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

Fishing and Crab Catching at CHV

Hello again fellow adventurers!

As the summer winds down, I'm beginning to reflect more and more on the summer. Out of all the sites I visited this summer, I would have to say Camp Harbor View has been my favorite. I think it's awesome that Save the Harbor is allowed to play even a small role in the daily activities that go on out on Long Island. No matter how long I've been working here, it still puts a smile on my face when I see a child's face light up when he or she sees a fishing rod and realises they are going to get to use it.

Gon' fishin'

Camp Harbor View has proven to be the best site for fishing, at least in my experience, over the past few years. I have been in attendance for two stripers and three or four skates this summer, which is by far the most that I have ever seen caught at one site. I'm sure I have the same surprised look on my face as the kids when we reel up a striper, because they have seemed to elude me throughout my time here with Save the Harbor. One thing we don't have any trouble catching at CHV is rock crabs. The trap we have at the end of the dock is always filled with crabs when we pull it up, and every time is a new adventure.

Showing off Crabby the crab

Until next time, keep on exploring!

-Luke

Coming Back to CHV

Hello again fellow adventurers!

Look at all those excited campers!

After some time apart, I was finally reunited with Camp Harbor View this week! Although I had to sacrifice some beauty rest, getting out on the harbor with a boat full of eager campers and watching the sun rise over the Boston skyline makes the morning commute well worth it. After breakfast and the morning announcements, the kids and staff were released onto the island to begin another day of fun activities. We did meet with the usual fishing club kids in the afternoon, and we even caught ourselves a striped bass! The real excitement didn't come from a day of fishing however, because it was amazing race day on the island!

Instead of running fishing in the morning, we were assigned a station or "leg" of the race. When teams of counselors and kids came to our station, we gave them the task of finding two shells, a crab, a piece of trash per team member, and a piece of a brick. Once all of these had been found, the group received a clue to their next location. Although there was no cash prize for the winning team at the end, the amazing race taught the contestants many valuable lessons along the way. At our station, we were able to stress the importance of maintaining the harbor by keeping it as clean as possible. By picking up any trash you see, you're only helping the entire ecosystem down the road, as we continue to keep the harbor in pristine condition since the start of our mission twenty years ago. Hopefully after our little exercise, these kids and counsellors won't think twice about picking up stray trash next time they're on the beach!

The Amazing Race!

Until next time, keep on exploring!
-Luke C.

Fan Pier Fishing

Hello again fellow adventurers!

This past week was action-packed with our best beach events of the summer. After the Beach Bash and Staff Day, the week was concluded with the annual Fan Pier Fishing Tournament. With the help of some very generous captains and expert fisherman, the Save the Harbor staff was given the opportunity to test our luck at catching some elusive striped bass. That day the sun was beaming down particularly hard on the city of Boston, so we made sure to stock up on plenty of water, Gatorade, and of course sunscreen. With teams assembled and boats stocked to the brim, we departed Fan Pier and ventured out into the harbor.

The captain of the boat I was on was set on catching live bait. Once we spotted a school of Pogies (also known as Menhaden), we casted weighted treble hooks right into the middle of the school in hopes of reeling them in. These hooks, which resembled grappling hooks, were designed to snare a fish out of a large school, and hold them on the hook until you can reel them in. Well, they worked exactly as they were supposed to, as we reeled in pogie after pogie until the bait cooler was filled up.

With plenty of bait to use, we headed over towards Hull High School, which was the captain's fishing spot of choice. We spent a few hours at the spot with nothing to show but a few bites. While it was frustrating to see boats around us feel in a 40 inch striper, that's how fishing goes some times. There's only so much you can do to help your chances, then its up to fate whether or not you land a big one. We still had a great time relaxing out on the harbor, swapping stories and becoming friends with the captain and his wife. Overall the day was a great success, even though we had no fish to show for it, some of the other boats made up for that so we could take a great group shot at the end of the day.

Until next time, keep on exploring!
- Luke C.

The Winners!

Spectacular Staff Day at Spectacle

Hello again fellow adventurers!

