Cool Weather & Crabs!

This week at Piers Park has gotten off to a cool start (literally). Monday's weather was beautiful and it was overcast while Tuesday was quite chilly. Despite the weather and lack of sun, the new kids this week are all very unique. There are a lot of kids this week who really actually enjoy fishing and they have the patience to do it. One little boy named Aden is obsessed with crabs and he keeps them out of the water for most of the time we’re on the dock. We tell Aden constantly to put the crab back in the water to rest for a minute but whenever we say it he takes it so literally. He dunks the crab in the water but he never takes his hands off of it. It is funny to watch because he entertains himself with the simplest things. Today he put one of the crabs legs in its own pinchers and he walked around screaming “The crab is pinching itself! The crab is pinching itself!”. He gets really sad when he has to put the crabs back in the ocean but we always have crabs in the trap so he knows it won't be long until he finds another friend to play with.

Even the staff were fishing

Aden and his crab obsession

Some of Aden's friends

Eli being a monkey

Today we went to the playground like we usually do after lunch and I played with this little boy named Eli. He and his friends introduced me to a really fun game called Sardines which is basically backwards hide and seek. One person goes to hide and everyone else has to spread out and find them. If you find the person hiding then you have to hide with them in their spot until there is one person left. That is why it is called Sardines because you all have to squish into really small spaces. It was really fun and at one point we had almost the whole camp playing. It was a really fun day at the park and I bet we will be playing Sardines for the rest of the week. I’ll keep you readers posted on any more new games I learn at Piers Park!

Until next time! -Maeve Fittz

Unique games

Hello everyone, it’s Maeve! As you all know, I am at Piers Park now and my first week has been a blast. There are some great kids who I am very upset about having to say goodbye to. Some kids may come back next week but not all. Young kids are very funny and it is especially funny when you ask them to guess the ages of the staff members. Their answers are always so crazy. One boy thought that Ray was 30 years old! The kids are also funny when it comes to animals in the touch tank. They like to name the crabs and they love touching the fish we catch. We have to keep reminding them that fish can’t live out of water because they like to pick them up and hold them for long periods of time.

On Thursday after lunch when we went to the playground we had bear crawling races between the children. Ray and I officiated it and it became very competitive because there were a lot of tie breakers. They would race in pairs and the first kid to touch my hand would advance to the next round. At one point we had almost all of the kids in the camp involved in the competition and they took it so seriously. It is easy to forget how young the kids are and it is always important to make sure they feel good about themselves. One boy named Lucas lost a couple of times and he was becoming very discouraged because he does not like to lose. I had to keep reminding him that it is just a game and that it was all for fun; that seemed to keep his spirits up. We had a lot of fun on thursday even though the rain was off and on throughout the day.

This was the bear crawling contest

On Friday we had a delicious snack party. All of the kids brought in different types of snacks from simple chips to some fancy empanadas. The kids (and the staff :)) ate so much food and we were all so full but that didn't stop the kids from having fun in the grass. Everyday we play capture the flag after lunch but some kids get tired of it sometimes. On Friday, the kids who didn’t want to play had a handstand contest. Kids are so flexible and energetic, I don’t know how they do it. It was probably because of all the junk they ate at lunch! I'll keep everyone posted on our adventures at Piers Park next week!

Patrice is a pro

Ali tried his best

The kids getting lessons from Patrice 

-Maeve Fittz

A Skate Named Rodger

Hello everyone, Maeve here. As some of you may know, we get new kids at Piers Park every Monday although there are some returners. This monday at Piers Park was very eventful. One boy named Chase caught 3 crabs on a fishing rod and he had one big spider crab but he couldn’t get it on the dock fast enough. Luckily the weather has been really nice for the start of this week (unlike last week) but the dock heats up really fast. Alongside our usual crab catches we also caught a Skate for the first time since I’ve been at the site and it was weird because we caught it in the lobster trap. Since we had never had a skate before we had to act fast because they can’t be out of water for long. Luckily, we had a wheelbarrow on the dock that we quickly filled with water and put the skate in. He was a big skate and the kids decided to name him Rodger. Once Rodger got use to the barrel and he calmed down he was fine. He was very friendly actually and he let the kids touch his backside for a long time. A little girl named Sophia was having a blast just making up songs for Rodger and it was really funny.

