All Acess Boston Harbor

Yesterday was another fabulous day out on the harbor. We set out for Georges' Island and once we got there B.J., Conor, Thi, and I found our picnic table in the shade and made ready for lunch and planning for that day's activities. Thi keeps us all happy with her bag of cherries, Conor usually forgets his lunch and B.J. typically drops his ketchup laden hot dog all over the table. But the real fun began at a table 20 yards away.

A family had left their picnic at their table, along with their trash, and gone in to explore the fort. That's when the thieves arrived. Disguised as gulls they swooped in to steal the food (and trash) and create a general mess. Thi and Conor donned their invisible superhero capes but to no avail. Even a guy from another table gave it a go running after them as if he too were a gull but no success. Finally a park ranger arrived on the scene, surveyed the crime in progress, and radioed for back up. Soon another ranger arrived and ran in to the fort to find the owners of the dwindling food and trash. And finally, armed with rubber gloves and trash picking implements, two more rangers arrived by motorized cart complete with flashing yellow light, to clean up the destruction. The perpetrators of course, had flown the coop.

When the family arrived there were no gulls, no rangers, no food, no trash, and no humor.
Family and Rangers-0. Gulls-1.

Don't leave your food or trash unattended on the islands.

Cheers,
David

First Day

My first day of work this summer was probably the best work day I have had for the past three summers. My first site was at Blacks Creek, when I first saw all the children we would be working with, I got a little nervous. That feeling however did not last long, it was replaced with excitement as soon as we saw how excited they were about the activities. It was very nice to see just how much they knew about marine life and how interested they were in the topic. I could not help but to enjoy my first day, working for Save the Harbor is awesome!!

Cesc

First Day at Camp Harbor View

The first day at Camp Harbor View went better than expected! Despite the extreme heat, the kids had a great time catching all sorts of marine creatures on the rocky beach at low tide. I was surprised at how many of the campers had never caught a crab before! I was glad to be a part of their first crab catching experience. A few of the kids were scared of even the baby crabs at first, but at the end of the day were bragging about how many they found. We were able to find hundreds of crabs of all sizes! The creatures we found included Asian shore crabs, periwinkles, hermit crabs, and tunicates, just to name a few. The best place to be on such a hot day is down by the ocean, where some were even able to stop and pose for a picture! I could not have asked for a better first day.

-Tom Regan

Friends of Lynn & Nahant Beach Summer Concert Series

MEET YOU AT RED ROCK

Summer isn’t summer without popular concert series

It’s hot. The kids need a diversion and you could use some relaxation after a long day. What you need is a family activity that’s not too active but something outdoors, preferably somewhere cool. For a fun event that’s just right for a warm summer night, the beach is the place to go.

Each Thursday evening from July 8 through August 19, the Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach will once again co-sponsor with the state Department of Conservation and Recreation their popular concert series at Red Rock Park on Lynn Shore Drive.

This year’s concert series is sponsored by the Mayor Judith Kennedy, the Lynn City Council, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, the Boston Foundation, the Daily Evening Item, the Lynn Journal, Christopher’s Café, Lynn Economic Development Industrial Corporation, the Tides Restaurant and Pub and Kelly Honda of Lynn.

Now in its 15th year, the Summer Concert Series takes place every Thursday evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. until August 19. The bands are chosen to represent a wide range of music, from rock to blues to Celtic favorites and island tunes.

July 8 the well-known Classmates will perform a variety of well know selections especially from the 70’s and 80’s. White Lightnin’ returns again this year on July 15 combining elements of rock, pop, fun rhythm and blues.

Well known and popular Brian Maes Band returns to play all his tunes on July 22. Listen to Irish music by Curragh’s Fancy playing rousing renditions of Celtic favorites and old sea chanteys on July 29. Get up and dance with the Shuffle Mode Band on August 5.

Larry Power & the 12:01 Blues Band returns by popular demand on August 12. Our last concert on August 19 will feature well know local singer Mary Beth Maes.

A special Kid’s Concert will be held on July 24 from 1-3 pm featuring the Toe Jam Puppet Band. Special activities will be held for the children, so bring the kid’s down to Red Rock on Saturday, July 24.