All of the hard work we've been putting into making this summer the best summer ever was finally rewarded with everyone's favorite day of relaxation, staff day! After quite the morning debacle, a broken down boat, a last minute ferry ride, and a quick island hop, we eventually landed on Spectacle Island. With all of the essentials packed, lunches, sports gear, and of course bathing suits, we were ready for a beautiful day to ourselves.

The before.....

In my element

We began the day with some friendly (but competitive) sports. Some staffers got a football game, while myself and a few others tossed the frisbee around. I never waste an opportunity to toss the frisbee, so it makes me extra excited when there's a group of people down to toss it around! After about an hour of sports, we had all worked up an appetite to devour the mass amount of food we brought along to the island. With our bellies full of J. Pace sandwiches and cookies, it was time to go swimming! (after waiting 30 minutes of course).

Like tossing the frisbee, I take every opportunity I can get to go swimming. Since I was little I've been swimming in lakes, ponds, and the ocean all over the South Shore and New England. It may not have been like the warm waters of Bermuda, but on a hot day the water was extremely refreshing and a great way to keep cool. Reluctantly, the day had to come to an end, and we waded out of the water to catch the ferry home. All in all I'd say it was another successful staff day, and just what we needed to get everyone through the last few hot weeks of August.

Until next time, keep on exploring!
-Luke C.

....and the after!

Splashing Into the Beach Bash

Hello again fellow adventurers!

It's that time of the summer again, time for the annual Beach Bash and Splash! With Carson beach packed with hundreds of eager kids and even more hotdogs, the stage was set for the perfect day at the beach. It was low tide in the morning when the Beach Bash began, so myself and a few other staffers tried our luck at clamming with some of the kids. We walked along the shore stomping on the ground, looking for spouts of water to shoot up, indicating that there was a clam below. With the tide quickly rising, only a few tiny clams were found intact before we had to move on to some other fun events around the beach!

From face painting and fish printing to sports, there were so many fun stations going on every which way you looked. Kids were running around with magnificent pieces of artwork on their faces courtesy of the expert face painters, and even some of the counselors were lined up to get their faces painted. Once all of the groups had made it to the beach, we all gathered around to sing a couple of sea shanties before splashing our way into the water. All of the Save the Harbor staff taught the kids our own personal sea shanty "Hey Hey Bo Diddily Bop" which is always a crowd favorite. Then David Coffin gave us his best rendition of "Haul Away Joe" before the mad dash to the water.

After a quick dip in the water, it was time for lunch. With a full staff of cooks, hundreds of hotdogs were handed out to fill the hungry little mouths running amok around the beach. At the end of the day, I think it was another successful Beach Bash. I've now been a part of the last three, and I think they only continue to get better and better every year. I can't wait to see what's in store for next year!

Until next time, keep on exploring!
-Luke C.

Rain Rain Go Away

Hello again fellow adventurers!

This week we had our first real run-in with mother nature in the form of a rain storm. When the clouds open up, not too many kids are motivated to stand out in the rain and fish. Therefore, we have to turn to some other methods to keep ourselves, as well as the kids, busy and entertained. One of my favorite pastimes is drawing, and any chance we have to break out the sidewalk chalk, I take full advantage.

Drawing Marty the Marlin

I think everyone of all ages likes to relive the days of filling the driveway with drawings and bringing their imagination to life through chalk drawings. With the help of a few eager kids and even some of the Children's Museum staff, we filled the tent with dozens of nautical drawings, from local fish species to some more tropical ones, such as the marlin that I drew! 

Look at that view!

In the early afternoon the sun finally broke through the clouds and we could once again resume fishing. Although the fish weren't biting, I still had a good time getting to know some of the families that came to test their luck at fishing. One family that was visiting from Great Britain came over to fish for the first time ever! Having grown up near the ocean, I had learned at a young age to fish. Therefore it was almost funny to think that I was teaching a father and son at the same time how to fish, but I was honored to be able to be a part of it. The son was a natural, and was casting as far as me in no time! The father on the other hand, may need a few more practice casts. The best part of the experience was seeing the look of excitement on the son's face when his father told him the first thing they were doing when the got home was buying a fishing rod! Just being able to make an impact on even one family's life means so much to me, and it's a huge part of why I love working here. 

Until next time, keep on exploring!

-Luke C.