The kids with Rodger

Happy Rodger

Sophia singing to Rodger

Another really awesome thing that happened on Tuesday was when Briana came to work with a lobster camera. We were so excited but to be honest we weren't quite sure how to use it. First we tested it to see how deep it could go by attaching it to the weight on a rod. We wanted to see a more sturdy picture so next we decided to put the camera on the lobster trap. It took a lot of time and energy because we had to keep pulling up the lobster trap which is weighed down by bricks but finally, with about 20 minutes left of camp we perfected the angle and everything! We got to see a live video of a crab right in front of the camera. When we were looking at it on the monitor we thought it was a big crab with huge legs but when we pulled the trap up it was actually a really small rock crab. Either way, it was still exciting for the staff and the kids to see and it is even better now that we perfected it. See you guys next time!

-Maeve Fittz

My First Sand Sculpting Experience

Hey everyone! Its me, Maeve, and I'm back to share about my adventures at Camp Harbor View. On Thursday AND Friday it was very, very hot and sitting on the dock and fishing for the whole day did not sound appealing to our crew or even to the kids. Instead of fishing we did something a little different. Some may know about the abandoned fort on Long Island which was used in various small battles in the Boston Harbor. Today there is not much to it except for some ladders and he calcium deposits on the ceiling. I think the thing that the kids love about walking up to the fort is that it is a mysterious adventure but, more importantly, because it is nice and cool inside.

The front of the fort

On Fridays at CHV the camp holds a cookout which the kids love because they look forward to eating outside. I love ending the week with some burgers and hot dogs.

The kids at lunch on Friday

Saturday and Sunday at Revere beach were very different from the end of my week because it was nice and cloudy. I worked two events in total for the Sand Castle competition which is amazing to see the sculptures in person. I had never been so it was a new experience for me. They shut down the whole street and they had tons of delicious food, games and rides. On the beach they had activities for the kids like which is where we were located. We had a table set up for fish printing which always gets my hands completely covered but luckily it comes off easily. My favorite part about fish printing is seeing the parents faces when we tell them that the fish they are fish printing on is a real fish. Some people are in shock and they think fish printing is so cool because it is really unique. The best thing about both days at revere beach was that it wasn’t too hot and that I got to eat some yummy fried dough! Well everyone, that’s all I have for you this week. Until next time!

Fish Printing

A very creative fish print

-Maeve Fittz

Trying out a new site

Hello readers, it’s Maeve and today I have some new experiences to share with you guys because I have moved to a new site. Friday was my last day at Camp Harbor View which was sad but I am glad to be trying something new. Now I am located at Piers Park in East Boston which is a great place with a great view. On tuesday we actually saw some huge ships go right by the sailing center and it was so cool! The ship covered almost all of the buildings behind it.

The huge ship

Monday and Tuesday had weather that was definitely not ideal for fishing or for an outdoor camp. On Monday it was absolutely pouring and then on Tuesday it was still chilly but at least it wasn’t raining. This gave us a chance to finally go fishing and crabbing. We catch a lot of crabs and even some small fish in the traps off of the dock and the kids LOVE to touch them.

The crabs we're bullying the fish

Kids LOVE taking the fish out of water

One boy came up with a smart (lazy) idea for fishing where he didn’t actually hold the rod in his hand but he was having a great time just reeling his rod up and putting it back in the water. He probably did it 30 times non-stop.

The lazy approach

I like working at Piers Park because the kids are amazing and hilarious. They have so much energy which is sometimes hard to keep up with but it is definitely worth being exhausted at the end of the day. See you guys soon!

-Maeve Fittz

Our crazy Tuesday at CHV

Hey everyone, Maeve here! It’s so great to be back at Camp Harbor View again this summer. I really missed things like taking a boat to work and fishing everyday because I have a very unique job. Monday was a pretty normal day which consisted of the sun beating down on us. We fished and met some new kids like usual. The next day, Tuesday, was quite different. In the morning we knew that there was a possible chance of rain later but that didn’t bother us because the sun was out at the time so we went on with our routine. We got our rods ready, cut up some bait and checked the crab traps.

We added the crab so our lobster could have a friend

There were two crazy things that happened on Tuesday and the first was when we checked the crab trap. When Preston and I pulled up the crab trap there was a lobster in it! It was pretty ironic because last year we had lobster traps and we didn’t catch one lobster and now we had a lobster in the crab trap. We put some rubber bands on the lobster's claws and went to show the kids. I think our senior harbor educator, Kristen, was just as excited about the lobster than the kids were. We kept the lobster in a bucket all day and gave it new water periodically so that we could show all the kids that cycled through our station. Something cool I learned that day about lobster that I did not know before was that lobsters are “immortal”. If a lobster isn’t eaten by us humans or bigger predators, they will never die. Nobody has ever found a dead lobster and I think that is kind of creepy.

