Beach Bash & Splash 2013

- Will Clark

CHV Fishing Trip 2

It's Fishing Time! 

Camp Harborview fishing trip for the second session is now in the history books. It was a great trip out on Boston Harbor and a beautiful day for fishing. The kids were ready to get out on the water as soon as we docked The Belle and they were waiting for us at the top of the gangway. We were prepared for the day with a good amount herring and clams for bait and enough fishing rods for everyone to fish. The camp provided water, chips and blueberries to keep everyone on the hydrated and fed while on the boat. We had everything that we needed to have a great fishing trip on Boston Harbor.

Captain Charlie of The Belle knows Boston Harbor and where all the great spots are for fishing. I could feel it at the start of the day that we were going to catch a good sized fish. Also, I noticed a few kids were ready to do whatever it took to catch a fish. The day started out great because at the first spot that we went to we caught a fish. Tristen, a Camp Harborview camper, caught a fish within the first thirty minutes that we were out there. At first we did not think that striped bass was big enough to keep and that we were going to throw it back. Then, Captain Charlie brought out a ruler to measure the fish to check and we found out that the fish was big enough to keep by 2 inches. I was excited that we caught a fish so soon after leaving the dock. I could tell it got the kids more faith to catch a fish before the day was over.

We ended the trip with a few catches, but only one fish that we could legally keep. We decided to fillet the striped bass and give pieces to the kids that wanted them. Tom filleted the fish and put them in bags for each of the kids to take them home and cook them. The campers were very happy that they were able to say they caught a fish on their boat and could take some home. Being able to fish in the harbor and catch something that you can eat is what Save the Harbor is all about.

- Will Clark

3rd Annual Kids' Beach Bash and Splash EXCITEMENT

Happy Monday Harbor Explorers!  In my last blog post I mentioned that Thursday there was no All Access trip -- normally this would be sad, but instead of journeying to Spectacle Island the entire Save the Harbor/Save the Bay staff convened on M Street Beach in South Boston for the always-exciting KIDS' BEACH BASH AND SPLASH!

The calm before the storm

 By the end of the day, over 700 children and counselors from the Greater Boston area had made it to the BCYF Curley Center for face painting, fishing, swimming and a hot dog lunch.  I was on the welcome committee out front, checking people in and helping groups  that might have gotten a little lost on the way to the beach.  It was really cool to so many groups that have come out on All Access back again for the Bash, and I know the kids all had an amazing time.

Braintree After School Enrichment lining up to splash into M Street Beach

Before rushing into the cool water and making an enormous splash, David Coffin led all the children and staffers in a rousing rendition of "Haul Away Joe" (even though his voice was a little off) and Will Clark joined in with his famous Save the Harbor rap -- I'm sure all the kids were singing it on the bus rides home.

Fresh Prince of Boston Harbor Will Clark on the mic

Another great thing about the Bash is that all of the Save the Harbor staff come together to make this event a success -- the office staff, interns, Senior Marine Educators and the high school summer staff.  With so many sites around Boston, it can be hectic with kids running from one program to another.  I'm always glad that we have one day during the summer to have a big party for ourselves and the children that we serve around Boston, and this year was no exception!  I'm so happy I got to work with these crazy kids!

Lookin' good

-- Carolyn

 

 

Beach Bash

Hey Everyone,

What a day we had on Thursday at the Curly Community Center in South Boston as Save the Harbor/Save the Bay held their annual Beach Bash and Splash. There were more than 700 hundred kids from the surrounding youth programs who came for one big summer celebration. The activities included; : fishing, a touch tank with crabs, lobsters, and other marine life,  sports and frisbees, a big fish drawing for the kids to put their name on, face painting, and of course swimming.

As the Beach Bash started I was in charge of running the sports events for the day.  I also made sure each group left with a bunch of STH/STB frisbees.  When it was close to 10 o'clock, the kids began to arrive in bunches. Group after Group arriving meant it was time for the games to begin.

We started off with a gigantic game of wiffle ball. We had kids playing from all the various groups who attended.  Even the staff members from each group joined in the game.

