Last Week at Blacks Creek

It is amazing how quickly this summer has passed. It seems that only yesterday I was greeting explorers for our first day together. Now programming is coming to a close. The boats on Blacks Creek are being hauled out of the water and I must say goodbye to all of the kids who came to join us for the summer.

The last week was certainly a one to remember. We spent our days playing games and of course catching things in the creek. The numbers of captured critters sky rocketed during this time, because by this point, nearly all of our explorers were experienced in the fine art of dip-netting. Adding to the success was the use of a new technique in which we bait our nets with crushed crab in order to catch copious quantities of both mummichogs and silversides. On one particularly successful day we had to have caught at least 300 of these small fish.

On the high tide days—when catching can be difficult— we built some very impressive sand castles. The kids were excited to build a home for the crabs that are plentiful on these high water days. The most elaborate of our sand creations had numerous arched entrances and a spiral tower in the middle. It was great to see all of the kids cooperating to create this magnificent castle. 

While I hoped the week would never end, all things must come to a close. These were bittersweet feelings for me. While I would no longer have the pleasure to enjoy Blacks Creek, our program grew tremendously this summer and even continued to do so in the last few days. The final two days of programming saw five completely new explorers join us, and, while disappointed to hear of the impending end to our summer at Blacks Creek—they were excited to sign up for next years programming. This is fantastic news for the future health of The Harbor and the environment at large, as our Blacks Creek Explorers will undoubtedly be future stewards of the wonderful resources that we all have to share.

Many thanks to the Quincy Rec. Dept. for their cooperation and to the fantastic families and kids who have come down for some sun and fun down at the creek. See you next year.

-Tom Rebula

We Run This Beach

The First One In

This past Friday marked Save The Harbor's annual Beach Bash and Splash. This year approximately 700 kids from clubs, camps and community groups from across Boston joined SHSB for a day on South Boston's M Street Beach—courtesy of The Curley Community Center. Activities included face painting, mural art, volleyball, and of course, fishing. 

It seemed a much better day to have a line in the water than last year's Bash and Splash. The tide was up, providing us with much more water on this shallow beach. The fish however, were still absent. Fortunately we brought a good selection of different bait, piquing the curiosity of nearly all who came over to visit. 

While producing a fish proved difficult, the day still provided some good opportunities to teach kids how to properly cast a rod. It was great just to observe the sheer number of kids who came over and expressed such deep interest. Many were reluctant to leave the rods, even as lunch started to come off the grill. 

Casting Lessons

After lunch came "The Splash"—the highlight of the event—when those in attendance rush into the water at once. It was quite the commotion. The splashing didn't end until we had to leave, and everyone—prepared or not— had been drenched.  It was a fantastic day for a beach party—cool water, warm sun and hot dogs on the grill. For what more could you ask? Thank you to all who made the event possible. To clean water and an endless summer.

- Tom Rebula

Gymnastics and Haircuts

It has been a while since I have written about Blacks Creek- I think it is time for an update.

Things there have been going great. A good number of kids have been excited to come join us for games and exploring everyday, despite having some off-putting weather on a few days. I am proud to say that the number of attendees has certainly increased from last summer, and continues to grow as this one progresses. Just yesterday we had two new explorers signup and join us for the very first time. The word about our educational, fun and free programming is certainly spreading through Quincy.

As was the case at the beginning of this past week, exploration in and around the creek can be difficult when the tide is high. The deeper water restricts wading, and seems to always put our target critters just out of reach. Fortunately, on these days the crabs are plentiful in the trap, resulting in some new and interesting crab-based activities. While the old standby "crab races" are always popular, my new favorites include crab gymnastics and crab hair cuts.

The former of these involves the posing crabs in interesting athletic positions that suggest a gymnastic event or action, and taking a quick photo. Handstands, high bar the list goes on and on. It is great to see how creative the kids can be when posing crustacea.

A flawless performance on the balance beam.

We have also had some interesting finds including my personal favorite, the horseshoe crab. The kids especially love when we find these prehistoric creatures and are always amazed to hear about their blue blood, numerous eyes and uses in the medical industry. The one we caught yesterday proved to be a great teaching tool. Because it was a younger specimen, it was not covered in the barnacles and algae typical of older ones. This made the explanation of its anatomy much easier, and even let the kids see the individual parts of its compound eyes.

- Tom Rebula

Second Session Startup

The second session at CHV started up last past Tuesday. This meant a whole new group of kids; some with fresh faces, and others that I had met last year - all eagerly anticipating a summer of fun out on Long Island.