All shows are free and audience members are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets. The air can be a bit cooler on the waterfront, especially as the sun begins to set earlier. Coffee, soda, water, home made bakery items, and Friends T-Shirts, sweatshirts, hats and Tote Bags will be available for purchase. All proceeds go toward the cost of the concerts.

The Friends of Lynn and Nahant Beach, a non-profit organization, was organized in 1990 to protect and promote the wise use of our beaches and waterfront. The organization has worked with local and state elected officials along with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation to form a partnership to promote Lynn and Nahant beaches.

Besides the concert series, the Friends hold beach clean-ups each year. For more information about the Friends and how to join visit their website at www.lynn-nahantbeach.org.

Here's a link to the full concert schedule www.lynn-nahantbeach.org/concerts.html. Hope to see you there!

Boston Children's Museum: Fishing 101

Today was a successful day at the Boston Children's Museum, where we fished, crabbed, and investigated the waters of the Fort Point Channel. One young girl had a striped bass on the line, but the fish ran so quickly underneath the pier that the line became tangled. Although we had to cut the bass loose, we will try again on Friday.

Thank you to all the participants. You did a great job filling up our touch tank with spider crabs, green crabs and moon jellies.

- Jennifer Last

P.S. If you'd like to see more pictures from today's activities at the Boston Children's Museum please go to this link: http://s1028.photobucket.com/home/bostonchildrensmuseumSTH!

Inaugural Post

Hi everyone! My name is Carolyn Burkett and this is my first summer at Save the Harbor. I’m going to be a freshman at Wake Forest University this fall, but I’m super excited about working on the docks and islands around Boston before I move down to North Carolina.

Today was my first day on the job, and it was a blast. I went with Caitlin and Jen to the Boston Children’s Museum and set up an interactive outside program. Despite the heat (and boy was it hot), we were kept busy by all the curious kids that stopped by to set crab traps, search for lobsters, and learn how to fish. This was the first time I had ever seen a crab trap, and the kids kept catching crabs both big and small. I really enjoyed talking to everyone at the “touch tank” and showing them that even though the crabs might look scary, they are actually pretty cool.

I hope that the rest of my days with Save the Harbor are as much fun as this one. The morning flew by and I can’t wait to get back out to work with all the great people here!


-Carolyn

B-l-o-g

Dear blog,
Today I woke up to one of the shortest emails I have ever received. I first thought it was spam and I don't even like spam. But then I realized it was from my friend Bruce who is always very concise and to the point. He doesn't waste time with lots of extra words. He just spells it out. B-l-o-g. It took me a minute to understand (it was 6:00 in the morning after all and I hadn't had my first coffee yet) but he was saying in his cryptic fashion that he would like for me to write some interesting tidbits for the All Access blog. I doubt this particular entry will qualify but it was good practice.
David.

First Day of All Access Boston Harbor

Hey everyone! It's Thi again coming back from an awesome day at the All Access Boston Harbor program.

Today, I went out with David Coffin, BJ, and Conor. We started out this morning with the kids coloring in the picture of the Smooth Hammerhead. Then, we all went inside the tent to listen to David talk about George's Island, the story of the Lady in Black, and what the groups could do there on this Harbor Island. Of course, he ended the talk with a bang, using the infamous joke of the Bay Gull. After the hectic day of manning the cash register, I got off the boat, ate lunch, and entered the Dark Tunnel. I stayed in the Dark Tunnel for the majority of the time, but not much later, ran into numerous kids, screaming, running around in the tunnel. I had to help many kids from the Braintree After School Enrichment (B.A.S.E.) go through the tunnel, doing my good deed of the day. :)

About halfway through the day, David Coffin and I walked around with three guys from Umass Upper Bound. We held hands and went through many dark rooms and tunnels together and had a LOT of fun. I can't wait for tomorrow!

First day of All Access

The first day of all access was a very good day. We went out on the boat to George's Island and got to see Fort Wayne. The fort was very cool and the kids had so much going through the dark arch. I still think that some of the kids are afraid of the Lady in black, but most of them conquered their fears today. I had tons of fun on thw first day and can't wait to enjoy the rest of the summer on the Boston Harbor.