Here is Andy throwing his best pitch

 As the day progressed so did the number of kids who came to join in on our game.

After playing wiffle ball the kids were ready for kickball.   What a game we had going. The kids were diving after balls, sliding into to bases.   For a minute there I thought I was watching the world series of kickball.  I must say the runs sure did pile up in this game. We were way into double figures.   One team even surpassed 20 runs.

After a great game of kickball, we decided to squeeze in one more quick game of wiffle ball before lunch.  Right before lunch we had all the groups gather in front of the STH/STB banner to hear the one and only Will Clark sing the STH/STB Rap.

Along side David Coffin and Bruce Berman Will Clark sings the STH/STB Rap

Now it was time for the annual group swim which could only be lead by one person who was David Coffin.

 Kids running out of the water after the annual group swim

Then once everyone went for a dip in the water it was time for chaos to in sue.

When I say chaos I mean lunch. Just imagine 100s of hungry kids swarming at you at all at once that is one image that is etched in my memory.  After all the hot dogs were consumed and you could finally see the ocean instead of a line with 100s of kids.

Soon  it was time to begin the cleanup. After making sure the beach was cleaner than when we arrived, the groups began to pack up and our fun-filled event was complete.

Thanks to all the awesome staff we who made this event the best Beach Bash ever!
Adios,
Davis

Time To Chef It Up Sea Food Style !

Hey everyone manny here! Just wanted to show you guys a picture of this huge pollock me, Will Clark, and Tom Rebula cheffed up for the kids in fishing club at camp harbor view. I also want to give a big thanks to Bruce Berman because if it wasn't for him we wouldn't have this beautiful pollock to chef up. Also I would like to say that not only myself but the kids of camp harbor view got a lot of good knowledge of the pollock fish itself and the best way to both clean and prepare the fish as to just cutting it and throwing it on the grill. It takes a lot of close concentration as to where specifically we need to cut the fish. For example I explained to some of the kids that not all seafood is the safest to consume. some can actually be quite hazardous or poisonous and can put your body in danger. For example the blowfish or shellfish can hold poisons such as Ciguatera poisoning, Scombroid poisoning and various shellfish poisonings. But luckily I told them pollock stands out, and not to be worried we're trained professionals in this kinda stuff we would know which types of fish are deadly and which are not. But I can assure you that after that discussion and the pollock was ready to eat, kids certainly enjoyed it as much as the discussion haha but heres to another awesome day of fun in the sun with the Camp Harbor View family.

Great Pictures from Camp Harbor View

Here are a few pictures that I think are great pictures taken at Camp Harbor View. We take tons of great pictures every summer and not all of them make it to the blog. So, I thought I would spotlight Camp Harbor View and put up some pictures that I think everyone should see. There's always fun and new things going on out at Camp Harbor View and a picture is a good way to tell what is happening. Enjoy the pictures and I hope this blog gets people influenced to put up more great pictures from their sites that have not been on the blog.

Excited for Fishing

Slip n' Slide in the rain

A Leader in Training showing a crab caught with a fishing rod

A view of dock from the Great Hall

Campers and Will Conroy walking down to explore the beach

Campers and a L.I.T looking for Asian Shore Crabs

Manny Dejesus, Tom Rebula and Will Clark walking on the dock

-Will Clark

Day one of fishing club

Day 1

The second session at Camp Harbor View has officially started and I'm very excited to be apart of it. Camp Harbor View has all new kids in comparison to last session in July. There were some people from last summer that I recognized and they remembered me too. It's cool when kids come back to camp the next summer and still remember who I am. A few of the kids that were in fishing club last summer decided to join us again since they had so much fun before. I guaranteed them that this summer would be just as much fun if not more. Save the Harbor and Camp Harbor View staff have worked together to come up with ideas so that the kids experience is even better than last summer.