Printing Fish at Hull's Harbor Illumination

Hello again fellow adventurers!

This past weekend myself and a few other summer staffers traveled to Hull to take part in the Hull Harbor Illumination event. Driving through the bustling streets of Hull and past Nantucket Beach, it felt more like Miami Beach than the south shore town I was used to. Once at the event we were greeted by the sights and sounds of a true festival. The smell of BBQ filled the air, children were laughing and playing with giant bubble wands, friends and family were laughing and just taking in the scene.

When we got to our table, we laid out the paints and brushes for the kids to see for themselves. While creating interesting designs is fun, perhaps my favorite part of fish printing is watching the look of shock come over the kids and parents when we explain that the fish is indeed a real flounder! After a few moments of touching and looking at the fish, some skeptics remain, but intrigue usually turns to excitement that even ugly looking flounder can be used to create beautiful pieces of artwork. There were some great designs created by the young kids we saw, and aside from the paint getting all over our hands, it was an amazing event to be a part of. Sadly we couldn't stay for the lighting of the flares around the Harbor, I'm glad we were able to send some of the kids home with their very own fish prints. I know there is much more fun to come in the last few weeks of the summer, and I can't wait!

Until next time, keep on exploring!
-Luke C

Half Way There

Hello again fellow adventurers!

It's crazy to think about, but the summer is just about half way over! With all the fun and excitement over the past few weeks, I can't believe how fast the summer is flying by. This week I spent time at both the Children's Museum and AABH on Spectacle Island.

That's my corner!

This week at the Children's Museum we had some particularly feisty crabs. With the temperatures on the rise in the city, emotions tend to flare for some city-goers, so I guess the same can be said for the crabs in the Fort Point Channel. The crabs main defence is of course it's claws, which they usually display prominently when we take them out of the trap. They usually calm down when in the touch tank, but this week they've been quick to react to our hands entering the tank, and a few unlucky staff members have felt the powerful pinch from some of these crabs. They'll even fight for position in the corners of the tank, and the extremely feisty ones we've had to put back in the water.

Today I was able to spend the day out on All Access Boston Harbor as our team traveled to Spectacle Island. With blue skies, a boat full of eager kids, and temperatures in the 90's, the scene was set for an amazing beach day! Before we jumped in the water, Myself and Abel played sports with a few groups of kids, from soccer, to frisbee, and kickball. After working up a sweat, we all hustled down the hill to the refreshing waters near the beach. Wasting no time at all thinking about how cold the water might be, I ran in as quick as possible, feeling a wave of cool refreshment wash over me as I plunged into Boston harbor. Not too many things feel as good as that on a hot summer day. However it couldn't last forever, as the day was coming to an end and we had to get back on the boat to Boston. I can't wait until the next time I get to take another trip out to the islands and jump back in.

Campers enjoying the beach!

Until next time, keep on exploring!
-Luke C.

Making Waves at Soundwaves

Hello again fellow adventurers!

This past weekend was filled with blue skies and live music once again as I took part in the annual Soundwaves event at Spectacle Island! Although we weren't on the spacious New Boston this time around, the Samuel Clemens proved to be a worthy vessel. Filled to the brim with music junkies, fans and bands alike, we danced and sang our way out to Spectacle Island.

The Samuel Clemens

Once we arrived at the island, the majority of the crowd disembarked to find a nice spot to post up and listen to the bands. With smooth blues music filling the air, many people took to the beach. The cool waters surrounding Spectacle provided much needed relief from the hot sun. All topped off with a hotdog and a soda, I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to take in the sights and sounds of Soundwaves! 

The Final Act of the Day!

If I had to chose a highlight of the day, I think it would have to be the performance put on by the final band. When I woke up on Saturday morning, I could not have guessed that later that day I would have been singing and dancing along to "My Girl" with a bunch of strangers I had never met before, but at the end of the trip that is exactly what happened! No matter how many times I go out to the Boston Harbor Islands, I always find a way to do something I've never done before. Soundwaves was an amazing event that I would certainly love to partake in again next year. 

Until next time, keep on exploring!

-Luke C

The More You Know

Hello again fellow adventurers!