-BJ Clark

Greeting to All

Hey guys,

My name is Dan Kenary and writing for this blog over the next couple of weeks is going to prove to be a challenge. With just over two weeks left in a cast, I have quickly learned that typing with a broken dominant hand is even trickier than handwriting. I look forward to all this summer has to offer.

It is my first season with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and all signs are pointing towards this being a summer to remember. Having just finished my freshman year at the College of the Holy Cross, I am eager to expand upon my independence in the professional world. Living locally and having a father who works right on the waterfront have earned me strong familiarity and appreciation for the Baston Harbor. One of my earliest experiences on the Harbor was many years ago when my dad took us out fishing on the Harbor with his long time friend Bruce Berman. I can remember ceaseless verbal banter (for Bruce and my father harbor opposing political opinions yet share a love for the harbor). There was some fishing in between then followed by my youngest brother threatening my other brother with a filet knife in hopes of settling a dispute over who had caught the bigger cod. Bruce, a self-proclaimed Wolfgang Puck, then advised us on how to properly marinate and cook our catches. I'll give it to him. Not bad.

In summation, I believe this brief narrative accurately describes my adoration and mentality towards the Boston Harbor: worry-free enjoyment amongst friends which all residents should be entitled to. Save the Harbor/Save the BayS has played an enormous role in the cleaning the harbor so as to ensure opportunity to enjoy the benefits.

Through their Summer Youth Program, they have taken it a step further and met the Massachusetts residents more than halfway in their experiencing of the fruits which literally lay in their backyard. For that reason, I am honored to be a part of this program in which I can help others experience fishing for the first time, a privilege I may have otherwise taken for granted.

Dan Kenary

First Day

We started last summer with day after day of rain and clouds. I was praying for clear skies and some heat. Now this summer has started just the opposite from last summer. It may be a little bit too hot though. Nevertheless, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay never lets the weather, no matter what it may bring, stop us from having a good time.

Michelle, Latoya, and I kicked off our summer on the harbor at Piers Park. After getting to know our young harbor explorers, we set off for the dock, geared with fishing rods, crab traps, a lobster trap, and guide books. It did not take long for our young companions to notice that we were missing one key tool, bait. This may seem like a problem to many, but any angler knows that you can just go out with a hook and a rod and come back with dinner. We started off our day by picking muscles off the dock to use as bait in the crab traps. Soon after we had a bucket full of crabs and were ready to go fishing. We hooked up the crabs to our poles and then casted away. It was not long before we got a few bites. However, these bites only came from other crabs. We ended the day at Piers Park with a bucket full of giant red rock crabs. If today is a sign of things to come, I am expecting a great couple of months of summer at the Boston Harbor.

Getting my feet wet...

Hi Everyone! My name is Aaron Becker, and I’m thrilled to join Save the Harbor/Save the Bay as a Senior Marine Educator this summer—but while I’m already in love with this organization, I feel like my position title leaves a lot to be desired. Mostly, I take issue with being called “senior.” It gives the impression that I’m much older than my 22 years. And while I did just finish my senior year at Brown University, this summer is just the beginning of my adventures in the real world.

Moreover, I’m an absolute novice when it comes to Boston Harbor. Many of our “Junior Assistants” have far more experience working on the harbor than I do—Thi, BJ and Alex, to name a few. I do have years of experience teaching and coordinating a science outreach program, but even the brief week of training we’ve had so far has shown me that I’m going to spend as much time learning as teaching in the upcoming weeks. I may be a “Senior” Marine Educator, but I’m anything but set in my ways.

I just completed degrees in Geology-Biology and Urban Studies, and I’ve been drawn to Environmental Education as a field that allows me to draw on my experience working in Earth science to impact children and families in urban communities. The urban community I’ve spent the most time working with is Providence, RI, a city I’ve grown incredibly attached to over the five years I lived there. A little over a month into my residency in Boston, however, I can already tell that I’m going to love it here.

Much of the geological work I’ve done to date has taken me as far from water as possible—this picture of me was taken in Canyonlands National Park, in Utah. I grew up in South Jersey and Tampa, FL, and although the ocean was never more than two hours away, this is going to be my first real opportunity to get to know what it means to live in a coastal community. I can’t wait to share the experience of getting to know Boston through her Harbor.