Because it was the first day much of it was spent getting the kids into the clubs they wanted, and showing the new campers what and where things are at the camp. While this would seem like a tedious endeavor for nearly 500 kids, the exceptional staff at CHV know how to make even the most routine moments fun.

For my team and I, the day began at the club fair, where club leaders display their club and try to get kids to sign up. As usual Save the Harbor put in a strong showing to get kids to join our fishing club. Our sign and props were attention grabbing. Priceless looks erupted from the faces of campers when we acted as though our prop lures were alive. I can't even imagine the ruckus that would have been raised if we had brought a real fish, but to be fair to the other clubs and ensure that they also had some campers, we had to hold back. Needless to say, we had plenty of customers looking forward to wetting a line and hopefully fighting a fish.

After that the campers headed out to different areas of the camp to find out what kinds of activities happen at each site throughout the summer. SHSB runs through the camp's Knowledge Is Power program so we headed up to the KIP building for our presentations.

On the way over, Bob, the head groundskeeper, grabbed my attention and told me that a lobster had made its way into our trap. Fantastic! Nothing better than a fresh lobster to get the kids asking questions and wondering about what else Save The Harbor has planned for the summer. After a quick run down to the docks the team and I were on stage with a cooler full of freshly caught crabs and lobster.

Holding a lobster for the first time.

The lobster worked like a charm - striking aw and sparking discussion. We left that day with many campers eager to come down to Shell Beach and explore The Harbor with us.

To new explorers and stewards of The Harbor,
Tom Rebula

A Very Dichotomous Day

This past Thursday, was the last day of the first session at Camp Harbor View. Far from the normal schedule, the day was filled with fun events to culminate the session, and send the kids off into the rest of summer.

Our time there today started at the lunchtime barbecue. All of the tables from the great hall were pulled out into the fields out front. Hotdogs, hamburgers, ice cream and snow cones were all made available by the staff. Music was playing, leading to a whole lot of lively dancing and fun. While this type of cookout happens every Friday at the camp, the significance of the last one could be felt, and everyone danced and sang just a little bit harder. As the rest of the day would be filled with activity, lunch hour provided us the last real opportunity to say our goodbyes to all of the campers that we had come to know over the session.

Me and one of my friends from the last two years.

Being an individual in a camp of over 500 likely doesn't leave a whole lot of room for personal recognition, but the days next event would give any willing kids the opportunity to show their skills. From singing and dancing, to Capoeira and miming, this talent show had it all. It was not only fantastic to see what talents the campers had to offer, but also to witness the massive outpouring of support for everyone who put them on display.

The crowd at the talent show.

After the exceptional showing of talent the camp headed down to the great hall for the days last event, a slide show of photos from the session. Despite the upbeat nature of the slide show, an air of sadness hung in the air. You could tell that campers and counselors alike did not want to part ways. Still, it was great to see all of the awesome stuff that the campers had done over the course of four weeks.

As the slideshow drew to a close campers began saying their final goodbyes to the friends and councilors that they had shared so much fun with. Tears came to more than one set of eyes at the thought that this chapter of the summer was closing. The friendships forged at CHV will last a lifetime, and I am sure that the kids will find ways to keep in contact throughout the year despite going to different schools and living in different areas of Boston and its surrounding cities.

I know that I have said this before in some of my previous blogs, but I feel it prudent to reiterate that Camp Harbor View truly is a special place. The opportunity to form such deep and meaningful friendships in such a perfect setting, located in the heart of Boston Harbor is unique. The love and appreciation for this opportunity can be seen on the faces of each camper as they say farewell, at least until next summer.

- To life long friendships,
                     Tom Rebula

Flounder Pounder

This Wednesday I had the pleasure of going out on the first of this summer's fishing trips that Save The Harbor charters for the campers at CHV.

The morning started with a quick run out to Long Island aboard the Belle, with Captain Charlie at the helm. Upon arrival at the CHV docks, we loaded up the kids from fishing club. They were eager to get started, and had high hopes for the day. I knew, of course, that these wishes would not go unfulfilled, as Capt. Charlie is very knowledgeable, and has put me in the right spot every time that I have been on his boat. 

Within a few minutes of leaving the dock we had reached our fishing destination and dropped anchor. Rods were quickly baited with sand worms, and dropped over the side. It did not take long before we had our first hit, a nice sized flounder fit for the cooler. I knew this was a good indicator for what was to come. Sure enough the day only got more exciting, with flounder after flounder being pulled over the gunwales. I counted at least 13 on the day, but keeping track was hard, and it may very well have been more.

