Holy Lobster!!

Everyone was so excited!

Alright, everyone, you're never going to believe what happened last week! I mean really, if I did not have pictures to prove it, you would think this whole blog is a lie. Have you ever heard of a lobster that was too big to keep?! I have heard of lobsters being too small and of course, we let them go every time but I didn't know a lobster being too big was even a possibility!

Our day started with some programming at Atlantic Wharf. We welcomed the South Boston Neighborhood House and through various activities, we taught them about Boston Harbor. We spent the day fishing, drawing a giant sea life mural, setting crab traps, singing sea shanties, and creating fish prints for children to take home. Our day was going great, we could not have imagined it getting any better.

As we wrapped up our activities Boloco delivered lunch for all the children and staff. What a better way than to end your day with free burritos, right?! As we began eating I mentioned the two traps that were still in the water and how we need to remember to pull them up before we leave. Sam exclaimed, "I'll go pull them up now!", and thank goodness she did. 

The claw was almost as big as my head!

She pulled up the crab trap to find nothing in it. We thought, "it is so low tide it is no surprise we did not catch much today". She pulled up the second trap, a circle trap with a net attached to it. The net needs to be pulled up at the right time to trap creatures inside or they will crawl out. As soon as the trap reached the surface Sam was screaming, "You need to get over here right now!". From far away I saw that it was a lobster and was very excited but as I got closer I noticed that it was HUGE! Everyone said the only place they have ever seen a lobster that size was in the aquarium. We measured the lobster and were unfortunately told that from its eye to the beginning of the tail had to be 5 inches. Ours was almost 6! Although it was very sad that we could not keep the lobster it was still amazing to have seen something like that. That day is one that I will remember forever!

This was not our lobster but this is how to correctly measure a lobster.
Unfortunately, this one is not large enough to keep.

Well, I'm off to find a lobster I can cook this time!

Catch ya later!

Briana

Diving Into My Second Summer

Holding a Moon Jelly 

Hey there, I'm Briana Scata and I'm excited to be diving into my second year of programming with Save The Harbor/ Save The Bay as a Senior Harbor Educator!

My first fish of Summer 2017

During the fall and winter months, I taught physical education in an elementary school and was able to make lots of connections between STH/STB summer programs and our school! My students participated in many activities and games that I learned over the summer. I also spent my afternoons coaching field hockey in the fall and track and field in the winter and spring. This spring I participated in my first Shamrock Splash and got a taste of working with everyone at Save The Harbor/ Save The Bay again, I knew I needed to be back. After an incredible summer last year it was an easy decision to get on board for Summer of 2018.

Showing our staff and youth what the underside of a skate looks like

I cannot wait to continue to learn about Boston Harbor and see what else I can incorporate into teaching children during the school year. Working for Save The Harbor/ Save The Bay has truly given me a new perspective. 

Over and out for now!
Briana

First Days on the Harbor

Hi everyone! 

My name is Grace Noble, and this is my first summer as a Senior Harbor Educator at Save the Harbor. I’m very excited to be a part of the Save the Harbor team, and I can’t wait to learn more about Boston’s marine environment this summer!   

The summer staff at Carson Beach

I am originally from a small city called Doylestown, which is near Philadelphia, PA. Growing up, I spent many of my summers at the beach in Cape May, New Jersey. I attended the University of Pittsburgh for college, where I studied biology and English and went abroad for a semester in Cape Town, South Africa. During college, I developed an interest in conservation biology and environmental issues, so I'm looking forward to learning about the biology of the Boston Harbor this summer!

After I graduated from college, I did research on the effects of coal mining on stream ecosystems in western Pennsylvania. I also worked in Texas as an outdoor education instructor and as a research assistant at the Botanical Research Institute of Texas.  I realized that I wanted to pursue a career teaching science, so I moved to Boston last year to attend graduate school for science education at Boston University. This fall, I'll be starting my first year as a high school biology teacher!

During orientation, I had a lot of fun trying things that I had never done before, including fishing off the dock, touring the Boston Harbor Islands, making a fish print with a flounder, and creating art by raking in the sand. I also got to explore parts of Boston that I hadn’t been to, like Piers Park in East Boston, the Boston Children’s Museum, and Black’s Creek in Quincy.

The staff at our orientation trip to the Boston Harbor Islands

In addition, I got to meet a lot of people who are committed to preserving Boston’s harbor environment and who are enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge with the local community. My goals this summer as a Senior Harbor Educator are to have fun while exploring the harbor and teaching kids about Boston’s marine resources, to learn more about the history of the harbor, and to catch at least one fish (hopefully more)!

-Grace