This week at Children's Museum the old saying "you learn something new everyday" has held true! Being a marine biology major, I take pride in being able to bring my knowledge on the subject forward to anyone who is willing to listen. For most of the young kids (and even most of the parents) that come pay us a visit at the Children's Museum, they are seeing and experiencing a lot of things for the first time! From touching a crab for the first time, to casting a fishing pole, its an awesome feeling to see the looks of excitement on both the kids and their parents faces.

Seaweed Camouflage!

For example, the other day we pulled up a creepy-crawly spider crab from our crab trap. Although it was not the first one we'd seen, it was the first we saw that had seaweed growing off of it! In reality, the seaweed isn't actually growing out of the crab, instead the crab actually attached the seaweed to its shell! In order to protect themselves from predators, spider crabs have developed an almost hoarder mentality of collecting algae and other foliage to create their own make-shift camouflage. In more tropical parts of the world, spider crabs will attach anemones and even pieces of coral to themselves to blend into coral reefs. In Boston harbor however, the dark murky bottom limits these crabs to using algae and other dark plants. Although they might fool their predators, this camouflage is no match for a crab trap when they wander in looking for a mid afternoon snack.


This week we also began implementing a new activity to our program, knot tying! Any professional sailor (or pirate) knows the importance of knot tying, so we thought it might be fun to teach kids and parents alike some of the most common maritime knots. While I've become square knot pro, arguably the easiest knot to tie,  Sarah is by far the pro. At first some of the kids didn't seem very interested, but after watching Sarah make the knots look like a piece of cake, everyone was eager to test their knot tying skills. Mine might still need some work, but I'm getting better every day, and now some of the kids and their parents can learn something useful for the future, especially if being a full time pirate is your life goal! I'm excited to see what the coming weeks have in store for us at the Children's Museum, and I can't wait to keep sharing my knowledge of the sea with those that come to visit.

Look at all those knots!

Until next time, keep on exploring!

-Luke C.

Having a Blast at Aquapalooza

Hello again fellow adventurers!

This past weekend I was given the opportunity to embark on the "New Boston" cruise ship and take part in the 10th annual Aquapalooza event on Boston harbor. Presented by Russo Marine, this musical event takes place on the outskirts of Peddock's Island. The New Boston, filled to the brim with musical performers and eager fans, drops anchor and puts on one of the most amazing performances I've ever been a part of. Hundreds of other boats pull up and drop anchor after being attracted by the sounds of music and a good time. Three different bands, The Roger Cerecis All Starz, the Rampage Trio, and the Dirty Dottys were all in attendance, and played three amazing sets. 

The Dirty Dottys!

Age truly was but a number at this event, where people from my age to as old as seventies and eighties were out on the dance floor showing off their dance moves and having a blast. Myself, Emily, and Bridget met some amazing people, and were even dragged into a dance-off which ended up being the best part of the entire trip! In between sets, resting up for the next dance-off, I took the time to take in the amazing sights around me: rows of boats tied together, massive floats with eager on-lookers, brave souls kayaking and even paddle-boarding around the boat. I truly felt like I was on an island getaway being a part of this event, and it was the most fun I have had so far this summer. The weather, the music, and the people made the day unforgettable, and I can't wait to do it all over again next weekend at Sound Waves!

The Save the Harbor Crew!

Until next time, keep on exploring!

-Luke

Beating the Heat at Children's Museum

Hello again fellow adventurers!

Today at the Children's Museum we got our first taste of a summer heat wave! Even though the sun was beaming down upon us, we loaded up on sunscreen and baited the hooks for another day of fishing.

Fishing Station: Activated

Look at all those fish!

When the heat became too unbearable, some of the kids took a break by fishing in the shade. You might think fishing with velcro at the end of your pole would be futile, but not when the "fish" you're trying to catch are made out of felt! Our friends at the Children's Museum donated some of their time to create a pond of felt fish for us to add to our program, and so far its been a fan favourite! It is the perfect alternative for some of our younger harbor explorers who are a little too young to cast the bigger rods over the railing in front of the museum, and they're almost always guaranteed a catch! This little girl did not want to put the pole down, and every time she caught a fish, she very generously gave them to me for me to hold on to.

First time touching a crab!