Uno

Dos

Tres

While the flounder kept the action going throughout the day, the most exciting moments were when Greg, the lifeguard, hooked into a striper. While much too small to keep, it still put up a great fight, and had the whole boat clamoring to get a view. It also provided quite a nice photo opportunity for the group.

Charlie, the kids, Moby the Mop and a striper.

Of course it wouldn't be bait fishing without skates.

As time wound down, Charlie and I began cutting up the flounder. A nice stack of beautiful fillets, on ice, and ready to be sent home with the campers, was the result. A few opted to take their catch home whole as this is how their parents preferred to cook it. An awesome day out on the water to say the least and plenty of fish to show for it. Many thanks to Capt. Charlie and the kids who made the trip so fun.


- Happy to be catching,
              Tom Rebula

Where are the big ones?

Today marked a momentous occasion at CHV. We caught our first lobster! While I am quite familiar with lobsters both in the wild, in other traps, and on the plate, this was the first time that I have caught one at Camp Harbor View.

A small, but handsome fellow. 

Last summer, despite having both a crab and lobster trap out in the water everyday, we pulled in no lobsters. Employees from previous years have also reported similar luck with Long Island lobsters. This could have been due to various factors including, but not limited to, the sandy beach that had been installed at the camp to provide a nice swimming area. Unfortunately for the camp, this area of The Harbor was never meant to hold a nice sandy beach and mother nature saw fit to return the area to the way it once was, as is often the case for man made things that try and contest with nature. This process had been happening gradually over the last few years, but this past offseason a large storm likely rolled in and claimed all of what remained.

With the beach gone it appears the lobsters have returned to the immediate area, as proven by our small catch, and the plethora of lobster traps dropped right near the shoreline and docks at Harbor View. Hopefully we will be pulling more, and larger specimens in as the summer progresses.

Also on the upswing at CHV, is the fishing. This year in fishing club has been marked by numerous catches, though to date, they have all been skates. A little foray on my part showed that the stripers are there in numbers and more than willing to take lures both on and below the surface. Regrettably, these fish were caught in an area too hazardous to take the campers, I however plan to make a return trip on Tuesday during fishing club and hopefully send the kids home with some fresh fillets.

Just a baby, but there are lots of them.

- Happy to be catching,
                Tom Rebula

For The Love of Cod

This Thursday marked Save The Harbor's annual Fan Pier Fishing Tournament, and it was an eventful one to say the least. I along with four others were placed on the Dive Inn, with its captain Steve Sacco at the helm.

With no bait on board, we had to stick to trolling and jigging to pull in our fish. To me this was a nonissue, as I often prefer the challenge and work of lure fishing to the waiting game involved with bait. Additionally it gave me the opportunity to better explain the finer points of fishing to the other members of my boat. One of the kids, joining us from The Boys and Girls Club, really took to the instruction and wanted to know everything he could about fishing; which lures to use, how to use different types of reels, what types of fish we might catch, and so on.

While learning the basics of fishing is great, it can become quite tedious if there is no catching involved. Fortunately after only a few minutes of trolling we were able to get him on a rod with a small striper on the other end. I was happy to hear that this was his first.

Not too big, but still a fun fight.

After a little more trolling with no luck, Captain Steve decided to make a location change, and had us reel up and lock down for the run out to Graves Light. Rumor had it that, despite the relatively early date, some bluefish had been spotted out that way, and I was excited to get my first of the season.

Once there, we got right back to trolling, hoping pick up a bite. With no luck and the clock running down on the tournament I suggested a change in tactics, so Captain Steve cut the engines, and I outfitted our rods with a selection of jigs. After giving everyone some instruction on what to do, we had our jigs deep, hoping for some cod, or anything for that matter, to put our boat in contention for the win. Jazeel was first, as he hooked into a nice 24in cod, caught on a pink and chartreuse butterfly jig. I was next with a much smaller, but at least in my opinion, better looking fish.

Jazeel with his.

And me with mine.

Capt. Steve managed to hook a nice bivalve

Unfortunately, the long run back in meant that we had to pack up before we had the chance to hook into another fish. On the bright side, we were able to get a nice fish in the boat and I had the excitement of nice fight. All in all, a great day out on the water. Many thanks to Steve for his time and the use of his beautiful boat.