The kids in this sessions fishing club are very enthusiastic and optimistic when it comes to fishing. Some of them have fished before and some of them haven't, but they are all eager to learn new things and catch something that lives in the harbor. As soon as I pulled the rods out of the shed, the kids wanted to get right to it and start fishing. The kids that knew how to fish already were able to grab rods and begin fishing after we told them the rules on the dock. The kids that did not know how to fish were taught three ways to cast a fishing rod safely while on the dock. They learned how to underhand cast, drop cast and do a side cast similar to swinging a baseball bat. Once the kids had learned how to cast they were ready to bait their hooks and start fishing.

One thing I wanted to do was test each of the kids on their casting abilities and to see if the new kids had paid attention. I warned the kids that claimed they knew how to fish that they would be tested to make sure they were telling the truth. The way I tested them was by asking each of them to do one of the three casts for me. Even though it does not seem like a difficult task it's very important that they know what they are doing and learn something so that maybe one day they can teach someone else. All of the kids in fishing club passed the casting test and walked off the dock feeling comfortable handling a fishing rod. I was very happy to be able to teach the kids something and I really do hope that they each teach someone else what they have learned.

-Will Clark

Trying Something New

Yeaterday, at CHV I decided to try something new with the groups that we see after fishing club. When I arrived at shell beach the first group was already in a circle waiting for us. The kids were anxious to know what they were going to learn and do with us for an hour. In less than a minute I thought of many things that I could tell them and ask them. I wanted to see what the kids knew about Boston Harbor, how they felt about it and what they wanted to know about it. I feel as though a good way to get kids engaged in something is to get them thinking and answering the questions they have.


Many of the kids in the groups wanted to know more about what was around them. They're on Long Island everyday surrounded by islands, Boston Harbor and different towns. They have looked around, but can't really identify the things that they see. I feel as though it's our (Save the Harbor) task to inform them and give them knowledge about Boston Harbor and the different things that they see everyday. One of the things I wanted them to be able to do is point to some of the places they do know such Boston, spectacle island and the harbor. These facts may seem common to me, but many of the kids do not know them. So, I'm glad that I was able to teach them things that they did not know and would probably tell someone if they asked.

After we told the first group a good amount about Boston Harbor they were excited to go explore shell beach. Some of the kids were so excited that they began running to the beach before we were even finished telling them the task. The task we gave them and give every group is to find something on shell beach that they think is cool and tell a Save the Harbor staff member why they think what they found is cool. There are no limits to what they could find as long as they find something and have a reason for why they picked up and want to show it off. The kids find things such as shells, sea glass, crabs and even skeletons of animals that live in the water. The kids really enjoyed trying something new and it's definitely something that works and we're going to continue to do.

- Will Clark

First Fishing Trip of 2013 with CHV

Save the Harbor staff and CHV campers that were in fishing club went out on Boston Harbor to go fishing. The kids were very excited at the start of the day because they were eager to catch some fish. For the past two weeks at Camp Harborview we haven't caught any fish off the dock at Long Island. The kids were becoming a bit skeptical about there being any fish in the harbor. Today, they were able to fish off of a boat named The Belle. The Captain and crew of the Belle are Captain Charlie, Johnnie, Christian. The three of them have been fishing for a long time and the definitely know the harbor and where the best spots are. Save the Harbor's own Bruce Berman was also on the boat and he very experienced when it comes to Boston Harbor and fishing. I could tell we were off to a great start and a promising day to catch fish.

At the start of the day we were trying to catch a big bass since we caught a few at last summer's fishing trip. As soon as we came to a stop on the boat at a pretty good spot in the harbor; the kids immediately began to fish. We had plenty of bait including squid, sea worms and clams. All of this bait in the water at once should attract fish pretty quick. After a little while we were having no luck catching a bass so we decided to go to a better spot where more fish were. Captain Charlie took us to a spot where there were tons of fish that have recently come in to harbor.

We arrive at a spot between castle island and spectacle island and began fishing as soon as we could once again. We had very good technology on our side that was letting us know that there was fish around where we stopped. Within fifteen minutes our first fish was caught. The kids were very excited and it made them more eager to catch a fish on their own. One of the campers had caught a Black Sea Bass and in my opinion it's a cool looking fish. Black Sea Bass were not in the harbor a few years ago, but as of now it seems as though there are tons of them coming in.

