Lawn On D

Hello Everybody!

I'm telling you, this ball is huge!

   Saturday night I had the chance to go to the Lawn on D and play some volleyball. Only, this wasn't your typical volleyball game...Instead, we played with a giant soccer ball! The ball was taller than I am! The game was a huge hit and at least forty people were playing the game at once!   

   One of the greatest parts about the game was the community it seemed to create. People of all ages, sizes and color came together to simply play the game. There was no separation of  groups, instead there was just teams of people who had never met before trying to have some fun! 

Teamwork makes the dream work!

     Another really cool part of the night was the teamwork displayed by the people playing the game. As it got windier the net began to cause some technical difficulties, however, nobody lost their patience or left to go somewhere else. Instead, they offered their help and waited for it to be fixed before continuing their game. even at the end of the night, when somebody lost their earring, everybody took out their flashlights to help look for the missing jewelery. It was great to see people come together to enjoy a fun game of giant volleyball!

      Play On!

        Sam

Back To Dear Islands........

Back To Dear islands

  Good mornings everybody, we are back at dear special islands aka spectacle. It's are fourth week at all access and I enjoy being at spectacle island because I enjoy playing sports with the campers that come to the island with the crew of save the harbor save the bay. Last week I enjoyed the sports we played the crew I had for all access and came with me to play sports with the campers was Abel. He helped me out to give joy and smiles to the campers to play sports. The group in this image on my right is idill campers. I enjoyed playing sports with these kids because they love playing soccer and some of them got some skills on me, that day I had jeans on so one of the kid was coming toward me and when he did with the ball he did a little trick on me so I'm like I'm going home I feel embarrassed because he got my ankle when I was trying to go forward at him. After we played soccer we played catch but some of the kids said that kickball, football, track, and basketball are boring that soccer is the best so some of us said no football it's better than all the sports right now. But eventually football was the best sports out of the whole sports that what I think. I don't know about the rest but that what I know and choose. When I was talking to a kid about that he disagree with me but I said no that is okay, we could ask the whole camper to see which one is the best. At the top of the hill when we was playing sports aka soccer my team won because I gave a good pass to this little girl that was wide open and looking innocent. I told her to make the last goal so when she did she crossed the goalie and scored so my team beat Abel's team. But to be continued with exciting summer story............

Sincerely, Carlos Garcia

Soccer at Carson beach

Over the past few days I have been at Carson Beach. Besides the kayaking and sand ranking, what I really enjoyed doing the most at the beach was playing soccer with the kids. I have been playing soccer ever since I was 6 years old, and I enjoyed it during my childhood.

It was really fun seeing these kids enjoying and appreciating the sport. We made the kids split into teams and we used the "Hula-Hoops" as goals on each side. The kids were so competitive and so energetic. Then we played the game, which lasted for about 35 minutes. The score at the end of the game was 6-6. It ended as tie. It was really fun and I really enjoyed it. I hope we get to play soccer again when I go there next time.

Till next time,

Abdi

Soccer is life!

Hey guys, its Preston again. This week was by far one of the hottest weeks of the summer. This didn't stop the fun at Carson one bit. Throughout the heat it was a struggle staying hydrated, but we managed to do it for the kids! This week, we had huge soccer games with all the camps that came to Carson. We had campers vs counsellors, campers vs campers, we even had camp vs camp games as well. I'm not much of a soccer player myself but it's a pretty good workout when you're on the beach. And ever since the summer started, I became a better soccer player, along with many of the children.






We played soccer from sun up to sun down. And when the sun went down it was Family Fun night with the South Boston Neighborhood House. They had face painting, bubble machines, Norah Dooley was there telling pirate stories, and my favorite...FREE SLUSHIES!

It was an amazing day for families to bring their children down and have a fun night with Save the Harbor. The children got to fish print and collect coins from a pirate. If you didn't see smiles earlier during soccer, you definitely did at Family Fun Night. It was a great event and I hope to do it again real soon. Until next time, Preston.
 

At the Seashore

Hi Everybody!

           My name is Samantha (most people call me Sam) and this is my second year with Save The Harbor, Save the Bay. Last year I had the privilege of working at Camp Harbor View for the first half of the summer. I had the opportunity to go on fishing trips with the kids and see their excitement when the reeled up a fish; whether it was a skate or a flounder, their amazement was contagious. One of my favorite parts of working at Camp Harbor View were the hikes to the old fort. The kids loved exploring the onerous old fort and jumping out in an attempt to scare their friends. They even scared me once or twice! 

         For the second part of the summer I was at Carson Beach. Here I got to play soccer with America Scores, which I absolutely loved! I’ve played soccer for the past five years at the O’Bryant where I also play softball for Ms. Ryan. Being at Carson was great because we also had the chance to go kayaking and paddle boarding. The kids there loved to play four square and catch. Teaching the kids to clam was an interesting task. The highlight of the summer at Carson Beach was sand raking! The beauty of the beach covered in art was indescribable. I’m excited for yet another year of adventure, education and surprises! 