- Happy to be catching,
                Tom Rebula

Island Treasures

Today was an awesome day on Shell Beach at Camp Harbor View. Over the course of the afternoon we had the privilege to take out two groups of campers, leaders and LITs for some beach combing on Long Island's beautiful western shore. While the sun was hot, the refreshingly brisk water and a string of interesting finds helped us push on.

Among some of the more interesting finds was an old US military button. While it is hard to put an exact date on the button, because the makers-marks and distinct characteristics have corroded away in the saltwater, similar designs that I could find date from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This puts it among the oldest finds I have seen (and can actually estimate a date) during my time at Save The Harbor, and certainly makes it deserving of the term historical treasure.

Its hard to make out, but the button has a a distinct and large 'US' stamped on it.

Needless to say the the camper with the sharp eyes was proud of his awesome find.

Of course, the day was also filled with plenty of biologically oriented discoveries. Each group managed to find their own dead skate, which provided an opportunity for me to discuss the species and plenty of awe-factor through their bizarre looks and 'ripe' smell. 

No beach walk on a rock strewn shore would be complete without a handful of ever present Asian Shore Crabs.

- To more great finds,

             Tom Rebula

Ready, Set, Summer

The kickoff of summer programming this year was a great one. The day was filled with excellent finds, and lots of thrills for all the kids who spent time with us.

Our morning started at Blacks Creek with our partner sailing program run by the Quincy Rec. Department. I was happy to see a lot of familiar faces returning from last summer join us for games and exploration in this wonderful estuary. Even more exciting was the growth in size of our program at the site, made evident by the presence of so many newcomers.

Horseshoe Crabs are always a big hit.

After finishing up in Quincy, the team and I headed out to Camp Harbor View on Long Island. This beautiful harbor island is a special place, and the camp at its end is a true gem. Run by The Boys and Girls Club, it offers all the opportunities of the finest summer camps, but offered to the children of Boston for a mere 5 dollars per four week session.

Live skates provide excellent opportunities for brief bio lessons

The day there started at fishing club, where we managed to catch a small skate, leading a lot of excitement on the docks. Even more well received was the 38in Striped Bass provided to us by Bruce Berman. Filleting and dissection of this behemoth went over particularly well, and the kids were ecstatic to be able to take home some delicious pieces.

A camper holding a monsta'

-To many more perfect days,

                        Tom Rebula

Glad To Be Back.

Hello, Sea Sand and Sky readers. Some of you may remember me from last year but for those who do not my name is Thomas Rebula.

Bon Bini Aruba

Let me first start by saying that I am thrilled to be returning to Save The Harbor Save The Bay this summer. Last year was fun filled and provided me with countless opportunities to learn and grow.

Additionally, working at Save the Harbor afforded me the opportunity to share the things that I love with the greater Boston community, and I had a blast doing it. From fishing with the campers at Camp Harbor View to exploring the estuarine waters of Blacks Creek, each day was filled with opportunity to ignite the spark of stewardship and a passion for the natural world that has guided my life. I truly cannot wait to get back out onto beautiful Boston Harbor and to help the kids explore and appreciate the natural environment that surrounds them.

Eels from last summer.

See you on the water,
Tom Rebula

Into the Mist.

During the last week of programming I had the privilege to take a ride on All Access Boston Harbor. Not only was this my first time aboard the Provincetown II this summer, but it would also mark the first time that I have ever traveled to Peddocks Island. Instead of traveling to Spectacle or Georges as it does every week, AABH held programming on this less traveled island to bring a fun, and atypical end to a great summer.

The morning began in a slightly frantic state as I scrambled to navigate my way through Cambridge and Everett to find Solo Produce, the vendor that provides AABH with fresh and delicious fruits. After loading my car I headed back to the World Trade Center Pier and boarded the spectacular Provincetown II. The kids that were already on the boat seemed like a lively group that would take advantage of everything that the island had to offer. I knew it would be a great day so long as the clouds cleared.

As our voyage set off into the Harbor we could see that a thick bank of fog lay just off the shoreline of Long Island, neatly dividing the inner and outer harbor. Navigating our way through this thick soup was entertaining to say the least. The kids loved the mysterious nature of the fog and were curious as to what lay behind it. Screams and giggles erupted from the passengers when the boats captain sounded the booming foghorn to alert ships that lay in the unknown.