As the day went on we caught more Black Sea Bass and the kids continued to enjoy fishing on the harbor. Even though it was a hot day the kids still wanted fish and learn more about what they were catching and what kind of bait they were using. At one point in the day the CHV campers caught two fish within 5 minutes after stopping at a different spot on the harbor. The kids were also able to enjoy some of the Black Sea Bass when Bruce made a ceviche out of it with lime, garlic and peppers. It was an amazing day for the kids and one that they enjoyed. Im definitely looking forward to next fishing trip.

-Will Clark

East Boston YMCA Summer Kick Off

Touch Tank provided by Save the Harbor / Save the Bay

This year's East Boston YMCA Summer Kick Off was a great event filled with smiles everywhere you looked. The kick off took place at Constitution Beach with a great view of Boston, Logan Airport and Boston Harbor. The kids were able to enjoy many games on the beach, swim and experience a touch tank full of bivalves brought by Save the Harbor /  Save the Bay. I couldn't wait to show the kids what we had brought because everything we had was harmless and some of the best seafood's in my opinion. The touch tank marine life consisted of mussels, little neck clams, cherry stones, Quahog clams and oysters. The kids were very eager to touch all of the marine life that we had and learn what they are. There were a few kids who already knew what some of the bivalves were since their parent had given them seafood before. It was great to see that the bivalves were not completely foreign to the kids.

Throughout the day we had fun participating in the dance events with kids. The DJ of the event did a great job and really kept the kids enthused with different dance games and songs that had choreography in the music such as the "Cha Cha Slide" and "Cupid Shuffle." Being able to have fun with the kids and make their experience on the beach as fun as possible is something I love to do. Smashing opening a mussel so that that kids can see the inside is definitely something that gets them engaged just as much as dancing in a game of freeze dance.

A Game of Freeze Dance

It was a great experience for me to be at the event and I would like to thank East Boston YMCA for letting us be a part of such a great event.

-Will Clark

Beach Bash 2012!

Save the Harbor's second annual Beach Bash was last Friday at M Street Beach -- over 600 children from across Boston came to South Boston to have a day of sports, sand, and swimming!  We had a beautiful day, and some great entertainment!

After a jam-packed morning of playing on the beach the kids got to here some great songs from our very own David "D-Money" Coffin and Will "Big Willy" Clark.  Kids and counselors alike sang and clapped along to the old-fashioned sea shanties and raps.  Bruce Berman, Director of Strategy, also had a few words for the kids about how much Save the Harbor has done to clean up the harbor and beaches.  At noon, everyone "splashed" into the water at once -- over 700 Save the Harbor staff and youth groups!!

I was on hot dog duty, so after the splash I was overwhelmed with children and counselors looking to grab a hot dog, cold drink, and some fruit after a morning spent running around the beach.  Not to toot my own horn, but I made some mean hot dogs...and lots of them.

Having so many kids on the beach at the same time is definitely overwhelming, but in a good way.  It was especially nice that so many of the groups had come out on All Access at least once this summer, so I saw lots of familiar faces -- I even took the bus down to M Street beach with Paige Academy, one of the our favorite groups at All Access!

Spending the day at the beach made for a great Friday, and a great end to most of our summer programing.  And I fully expect the third annual Beach Bash to be even more amazing than this one!

-- Carolyn

PS:  Another one of my favorite pictures from the Bash!

Staff Day !

Hey , its Brianna again. All summer long working with Save the Harbor / Save the Bay has been a wonderful experience that on Tuesday , August 7, 2012 we were introduced with the opportunity to eat out of Bruce and Patty's boat. We had hot dogs , chips , drinks , and cookies. As a full staff we got to play capture the flag , go and enjoy the water , and also enjoy the children that we brought along with us to Spectacle Island. It was my first time celebrating staff day with Save the Harbor / Save the Bay so it was a fun experience except I didn't play the annual Capture the Flag with everyone. Instead I chose to go in the water. This summer I have enjoyed hanging with my staff so today was a day to just sit back and enjoy the weather with people that I work with everyday. I have really enjoyed my time with Thi Tran. She has been the sunlight to my morning. Without the sun there would not be a morning. Even though we are close friends she still helps me learn about Sea Glass and learning about Save the Harbor / Save the Bay. She makes my days fun and enjoyable. Thi and I learn how to do things together from gimp with the kids to finding other colors of sea glass. That day she introduced me to having raw sushi I mean it wasnt bad but that it was something that was new to me.