This was our view of Boston right before we got rained on!

The second crazy thing that happened on Tuesday brings us back to the weather. We were in the middle of our third rotation and I was sitting there fixing a rod and it started pouring rain. The drops were so big and we didn’t even have any warning. We got soaked just running to the shed about 50 yards away and the rain didn’t give up for like 15 minutes! Luckily, once the rain stopped it became a beautiful day again. By that point in the day it was time for us to go home and we showed some last kids the lobster and then we put it back into the ocean. I'll keep you guys posted on our unusual finds in the crab trap at CHV! -Maeve Fittz

The Last Fishing Trip

Hey everybody! I know the summer is almost over but there's still a lot of fun to be had. The weather is always unpredictable on Long Island and we have experienced hot and cold all in a matter of a week. Luckily we had some great weather for our fishing trip on Wednesday. This week we had one of the best fishing clubs we have had so far this summer and we caught a lot of different fish. What was weird was that we didn't catch any flounder or Skate like we usually do! Every child caught at least one fish and some even caught more. 

As I said before, it was a beautiful day for a fishing trip. We laughed a lot, listened to good music and sprayed each other with water. It was pretty refreshing and we stayed cool all day. Unfortunately, this was our last fishing trip of the summer and we are all extremely sad. I'm going to miss captain Charlie, Sam and the kids and staff from CHV when the summer ends but there's always next year.

-Maeve

Flowers in the Sand

This is the small flower that I made

Hello everybody. On Sunday the 14th I was at Constitution beach in East Boston for a sand raking event with Andres Amador. It was very hot out but we made the best of it. First, everybody got a rake and a piece of paper with some examples of flowers since we were about to cover the beach in large flowers. Second, everybody spread out and gave themselves plenty of space to make a giant flower. I made 2 big flowers and then one small one but they were all different which was the important thing.

As I was in the middle of one of my flowers, Bruce came over to me and recommended that I wet my hat to stay cool. It really helped and after that the heat wasn’t so bad anymore. We kept drawing in the sand until it was time to take some pictures. The artist, Andres, had a drone that was flying above our heads and taking pictures of the flowers. He was controlling it from the ground and it was such a cool invention. We were only in the sun for 2 hours or so and overall, we had a really fun day making some beautiful art.

-Maeve

A break from the kids

Hello everybody. So usually people think Mondays are boring but this Monday was an exception because it was staff day for Save the Harbor. We took the ferry to Spectacle Island for the day and we did a lot of activities. In total the staff consists of about 30 people so we had tons of sandwiches, chips and water. When we landed on the island we put all of the food down and we ran up the hill to one of the highest points on the island. When we got up there we basically split into two groups. There was a group for frisbee and a group for football. I decided to play football because I am not good at frisbee at all. We played a really long game in the blaring sun for a while until we needed water and we decided to go back down to the dock.

We ate lunch under a big tent in the shade where we had delicious subs, chips and cookies.  After lunch we went in the ocean for a swim to get a release from the heat. The shore was really rocky so you needed sandals to walk down to the water. Of course only a handful of us actually had water shoes so it was a struggle to get into the water but once we did it felt great. The water was super refreshing and we played some frisbee. When we got out we relaxed for a little while before the ferry came to take us home. We had a great day on Monday playing with our coworkers and friends on Spectacle. We all love working with kids but it was nice for a change to spend the day with our friends. I love the people I work with but now it’s time to get back to work with the kids this week.

See you later

-Maeve

THE best fishing trip ever

Hey everyone. So this week was week 4 of session one of Camp Harbor View meaning we went on our fishing trip on Wednesday! This fishing trip was much different from the last one in many ways. First of all we only had three of the same kids from the last trip and second of all we caught a lot less fish than last time. Today was also very, very hot but captain Charlie kept us cool! When we complained about being in the sun he picked up the hose and sprayed us with it! Nobody cared that they were soaked because it felt great. On every fishing trip we always have a great time because a man named Sam, who used to work for Save the Harbor, works on the boat now. He is super fun and he loves interacting with the kids. Sam knows almost everything there is to know about fishing so it is always good to see kids learning about different occupations.