An Incredible End of the Week at Carson

This last Thursday and Friday was the largest amount of kids Carson Beach has hosted this summer. Thankfully, we were prepared with many activities and events for all the kids to make lasting memories. Thursday morning started with soccer with America SCORES and swim lessons with the Dorchester YMCA. Everyone in the water was happy to escape the heat and everyone playing soccer made sure to hydrate and wear sunscreen. The highlight of the day was Norah Dooley coming and telling her story of Mary the Pirate. All the kids loved listening to her fantastic storytelling. At the end of her story she tested the kids wits with riddles and true or false questions.

On Friday the main activities were fishing, kayaking, and more swimming, The BASE kids had a great time kayaking for the first time on Carson. All the kids were also excited to try out casting a fishing pole for the first time. The kids also got to work with DCR. The women from DCR led an activity with a sand net to try and capture any marine organisms. Luckily Joe our photographer was there to capture all the wonderful moments.  Until next time! Nora

Keep on Kicking & Clamming at Carson!

This Tuesday at Carson we had a boat load of kids on the beach but had more than enough room for activities. The morning started off with a few rounds of corn hole provided by America SCORES and the New England Revolution. Some people, like Carlos, found a natural rhythm to the game. A few games got pretty close; there was even a comeback by Carlos and Dexter, who were down 6-0 but were able to rally and win the game. Following corn hole, kids were split up to do different soccer games and activities. Soccer games can get very competitive, but it's always good to see kids cheering on or celebrating their fellow campers.

The kids who did not want to participate in soccer, made their way down to the beach. They spent the day swimming, digging for clams, and hunting for hermit crabs. Kids are always fascinated by how a clam works and ask a lot of questions. Some are even overwhelmed with how many they can find by just digging one hole. This Wednesday, we had similar reactions from a group of kids who also took on the challenge of digging through Carson's thick mud during low tide. Soft-shell calms have been the most abundant on Carson, ranging in size but we always manage to find something amazing. Today our find was a small surf clam! The one I found was extremely small but still an awesome find on Carson! Now including the surf clam, we have found six different bivalve species while exploring the intertidal zone.

I'm looking forward to keeping everyone up to date on more of our finds at Carson!
Nora

Piers, Windchimes, and Soccer

Hey everybody! I'm back for a fun filled week on the beach and at the river!

Wind chimes

       Today at Carson we had a ton of fun with America Scores. This week is going to be a scorcher so we did less running and more drills and water breaks. I discovered that heat is no laughing matter and after a certain temperature it can get dangerous to physically over exert yourself. After some fun ball drills we made wind chimes. America SCORES brought shells with holes in it, sea glass, and string to make our wind chimes. Since America SCORES brought their own shells and sea glass it wasn't a problem. But you can also make your own wind chime with a short trip to the beach. Unless it is a Harbor Island or a place where it specifically states that you can't take anything off the beach you are welcome to explore and take home little souvenirs. We also found a ton of hermit crabs while the tide was coming in. One quick tip: if you stand still while the water washes over your feet, not only will the sand settle but everything becomes clear. Especially what's moving and what isn't. Then you can easily grab the crabs.
    We also go clamming almost everyday. Today we found a crab, which I named Charles. He was to quick for us and jumped out of my hands and into the surf before we could identify him but his shell was very pretty. We assumed he was an Asian Shore Crab. All in all today was a very successful day that I enjoyed immensely

Cornhole in the morning

!

Excited as always,
Ruth Scott

Clamming at Carson

Hey everyone! Hope your July is warm and sunny!

          Since I have the pleasure of enjoying our newest pilot site, Carson, I figured why not talk about it. In the morning America SCORES occupies all my time with new ways to engage kids with sports and poetry. I really enjoy working on ball drills and the fun ways they incorporate sports into education. Although poetry is not my thing, I had a lot of fun stepping out of my comfort zone and exploring new things! On Monday after some good, competitive games of soccer, my fellow explorers and I did some extreme impressionist ink plotting/painting. Unfortunately all of my paintings looked rather negative which was sad, but on the bright side they lead to a ton of great jokes about pessimism and extreme imagination as everyone tried to interpret what my art really meant. After our soccer friends left,  we hopped onto the beach and discovered that Carson is a hot bed of clams. There are massive amounts by the shore, even at high tide when clamming usually isn't possible. The YMCA had a blast digging up clams even though we didn't have shovels. It's amazing how kids can take the simplest task, like digging a hole, and find it so exciting. It really brings out your inner child!