By: Brianna Charles

Summer of the Striper

A new group of campers arrived at Camp Harbor View today, and boy were they in for a treat!  It was an easy pitch to convince the kids to sign up for fishing club when we were able to show off a 36" striped bass.  Bruce caught the beast over the weekend right between Spectacle and Long Islands.  It was a beauty of a fish, and everyone from campers to counselors alike enjoyed holding the fish, filleting it, eating it, and even performing some amateur dissection.

Campers pose with Sam the Striper

So fresh, Will could bite right in

Everyone was transfixed by Andrew's filet skills

We pulled out all the stops today, busting out the grill for the first time, and after borrowing some spices from the kitchen, the savory smells of fresh fish soon spread all over camp, bringing curious folks from all over to Shell Beach.  We're looking forward to an eventful (and hopefully dry) fishing derby on Thursday with our new fishing club.  Stay tuned for more on that!

Before...

...and after!

-Andrew Bauld

EPA joins us in South Boston

Wednesday at the Harry McDonough Sailing Center was an amazing day for the EPA and Senator Jack Hart to visit our site. The weather was great and the kids were very eager to teach adults about what they have learned from Save the Harbor. The day started with Ken Kopocis, a staff member of the EPA, Bruce Berman and his class enjoying lunch at Sullivan's. One of my favorite places to eat whenever I'm in the South Boston area or at Castle Island. After lunch everyone came down to the docks to join the Save the Harbor staff that was there working that day. We definitely had many different things show and tell everyone about.

There was a total of four lobsters in the crate to begin the day and another one was caught in the trap. Mary, Ahmed and Leon went out on the boat to the lobster trap to bring back the one lobster that was in it. Before being placed in the floating crate the lobster's claws were banded. The kids at the Sailing Center caught all the crabs that were in the touch tank using crab traps. One girl even caught a crab with a fishing rod. The kids showed their knowledge of crabs and lobsters to Ken Kopocis, Jack Hart and the class from BU. We were all impressed with how much each kid remembered and knew about the marine life that they captured.

It was great day to be shared with everyone who was at the Harry McDonough Sailing Center that day. I feel as though everyone learned and saw something new that were probably not expecting. The kids were awesome when they explained and answered questions about the marine life in the Boston Harbor. Definitely made me proud to know that the kids really enjoy what Save the Harbor offers for the kids in the Boston Area. I can't wait to see and hear about the experiences to come within the next few weeks.

- Will  Clark

The perfect summer day

Wednesday may have been the perfect day of the summer.  The weather was not too hot, not too cold, but just right.  Everyone seemed to be in high spirits, both counselors and campers, and it was just the kind of day that made you remember why we're so lucky to live in New England, and get to work on Boston Harbor.

Black's Creek has been having really low tides these last few days which has allowed explorers to venture even further upstream.  The kids have been having a blast sinking nearly up to their waists in mud and forging across the water to get to the other side of the creek.  We've been told that there are more creatures to be found on that side, and as luck would have it, one of the kids managed to find a living horseshoe crab!  It was an exciting catch, and we were even able to bring it with us to Camp Harbor View to show off to the campers there.

Victoria face-to-face with a horseshoe crab

Two of the more adventurous campers, sisters Rachel and Nicole

Thursday at Harbor View the kids were excited to learn the winner of our lobster dinner for four giveaway.  The luck winner was Heron Nook lighthouse member, Janae Creech-Moise, who could not have been more excited when her name was called!    

Andrew and Will with Janae, our first lucky lobster winner!

We're all looking forward to a new batch of kids at Habor View next week, and with a lobster trap over by shell beach, we're hoping our luck will improve for our new beachcombers!  

-Andrew Bauld