The rest of the day was highlighted mostly by the crabs that we caught in our crab trap. Today we were pleasantly surprised by catching a spider crab! Although they may fall into the "creepy-crawley" category in the eyes of most of the kids, I think they are so cool to handle. After much convincing, I finally got a group of kids to touch a crab for the first time ever! The combination of excitement and utter fear on their faces was so fun to watch, and even more exciting was the swagger they displayed after, feeling accomplished that they had finally touched a crab. While we did not catch a monster striper, or a massive rock crab, the experiences I had today were the epitome of how awesome it is to work at Save the Harbor. Watching these kids experience things they've never been able to do before and seeing the pure joy and excitement on their faces makes this job that much better.

Until next time, keep on exploring!
-Luke

Crazy Camp Harbor View

Hello again fellow adventurers!

 This past week had the opportunity to do something I had not done in the past two years of working at Save the Harbor: I got to spend a day at Camp Harbor View! From the beginning of the day to the very end, the campers and counselors of Camp Harbor View are overjoyed at the opportunity they have to attend camp. With bright shining faces and loud chants, the campers arrive in the morning ready to discover new and exciting things they've never seen or done before.

The Grand Crab Hotel!

One of the biggest conundrums at the camp in past years has been how do you keep the sand on the beach? While this may seem like a weird question, Long Island has had trouble with erosion and the recession of the beach. In order to combat this phenomenon, Save the Harbor has developed a couple hypotheses to test out this summer. The first is that by clearing a small section of beach of all periwinkles and Asian shore crabs, hopefully algae will collect on the rocks and eventually act as holdfasts that will prevent recession of the sand on the beach. With the help of some of the campers, every day we will be removing these organisms in order to test our hypothesis. This past week the campers were a great help! But of course, all work and no play makes for dull campers, so the campers came up with a creative way to relocate the crabs and periwinkles. A group of campers constructed a "crab hotel" out of rocks, complete with a pool, rooftop hangout, and even rooms for each crab we found.

The day ended on a high note when the fishing club joined us on the dock. Having been placed underwater days earlier, we pulled up our crab traps to find a slew of rock crabs and one giant spider crab! It was hilarious to watch the kids' and even counselors' looks of terror as we pulled the crab out and passed it around for everyone to touch. The real excitement came a few minutes later, when one of the kids who was fishing on the dock landed a Striped Bass! While it wasn't a keeper, it was as exciting for me as the kids because it was the first time I've helped catch a striper! I'm confident that there will be many more striper to be caught this summer, and I'm hoping one will be a keeper!

The first of hopefully many more to come!

Until next time, keep on exploring!

-Luke 

Around the World in 60 Days

Hello again fellow adventurers,

Well unfortunately it's that time of thew year again. The days are getting shorter and shorter, kids are getting ready to go back to school, and our summer programming is coming to an end. Just like last summer, this one has been jam packed with excitement. From the first day of orientation, I knew my fellow Harbor Explorers and I were going to run an amazing program. One of the best parts of my summer was that I got to travel to almost every site!

Sailing the deep blue of Boston Harbor

My summer adventure began at Piers Park. Located in East Boston, this week long day camp proved to be one of my favorite sites of the summer. From sailing the Boston Harbor, to playing games like fishy fishy cross my ocean, we were always entertaining and being entertained by the children in the Harbor Explorers program. I learned so much from these little kids, and definitely prepared me for having kids of my own later in life. 

Kayak selfies!

The next stop on my wild summer ride was Community Boating and Courageous Sailing Center. Having worked at these two sites last summer, I returned much the wiser and ready to continue where I left off. The highlight of Community Boating was taking the kayaks out on the Charles river. I had been kayaking many times before, but watching some of my co-workers like Dexter and Ruth attempt to kayak for the first time provided plenty entertainment. This summer we didn't catch nearly as many eels as we did last summer, but our fishing numbers were way up! It's always exciting to be a part of a child's first fish. Watching them be both excited at what they have accomplished, and also scared to touch the wriggling fish on the other end of the rod.

Crab race champion!