The crew of the Provincetown II navigating through the fog

The fog thinned as we approached the town of Hull and our final destination, Peddocks Island. After eating lunch there I brought a large group of kids down to the shore to go fishing. While we didn't catch anything besides crabs, the kids still had a fantastic time and learned a lot about casting and knot tying.

Hung and I helping the kids fish from the shores of Peddock's

Unfortunately our day on the island had to end, and we boarded the boat back to Boston. The ride back however was full of excitement, and the kids, particularly those from the Bird Street Community Center, were a blast. The Save the Harbor crew and I had a wonderful time joking and playing games with those little rascals.

Thi receiving some beautiful hair work from the Bird Street kids

It's sad to say that the summer is coming to an end but this was certainly a wonderful way to put a close to such a fantastic couple of months.

- Missing programming already, Tom Rebula

Friends of Wollaston Beach KidsFest.

This weekend I had the privilege to head down to Wollaston Beach in Quincy to help with the annual KidsFest, hosted by the Friends of Wollaston Beach. Upon arrival the crew and I received a warm welcome from the volunteers there, in particular from Neil McCole who heads up the fantastic organization.

Setting up at KidsFest.

As the event got underway families streamed onto the beach to take advantage of all the awesome stuff provided for them free of charge. Friends of Wollaston beach had organized for moonbounces, a duck hunt, sack races, hula hooping, jump roping and many other fun activities for the kids to participate in. On top of this they also brought a truckload of prizes to be handed out throughout the afternoon.

Our touch tank was also a hit.

Perhaps my favorite event, and the one with the best prizes, was the duck hunt. Rubber duckies were placed in the ocean and the kids were gathered at the top of the beach. At the sound of a horn the kids all rushed down into the water to grab a duck, all of which looked slightly different from one another. Some of the lucky kids who managed to grab a duck holding a football were given brand new boogie boards. Everyone else got to take home the duckies they had grabbed and were certainly privileged to get other prizes over the course of the event. Indeed, due to the generosity of the Friends of Wollaston Beach and their partners, no one went home empty handed. 

Coming from the water with a captured duck.

Afterwards the beach-goers went on a hunt for the blue and white Jet Blue marbles, with three or four being found. Finally as the sun set the team and I helped handout mass quantities of glow in the dark gear to help fuel the kids dance party, an event furthered by the exceptional DJ skills of Neil, despite the modest opinion of his own talent behind the booth.

Overall it was a fantastic event that got a lot of families out enjoying a spectacular beach. I cant imagine a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon... well, maybe besides fishing on said beach.

- Tom Rebula

The Silver Lining

This past Friday my team and I took the fishing club from this session at Camp Harbor View out on The Belle for a day of fishing. A special thanks goes out to Captain Charlie, and John, the first mate. These guys were exceptional with the kids and made sure that everything went as smoothly as possible. Friday was my first time really getting to talk to them this year and it was apparent just how much they know about the Harbor, a fact that is made even more clear by the quality of the boat ride they provide. For all of those reading the blog who may be looking for a charter for either a fishing trip or pleasure cruise, look no further than The Belle, Charlie and John will make it a fun, worthwhile experience.

The Belle.

The day started with a bang. Only minutes after we dropped anchor at our first location, right off the shores of Long Island, one of the campers felt a heavy bend in his rod. At first we thought that he had just hooked bottom, but a then the rod began to vibrate with the powerful head-shakes of a striper. The camper was behind one of the window pillars, and as the fish ran hard for the bottom and towards the aft of the boat, I was concerned that he was going to lose it. Quick thinking by Will Conroy saw the rod maneuvered into a more favorable fighting position, and after a long battle the fish was pulled alongside the boat where it was netted by Captain Charlie. A quick measurement and it was confirmed that the fish was indeed a keeper.

Tristan with his exceptional catch.

Unfortunately the rest of the trip was marked by much slower fishing. A few of the other campers managed to hook into bluefish, but they were all small and could not compare to the first catch of the day. Even when one of these small blues was baited and allowed to swim behind the boat we could not convince another large striper to bite.

As we turned around and headed back towards the docks of Camp Harbor View I set to work processing the days catch so that Tristan could take it home. As usual all of the campers were fascinated and extremely inquisitive about the entire process and the anatomy of the fish. Fortunately for everyone on board, Tristan, is an exceptionally friendly and generous guy and was willing to share this catch with whomever wanted a piece. As a result everyone ended up going home happy regardless of whether they had caught a fish or not.

A fellow camper holding up her gift from Tristan.

- To great days on the water, Tom Rebula