I’m excited to get my feet wet, both literally and figuratively, and help kids discover the incredible coastal resources that are practically in their own backyards. I’ve already learned more about fishing in two days than I had in the 22 years that preceded them, so I’m sure that this summer is going to change the way that I look at the ocean. Even more importantly, this summer is going to give me an opportunity to help hundreds, if not thousands, of inner-city kids take home a new perspective on Boston Harbor. Even though most kids in Boston Harbor Explorers won’t catch record-shattering fish, I hope that each and every one carries away memories and experiences that last a lifetime.

Coming Back

Hey everyone, for those of you who don't know, I'm coming back to help out the Youth program for the second year in a row! My name is Conor Newman and I am psyched to start work. I am a rising Junior at Stonehill College and I live in Arlington. I love to fish and play Ultimate Frisbee and I hope that we will have a lot of fun out there.

We've spent the past week preparing to run the Save the Harbor/Save the Bay Youth program that serves over 5,000 kids. I have met many of my new co-workers and they seem stoked as me to get the ball rolling. It looks like for the first week, that I will be running the All Access Program with my good friends Dave Coffin, BJ, and Thi. This program involves taking children and young adults out into the Boston Harbor where they can explore Spectacle Island and George's Island, just two of the 34 Boston Harbor Islands. I can't wait!




See you out on the open waters,



Conor B. Newman

Summer 2010

Hi, my name is BJ Clark and I am Jr. Program Assistant at the Save the Harbor/Save the Bay this summer. I'm seventeen years old and I'm from Hyde Park, MA. I'm so excited to be here again for my second summer with Save the Harbor. This summer I'm looking foward to working with the kids, being on the harbor and catching fish. Last summer was great and I'm hoping for this summer to be the same or even better. I can't wait to enjoy all the sites and see all the parts of the beautiful Boston Harbor. Summer 2010 has just begun and I'm ready to have fun and enjoy it with Save The Harbor/Save the Bay.

-BJ Clark

(Another) new face on the BLOG!

Hi! My name is Emily Postman, and I am excited to join our wonderful team this summer as a Senior Marine Educator for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. Exploring the intertidal and discovering the plants and animals that inhabit the marine ecosystem was a highlight of my own childhood that I am eager to share; in fact, when my parents first took me to the aquarium, I rooted myself to the touch tank and refused to go any further! About 15 years later, I am really looking forward to using an inquiry-based approach to help kids get their hands and feet wet on our local docks and beaches this summer.

This fall, I will be a Senior at College of the Atlantic--a small interdisciplinary
college on an island about 270 miles north of the sites we'll be working on this summer, where I study Human Ecology--and jump in the ocean as often as possible (sometimes between classes!). I am excited to apply my classes in Marine Biology, as well as some of my more abstract coursework in fisheries policy and public commons theory.

Most importantly, I have always loved working with kids! Everyday will be as different as the personalities, questions and energy they bring to the group--but at the end of the day I know that I'll go home tired and happy.

Here's to a fabulous summer!

Emily

SUMMER 2010!!!

Hey everyone!

I'm Thi Tran, and I'm really excited to be back again!

I am 16 years old and an upcoming junior at Boston Latin School. I enjoy reading, drawing, and having fun all the time! This is going to be my second year here at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and I will be the Artist in Residence.

Training week just finished yesterday and I met all the new staff! This summer will be great and full of kids expanding their knowledge of the harbor! :) After a long 10 months of school, I re-learned how to fish, tie a knot on a fish hook, went to most of the sights, got ready for the exciting time going to be spent next to our harbor, and just had fun bonding with the new and returning youth staff!

I'm glad that I'm back and can't wait for this summer!

-Thi Tran

Step Into Our Office...

Hello Everyone! My name is Michelle Palermino, and I am so happy to introduce myself as a Senior Marine Educator for Save the Harbor / Save the Bay this summer.