Clams for DAYS

The trick with clamming is finding where the clam is hiding. Usually it's just where the water breaks and and the clam will shoot out water through the wet sand. Then you dig till you find one. All in all, we found over 100 clams,some were REALLY small and others were fairly large. Because Save the Harbor respects all animals habitats we made sure to place them back in there holes and let them burrow back to home. Clamming is a lot of fun, if you do it right. You don't want to take the clams out of their habitat or kill them. We have to respect our earth and treat it with care,

this little explorer found the biggest clams

who knows how long it will be around. Hopefully with Save the Harbor Save the Bay working to protect the beaches, bays and ocean we'll always have this option of fun!
Excited as always!
Ruth Scott

A Little Bit of Poetry, A Whole Lot of Kayaking

Nothing is better than finishing up soccer and getting a little bit of poetry into your day. America SCORES also specializes in poetry along with soccer! After we were done playing soccer, we grabbed our pens and clip boards to write a poem. It was nothing but smiles as all the young kids and staff members wrote a poem. As I shared my poem out loud to the kids, there were nothing but smiles as they loved my poem "Bridget's Balloon".


 Kayaking never gets old with Save The Harbor. Due to last years mishap with my kayak capsizing, I have been on a year long boycott from kayaking. But that year long ban has been lifted at Carson Beach.  Most of the children have never been kayaking before and had a blast on their first trip! After watching the first group of kids kayak, I had to go out an give it another try. It just looked too fun to pass up in the summer heat. After kayaking for about 30 minutes I loved it! It was one of the best moments so far in the summer.

-Preston

A Day of Firsts

Soccer balls and whole lot of sand are how I start off my days at Carson. Every morning at Carson Beach we start our day off with a pacing exercise with the soccer organization, American Scores. They come down to Carson Beach to help teach children how to play soccer. I don't know what's more exciting, watching a child score their first goal or watching them celebrate afterwards. Although I was never the best soccer player, I seem to have found my touch playing soccer on the beach. If there is one thing I can say, it's that soccer isn't as easy as it looks, especially on the beach.

After playing soccer we headed down to the water for an exciting day of clamming, where we found clams , razor clams, and hermit crabs. The children were thrilled to find these creature on the shore. Many of them have never seen a razor clam before, and to be honest I have never seen one before myself. From starting the day off with soccer, to ending the day with razor clams and hermit crabs, everyone had a blast at the beach! It was a day of many firsts down at Carson, and I hope for many more to come. Until next time, Preston.

Dorchester's Finest: Carson Beach

Yoga, to stretch out those limbs!

           Hi everyone! Carson Beach is the newest site of the Save the Harbor Save the Bay sites. It can endure blazing heat and pouring rain. In the morning America Scores, a soccer program, stays with us in the morning and we enjoy the harbor and the great sport of soccer. There are so many games and drills during the morning that there is never a resting moment and always a blast. I especially enjoyed playing games with new kids and developing my soccer skills for the next championship at my school. We meet some great kids today and their endurance despite the heat was phenomenal. One of the campers had such amazing endurance, she beat Preston Powell at Pacers, a endurance running exercise that gets progressively more difficult. Her standing record is 47 laps. I prefer to swim than run so I only did 17 before I threw in the towel. In the afternoon, Mother Nature decided to give us a nice cooling shower which was greatly accepted by some (ME) and rejected by others.

A game of Soccer 

           Carson Beach is a really cool site. It keeps everyone excited with interesting discoveries at low tide and nice wading water at high tide. We are here all day and would welcome anybody who wants to come down and enjoy the sea, sand and sun. It's a great experience! Just do NOT forget your sunscreen and water. You always want to protect your skin and stay hydrated. Headaches, dizziness and nausea are common signs of dehydration and should not be taken lightly. If you are at Carson or one of our other sites do not skimp on water or sunscreen. This summer is as hot as the winter is cold. Protect yourself from the elements but have fun!
Excited as always,
Ruth Scott

Crazy Day at Spectacle Island

      On Thursday and Friday we met at the pavilion to wait for the kids to go out on All Access Boston Harbor. I helped  pull up the lobster pot and crab trap just as the kids started coming to meet up for the boat to Spectacle Island.  There were so many of them!  In the traps, we caught some green crabs, a lobster, and a starfish to show the kids.  The kids loved all of the sea animals we showed them, and they all wanted to hold them.
   

That day on the island, lots of kids wanted to fish and go swimming because it was so hot out.  The beach was full of kids swimming and standing just at the waters edge, trying to stay cool. On Friday we caught a skate using a piece of herring as bait, and it pulled hard!  We took it out of the water and made a print of it with paint and rice paper. We then used the skate for the lobster traps so it would be put to good use for the kids. 
I had fun that day on Spectacle Island where kids could have fun and hang out, and play some sports. But my favorite activities on the island was playing sports and swimming. On Friday the kids were hilarious because when we played soccer they pretended to be their favorite soccer team like Argentina and Brazil.


Carlos Garcia