On this trip I was paired with a kid named JD. He loves fishing and we had a lot of fun together. This trip was extremely fun because all of the kids were full of energy; maybe too much energy at some points. Although we had a great trip I'm a little bit upset. All of the kids I got to know and love are leaving tomorrow and a new session will begin next Tuesday. I'm looking forward to seeing some new faces and making some new friends.

Until next time!

-Maeve

The game of strategy

This past week was an interesting one. The weather was up and down, we went on a fishing trip, and I found a new hobby. My co-workers taught me how to play chess while on the boat on the way to work one day. I instantly loved it and I asked my parents to buy one that day. There is a man who works on the island who is known as the “Chess Master” and we all play against him. He is a very good player and he taught me how to beat someone in just three moves. I enjoy playing my co-worker Ahmed because he doesn’t mind how new I am to the game. Both Ahmed and the Chess Master said that I was actually pretty good for a person who learned a couple of days ago.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, Thursday was the last day of session one at Camp Harbor View. On thursday we brought the kids to the Fort on the Island in order to stay out of the sun for once. It was really cool to think that soldiers used to fight right where we were standing. My group at Camp Harbor View has a lot of fun with everything we do whether it’s chess, talking on the boat or the fishing trip. I am looking forward to Session two this Tuesday!

-Maeve

Always exciting events

Hi everybody. So this past week was a little different than usual because on Friday my group and I didn’t go to Camp Harbor View. Instead we went to Carson beach for the annual Beach Bash and Splash. We had a great time on friday playing games with kids, face painting, clamming, fishing and fish printing. It was very hot on Friday so there was plenty of water and food for all of the kids. I was assigned to the sports section so I was playing soccer, football, frisbee and many other games with tons of kids. At 12 in the afternoon we all lined up on the edge of the water and we all sprinted into the ocean. It was really refreshing and overall just a great day.

On Sunday I worked at the Boston Seafood Festival at Boston Fish Pier. I had never heard about the festival but it was really cool. There were a lot of tents all from different seafood organizations and they sold delicious food. The Save the Harbor tent was the best tent by far. We had a fish printing station and chalk to play with but the most popular table was the shell painting table. We supplied sea shells, paint and brushes for the kids and they had a blast. My friend Ahmed even painted me a shell as a surprise.. This festival was exciting for almost every age and I hope to do it again next year.

-Maeve

New Session, New Kids

Hello readers! On Monday I was put at Piers park in East Boston because Camp Harbor View, the site I usually go to, didn’t start until Tuesday. It was nice to be with some new people and meet some younger kids than the ages I usually work with. The kids were all around 7 or 8 years old and the activities we did were much different from the activities we do at CHV. We went to the playground, ran in the sprinklers, played fishy fishy cross my ocean, capture the flag and many other games. I found out that working with young kids is much more involved than pre-teens. They need help putting on sunscreen, tying their shoes and opening fruit snacks.

Ahmed and I playing chess on the boat to CHV

Although I enjoyed a change for once, I was extremely eager to get back to CHV with my co-workers. Tuesday was the first day back so we did a lot of introductory talks and games. After the staff went over the rules of camp we split up into groups and played “would you rather”. We got to hear the opinions of each kid and it was interesting to see what they thought. When we didn’t have to play games with the kids I was taught how to play dominos which turned out to be surprisingly exciting. On the boat on the way to work Ahmed and I played our favorite game: chess. Chess is the best game for a camp like CHV. When the kids get tired of running around in the sun they can join one of us in a strategic game of chess. Before I came to CHV I didn't realize how many people, especially children, knew how to play chess. We didn't do much fishing on Tuesday because it was rainy and cold but hopefully on Wednesday we can finally teach the kids how to fish.

   

The first catch for fishing club this session

And that's exactly what we did. On Wednesday we met our new fishing club and the kids were really great. A lot of them already knew how to fish before they came to us so we only had to do a safety talk and then the kids were fishing on their own. The weather was also really nice on Wednesday so it was a beautiful day to be sitting on the pier. One boy even caught a skate on his first day! The kids were holding it and putting it on their heads. We had a great first day overall!

See you next time!

-Maeve

Fish Printing at CHV

Hey everybody. Last Friday, the day after the fishing trip, we brought some Flounder back to Camp Harbor View. We did an art project called Fish Printing and the kids loved painting the fish and pressing the paper on it. We made about 8 fish prints and one boy names Kerrick loved them so much that he took multiple home with him.

