section was that everyone HAD to sign our version of a guestbook, which consisted of a huuuuuge flounder and guests had to write their names on a scale that would be pasted onto the fish. By the end of the event, the flounder was filled in an array of colors. The scales showed everyone's different personalities because we also drew and designed them with things that we liked. Before we ate lunch, Bruce wanted to make an attempt at breaking the world record for the amount of people to run into the ocean at once. Everyone ran in, making a huge SUMMERTIME SPLASH. Friday's event was definitely a success, and I hope this becomes an annual event.
Saturday's beach event was much more laid back. We welcomed the first open-sea swimmer at 9:30am, followed by a relay team that reach the shore about a minute after. The two live bands were very upbeat and kept us all moving our feet, and one band even made a song just for Save the Harbor! For the majority of the day, we all worked together to make a sand sculpture. Bruce gave us the task of making the new Save the Harbor logo in the sand. After about an hour and a half of working on it, we finished it. It impressed everyone who passed by it.

Save the Harbor's beach event this weekend was one to remember. Thank you to everyone who participated in making it possible, including our very special guests!

Helping the Harbor

This past Tuesday, Save the Harbor was given the great pleasure to meet Boston's mayor, Mayor Thomas Menino. He thanked us for all of the work we have contributed to the Harbor, but he also gave us a task. He wanted our very own insight on how we would make the Harbor an even better place to visit. This is my response:

Dear Mayor Menino,

My name is Kassandra Rivera, and I am a graduate of Southfield School’s Class of 2011. I will be attending Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. Although I went to a high school located in Brookline and I will be attending a university in Worcester, I was born and raised in the Jamaica Plain area of Boston. Because I was raised in such an urban environment, I was never fully aware of the Harbor’s history and impact on Bostonians today. I joined the Save the Harbor team during the middle of the summer, and it wasn’t until then that I realized how important the Harbor was to our economy and environment.
Even though I have only been working at Save the Harbor for the past 3 weeks, I have learned an incredible amount about the environment. I believe that our fishing and crabbing programs build knowledge and instill confidence in all of the youth that we interact with. Even I was a bit scared to handle a crab or a lobster on my own before I joined this organization. The All Access Boston Harbor program gives people the chance to visit some of the Harbor's islands for free. I have never been to Spectacle Island or Georges Island until I worked with Save the Harbor. Long Island even has a day camp for urban kids to enjoy what Boston Harbor has to offer. However, I believe we can increase our tourism within these islands.
Our All Access groups should be able to fish on Spectacle Island. I also think that another island, such as Thompson Island should be available to visit via All Access because many of the children have already visited Spectacle Island and Georges Island. A lot of the groups ask me if they can camp out on Spectacle Island, so I think Boston should make the available to the public. Thinking in the long run, I believe that a small amusement park with a marine theme should be built on one of the islands. There are not any amusement parks in the Boston area, and I believe that our economy would definitely benefit. Lastly, we should make a smaller version of the New England Aquarium on one of our islands.
The most important thing that we must all remember is that the Harbor is home to many, many organisms. Regardless of how we use it in the future, its beauty and cleanliness should never be overlooked. Both visitors and residents of Boston should always keep it clean. With at least one of these developments, I believe that Save the Harbor and even the city of Boston can increase awareness on our Harbor while also having fun.

Sincerely,
Kassy Rivera

Bonding Time!

Today the whole Save the Harbor crew and I went to Spectacle Island for a Staff Day. We were welcomed onto the island with open arms by Bruce and Patty, who were grilling up some lunch for us. After we took a group picture with all of the staff, Bruce and Patty offered us hot dogs and chicken dogs and a variety of drinks on the dock. We were able to eat while dipping our feet in the water and bonding with other staff members. My favorite part of the meal was the desert, which consisted of grapes, strawberries, and different kinds of cookies. After our staff lunch, each of us had the privilege of either playing a game of Capture the Flag or soaking up some sun on the beach. Kristina and I decided to put our toes in the water. Because it was so hot outside, some of us decided to hang out indoors for a while which was a great way to talk and get to know each other. The best part of the trip was definitely hoola-hooping. Liz, Carolyn, Thi, Latoya, Candido and I all competed in an epic battle, and I was the winner! Soon after, it was time to go back to the mainland. I only wish that we could have more staff events because it was a great bonding experience. Even though I joined the team just last week, I feel like I;m already part of the little community that has been forming for this summer.