Courageous Sailing Center continued it's excitement from last summer into this one with the abundant life we found in the multiple lobster traps we have there year round. While green crabs and tunicates were always a guarantee, the mystery came from never knowing exactly what you would find in each trap! We caught a total of 4 lobsters throughout the course of the summer, and while none of them were big enough to keep (and eat!) they were still a major source of excitement for both the children and us counselors! We also managed to snag a few different flounder, a few rock gunnels, and a few different species of crabs through the summer. Of course the highlight of every day was releasing the crabs and having a crab race to see who got bragging rights for the day. While I only one once, I didn't shy away from bragging through the day that I won!

Just an aspiring artist and his canvas 

While I only spent a few days at Carson Beach, they were some of the best days of the summer for me! As a new site this summer for Save the Harbor, Carson had a major task of showing off one of Boston's most prestigious and cleanest urban beach! The highlight by far was working with world renowned sand artist Andres Amador creating sand art along the shores of Carson. The experience was like nothing I had ever been a part of, and now I want to make my own sand art whenever I'm at the beach! While I'm nowhere close to as skilled as Andres, I hope one day I'll be able to create works of art like he can.

Last and certainly not least was All Access Boston Harbor. So many fantastic memories were made at the various islands we visited on All Access. From the sea glass filled shores and spacious fields of Spectacle island to the beautiful beach of Peddocks island, we helped over 6,000!!! children experience what the Boston Harbor Islands have to share. with kickball games, to beach walks and of course swimming, All Access is the perfect way to show the public just how far Save the Harbor has come in cleaning up Boston Harbor. I think I'll miss All Access the most, but that only means I'll be looking forward to it the most next summer!

If there isn't a selfie, did it even happen?

It's been quite the amazing summer. I just want to say thank you to everyone in the Save the Harbor Save the Bay company that made it possible for me to play a part in this amazing program. I'm looking forward to making a return next year!

Until next summer, keep on exploring!

-Luke

Staff Day at Spectacle

The Day we have all been working tirelessly towards is finally here, STAFF DAY! A day of stress-free relaxing, swimming, and of course a little friendly competition in the form of All Access v. No Access kickball.

Even the boats in Boston have a Boston accent

The day began with the Save the Harbor staff meeting Bruce Berman and his Wife/ President of Save the Harbor Patty Foley on their boat, the Verandah. Parked on the dock of beautiful Spectacle Island, we crowded around the Verandah and enjoyed a quick appetizer spread of cheese, crackers, and grapes that were fit for a Roman feast! Combating the intense heat with layers of sunscreen and as much coverage as possible, we tracked up the hill to the battlefield... the kickball field. It is a yearly tradition that the staff members from All Access Boston Harbor challenge the members from the remaining summer program sites to a "friendly" game of kickball. I put friendly in quotations because this game is taken as seriously as a professional sport. 

Action shot courtesy of Kelly Randall  

Friendships were put to the test, harsh words were exchanged, and unfortunately for me, those who are not so coordinated are put on display for everyone to heckle. This year the No Access team, led by myself, came to play. For what seemed like hours (but in reality was about 30 minutes) our teams dueled it out under the intense summer heat. Fighting off exhaustion and sunburns, we played our hearts out, but sadly came up just two runs short in the last inning. I couldn't have asked more of my team in such grueling conditions, and all I can say is the All Access team better watch their backs next summer!

After that intense kickball game we made a mad rush for the showers to cool off before lunch. Armed with a single grill, Bruce was able to prepare enough hot dogs to feed an army, or in this case, a hungry group of camp counselors. After downing a few hot dogs and some cookies, I was ready to spend the rest of the day relaxing and of course swimming on Spectacle's spectacular beach (pun intended). 

Lunch with a view!

Although it was almost unbearably hot out, I could not have asked for a more beautiful day. Finally getting a day to not worry about kids or programming was a well earned relief. Since we are all distributed through the different sites all summer, it was fun to be able to have everyone at the same place at the same time. Now we're in the home stretch of summer programming, and its a bittersweet end. I'm going to make the most of the next week and a half we have left, and squeeze every last drop of fun and excitement out of what has already been an amazing summer. 

Until next time, keep on exploring!

-Luke

Fan Pier Fishing

Hello again fellow adventurers!

This past Thursday was perhaps the highlight of my amazing summer with Save the Harbor, the Fan Pier Fishing Tournament!