Every day the weather is something different on Long Island. On Monday it was hot and sunny and on Tuesday it was cool and windy. But no matter what the weather is like, we always fish. This week at Camp Harbor View the kids got to pick a new club meaning that we get to deal with new kids that are in the fishing club. There are two kids who decided to come back to fishing club for their second time. Their names are Dallas and Corey and they are just as excited this week as they were the first week. It feels good to have kids coming back to you because it means they enjoyed fishing with our Save the Harbor staff. I’m really looking to teaching these new kids how to fish and just have a good time!
Until next time,
-Maeve F.

Accomplish your mission to get a clue

Hello readers it’s Maeve here. This week at Camp Harbor view has been a little different from the past weeks. People came to the island to talk to the kids which means a little less fishing but don't worry, we still saved the harbor. On Wednesday the camp had an event called the Amazing Race and the Save the Harbor crew was a stop for the kids and this is how it went. The kids started at one station and they had to accomplish a certain “mission” in order to receive a clue as to where their next station was. When a group found us at the sea wall they had to accomplish a “mission” on the beach that we made up for them. Since we save the harbor we incorporated that into our criteria. The kids had to find a piece of wood, a piece of brick, a piece of trash, an oyster shell and a crab, living or dead. Once they found all of those items on the beach we gave them a clue and they sprinted off to their next location.

It’s really cool to see an activity like the amazing race being put together at a camp like Camp Harbor view. Anyone who goes to the island can really tell how much the organizers and counselors care about the children because they are enthusiastic about everything they do. I’ve learned that in order to keep the attention of hyper children, you have to be on the same level as them. That could mean simply giving loads of encouragement or just being excited about crabs in a trap. Kids are easy to entertain. All you have to do is act like one.

-Maeve

It's a beautiful day for a fishing trip

  On Thursday we took the fishing club from camp harbor view on a fishing trip. The trip was so exciting and full of so many surprises. We brought 12 kids and two Camp Harbor View staff members. The day was a roller coaster for a couple of reasons because in total we caught about 10 fish. The kids caught multiple flounders and Skates and most importantly, a huge Black Fish. The boy who caught it, Corey, was just overwhelmed with excitement as he held his fish up for a photo. All of the children were having a great time no matter what they caught. Some kids were even excited about catching seaweed!

Showing off the fish we caught throghout the day

But while most kids were having fun catching fish, one boy named Trey wasn’t having much luck. I was sitting with him and it was my job that day to help him fish and have fun. We were talking about school and summer and he was such a sweet and curious boy. While he was sitting with his rod out on the water he was starting to give up because his fellow campers were catching fish every 5 minutes. At one point he wanted to give up and he looked so sad until all of a sudden his rod moved...almost every other camper had caught a fish at this point so the excitement on his face really made my day. He ended up catching a Skate that we couldn't keep but he didn’t care because he had finally reached his goal.

Trey waiting patiently to get a bite

I, on the other hand, was not as fortunate as Trey. I was holding onto a rod in the same area for almost an hour but had no such luck. All of the other kids were catching fish and I’ll admit that I was becoming discouraged so I gave my rod to Corey. After about 2 minutes, Corey caught a flounder with the rod that I gave him. I was sad but now I know what I need to do next time and I can’t to try again. Overall the day was great. The kids had a blast and so did all of the staff. Almost everybody on that boat got to do something that they had never done before and that’s what really made the trip memorable.

-Maeve

Science in the sun

Hey everybody! I’m back and I’m a little burnt. The sun glares down hard at Camp Harbor View and it gets pretty hot, but the kids still enjoy their day of fishing no matter what. This week has been pretty eventful so far because we caught two stripers about 10 minutes apart! The kids were really excited and it really made them determined to catch a fish since their peers were finding success off the pier.
We also continued to work on the science experiment that I spoke about in my last blog and we collected more big rocks. On Monday we had an artist named Olga come to the island with us and paint the rocks bright orange so they could be seen from far away. While some of the kids were finding rocks for the project, some others and I were removing the invasive species from the square we made. So far this week has been very productive and the kids are extremely interested in the project. The kids are fascinated by the crabs and how fast they move, and they love catching them.

Collecting Periwinkles in the intertidal zone

We had a contest about who can collect the most Periwinkles and one little girl picked up almost 200 of them. It’s really great to see children engaged in science during the summer time, and are having fun and are learning at the same time. The invasive species seem to not be coming back into our square which is a good sign because that is our goal and maybe the sand will come back to the beach. I’ll be sure to keep you guys updated on the project!

See you next time!

-Maeve