Kassy

Mr. Lobster and his Friends

Today Sarah, Karrisha, Mekhi, and I were welcomed with open arms at Wollaston Beach. The moment we stepped foot on the beach, a reporter from the Patriot Ledger immediately wanted to interview Sarah. Our touch tank was a big hit not only with the children but also with the adults. Even though our touch tank only consisted of a lobster, everyone was excited to touch and hold him. Dylan, our first visitor, had the chance to name the lobster Mr. Lobster. The kids were skeptical about touching Mr. Lobster but some worked up the courage to even hold him. Because of the extremely hot weather, the Save the Harbor crew had to consistently change the water, but luckily Mr. Lobster's new friends were kind enough to help us out. Meeting Mr. Lobster was not the only activity that Wolalston Beach had. There was a moon bounce, face painting, music, and free drinks and slushies, and kite flying. DJ Kevin hosted a bunch of games and dance contests for the children, and he even gave away some prizes. Our very own Karrisha even participated in a quick game of "Kevin Says". During the event, we also met some of the members from Friends of Wollaston. Before this event, I had no idea how much of an impact Save the Harbor Save the Bay had on its surrounding communities. Wollaston Beach Kid Fest was definitely a great way to celebrate Save the Harbor's 25th anniversary.

Kassy

Impacting Lives

On Thursday I had the opportunity to go to Spectacle Island with almost 300 campers. However, this wasn't just another day on the island, this was a day I'll remember forever. We had between 2-4 camps that were aimed at helping disabled children. These campers were not any different from other children. Their interest in crabs and the marine life was just the same. They were enthusiastic about touching and holding the organisms we had caught in the lobster traps. While I was at the top of the North Drumlin, Maria was eager to know about the surrounding islands and their names. She was definitely interested in knowing whether Georges Island was really haunted or not. Of all the campers I had interacted with at Spectacle Island, two of them stood out. Although they were not so much into the trip, I learned a little bit about who they are and where they come from. On the way down from the North Drumlin, Tatiana and Cindy told me that they are hearing impaired. Tatiana is able to read lips while Cindy could talk perfectly fine. These girls are average teens, a little shy, but they are so kind. Cindy and Tatiana taught me some English AND Spanish sign language on the boat. I was amazed to see the impact that Save the Harbor has on people's lives. The campers learned a lot about the Harbor while the Save the Harbor staff learned about the campers. Days like this are reasons why I wanted to join Save the Harbor.

Kassy

Spectacle Island

On Tuesday I participated in the All Access Boston Harbor program. While Hugues and I were checking the lobster traps, we noticed we had caught a female lobster. Although I took a marine biology course this past school year, I had never held or even seen a living lobster in front of my very own eyes (other than at the grocery store!). I, however, was not afraid to handle her. We also caught a red rock crab, which has recently become one of my favorite marine organisms.

The touch tank was a phenomenal success with the campers, mainly because of the lobsters. The campers were very willing and daring to hold such a large organism, regardless of their fears. As we all unloaded from the boat, the campers and I were excited to be at Spectacle Island. There was very little wind, but the campers continued their attempts in flying the kites. One of the highlights of the day was when Tom, Aruna and I looked for tree branches to hold one of the kites open. Tom mentioned that as part of our job at Save The Harbor, sometimes we have to make modifications to keep the campers from being bored. Nevertheless, the kite did end up flying in the sky. It was great to see the youth kids fly the kites, especially the ones who had never flown one before. All Access Boston Harbor is a great opportunity for children to do activities that they have never done before.

Kassy

My First Day

My first day at Save The Harbor was this past Monday. The first site that I worked at was the Harry McDonough Sailing Center. I was glad to have had Annie and Tom show me the ropes with enthusiasm and open arms. Because there wasn't any bait, we used mussels as our food source. It was incredible to see one of the female campers catch two green crabs and one red rock crab. This came as a surprise to all of us, especially after she told us that she had never fished before. I, along with the campers, was not aware of the fact that Castle Island was home to so many mussels and species of crabs. Although one of the other campers was having trouble catching a fish, we kept an optimistic mindset so that he wouldn't get discouraged. We also educated the campers on how one would be able to tell the gender of a crab. Not only did I get to teach the kids about some marine organisms, but my coworkers also taught me how to interact with the campers because I was a bit shy. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store for me!

Kassy

The New Girl!!

Hey everyone! My name is Kassandra but everyone calls me Kassy. I started working at Save The Harbor Save the Bay this week, and I'm super excited to be working here this summer. I just graduated from Southfield School, and I will be attending Clark University in Worcestor this fall. I can't wait to meet all of the workers, and begin my exploration around the Harbor!

Kassy