After a brief introduction and some friendly bantering from the fishing teams, we all shoved off and sped (hopefully) toward the stripers. We saw some beautiful sights along the way, like the massive Deer Island treatment facility from what Save the Harbor has made the tip of the spear of our harbor cleanup. We decided to make a pitstop to fish quickly next to Deer Island when we spotted a school of stripers jumping out of the water at a bait trail behind a barge. We found success quickly, landing a 25 inch striper which was unfortunately too small to keep, but it kept us in high spirits and hopefully would lead to a successful fishing trip. After the trail went dry we decided to track on down the harbor.

Our journey led us to the calm waters off the shore of Hull High School. We took in the surrounding sights of Peddocks island, the giant wind turbine that shadows the high school, and took some fishing tips from some of the locals fishing off the pier. Then we were back on our hunt for the stripers. After a few hours of only landing one more striper that was too small to keep, we returned to the dock. We may not have won any awards, we still held our heads high because catching any fish is better than not catching any at all!



When we returned to the dock, we were treated to a feast fit for a king... or at least a bunch of hungry fisherman. With boxes on top of boxes of delicious pizza, I was overwhelmed with such a beautiful sight. I only averted my eyes from such an amazing sight because I had noticed that former Bruin Shawn Thornton and Kiss 108's Billy Costa were now on the scene.

Day officially made 

After getting an autograph and of course a photo of me "punching" him in the face, my day and possibly my summer had been made. Although he's not the biggest celebrity in the world he certainly has become a household name in Boston, and he hasn't let the fame go to his head. He was extremely down to earth and could not have been more approachable, for being one of the most intimidating people I have ever seen play a sport. 

Billy attempting to give the fish a smooch 

The day was capped off with Billy,  Shawn, and Mike Fallon taking a group picture with the prize winning fish, caught by our very own Danny O'Hara. After working tirelessly through the first three quarters of the summer, it was an amazing relief to spend a day relaxing on a boat and fishing. There aren't too many things better than that.

Until next time, keep on exploring!

-Luke

Going with the Flow of the Rake

Hello again fellow adventurers!

Today at Carson Beach we were honored by the presence of professional artist, Andres Amador. When you first think of the word "artist" you most likely think of a painter, or perhaps a sand sculpting artist. However, Andres possesses a unique artistic ability that can turn beaches into magnificent works of art! The technique is called sand raking, and no, it is nothing like raking leaves in your back yard. Andres can spend hours, days, or weeks preparing certain patterns that look "natural" and flow perfectly with the beach terrain. The final result of this tenuous planning are some absolutely amazing works of art that cover large beach expanses.

The key to Andres's technique is utilizing the malleable darker sands that emerge from the ocean's grasp at low tides. In the few hours that low tide is present, Andres goes to work quickly and efficiently. Armed with sometimes a single rake, the designs he can create are quite awe-inspiring sights to see. From something as simple as intersecting straight lines to varying sized atoms scattered all over the beach, Andres's masterpieces are something that should be appreciated by everyone across the world.

After a quick introduction to his craft and a few different techniques he's learned over the years, Andres passed out rakes to each of us and told us to tap into our imaginations and create our own sand rake artwork! With a rake grasped tightly in my hand, I stepped out onto the damp Carson Beach sand, not knowing what exactly to expect. Although Andres stressed that there is no such thing as a bad design, I was a little nervous about my own artistic ability. With hundreds of ideas swirling in my head I began simply with a wavy line. Before long my inadequate wavy line had become something I can only describe as some form of "modern art" but I was very pleased with the result.

I call it...ART!

From there my fellow Harbor Explorers and I came together to create a massive mural that spread far along the sandy shores of Carson. At the end of the workshop, we rushed to complete a Save the Harbor Save the Bay mural for a time lapse video that Andres's assistant shot on their drone camera. Even with 17 of us creating our own designs, the mural flowed together perfectly, which met Andres's personal standards to the fullest. I could not have been more happy with what we accomplished as a group, and it was an amazing opportunity to learn a form of art that is not well known throughout the world. I would love to continue doing sand raking in my own time, and maybe one day I could create a mural as breathtaking as those that Andres Amador creates on a regular basis.

Until next time, keep on exploring!
-Luke