After growing up in Rockville, Maryland, I graduated from Providence College in May 2009, and I have been itching to get back to Northeast ever since. I've been a resident of Boston for no more than three weeks now, and already I'm not only in love with the city, but, after a great week of training, with the Harbor as well! You will see for yourself this summer when you come out and join us, the Harbor has so much to offer and is such a beautiful place to learn and grow. Today, I was standing out on the Boston Fish Pier with the two other Senior Marine Educators (Emily and Aaron- both of whom are fantastic), looking out over the Harbor and marveling at how lucky we are to be sharing it with you this summer. Aaron looked around at the sky and waves and sun and city skyline, and he said "Step into our office...". We had to smile. How many young adults have such a gorgeous backdrop to their summer jobs? How many young adults get to do what we have the opportunity to do this summer? It's going to be amazing. I think I speak for the whole team when I say THANK YOU to everyone who has been, and will be, a part of it.

Also, I would like to say thank you to the great Bruce Berman for having us bring fishing rods on our respective MBTA trains home, since I have a sneaky suspicion he was trying to embarrass us. Though they were difficult to maneuver through the doors and around fellow passengers, it didn't embarrass us (but please don't take that as a challenge, Bruce!). Here's a picture of Emily and me on the Silver Line. If you see a young woman with a fishing rod on the T on Tuesday morning, please say hi!

That's all from me until all the Harbor Explorers join us next week. I can't wait to get fishing and crabbing! I hope everyone has a great 4th of July, and I'll see you out on the docks! I'll be the one in the blue polo, having the time of my life.

Welcome!

I am Jen Last the Lead Teacher and Youth Program Coordinator for the 2010 summer. I am happy to report the youth training week is complete and was very successful. I am looking forward to getting the staff out to administer Boston Harbor Explorers and All Access Boston Harbor Tuesday, July 6th.

During our training this past week16 youth program staff had the chance to explore George's and Spectacle Island before they guide over 600 Boston Youth each week along the waters edge and search for hidden treasures around the historic sites. The staff also spent one afternoon at Pleasure Bay in South Boston where they trained in fishing techniques, crabbing, and marine exploration. I am confident we will catch many fish in and around Boston Harbor.

With training over it is time to enjoy the summer in the field and reach out to as many children in and around Boston by connecting them to their water's edge. Have a great weekend and I will see you at the docks!

- Jen Last

The Summer has Started

Hi, my name is Tom Regan and this is my 4th summer working for the youth program at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. As a seasoned veteran to the program, I have seen it grow tremendously. For example, this summer I have almost triple the number of co-workers from my first summer and double the number of sites. I never get tired of exploring the ocean with kids everyday and consider myself very lucky that I have this job. My favorite part of work is seeing the excitement on the kids' faces who get to go out and explore the Harbor for the first time. I am really excited for this summer because I have a feeling we will be catching a lot, so look for lots of cool pictures of to come!

The Beginning

Hey everyone,

I will be returning for my second summer here at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. I am psyched to get back on the water for another summer filled with fishing, crabbing, and everything else in between. All the junior staff and I have completed our training week and are now awaiting the beginning of fun at all our sites around our city's beautiful harbor. I'll be returning to my favorite summer spot next week at Piers Park in East Boston. It looks like a much clearer forecast for the rest of this summer than last summer so I expect to see many old and new faces enjoying the harbor in the coming weeks. Hopefully with the help of this plethora of young anglers we will be catching tons of fish. I am hungry!!!

See you there,

Alex Klein

Greetings!!

Hi, my name is Aruna Bah and I am very excited to be working at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. I was told about this program by my older brother Ibrahim Bah whom worked here for four years and had some very good experiences, and I hope to do the same. I am 17 years old and currently live in South End, MA. This coming fall, I will be a senior at the John D. O'Bryant. I enjoy playing and watching soccer, as well as helping little kids learn how to play. As I stated earlier, I was really excited to work at this program, and the main reason is that it gives me the opportunity to experience new things and to share my experiences with my community. Before a couple of days ago, I had only been on a ship/ferry once and had never even held a fishing rod, but now I have the opportunity to learn how to fish and share that experience with others, and riding on a ferry every week as well. I cannot wait to start working, it is going to be perhaps the best summer ever!!!

-Cesc

The First Few Days

Hello, My name is Shaunae Smith! :) I'm from Dorchester ,MA. I graduated from Tech Boston Academy, and in the fall I will be attending Johnson & Wales. I am very excited to be a part of my new found family at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay.

Before about 2 weeks ago I knew nothing about Save the Harbor - I didn't even knew such a program existed. I found out about the program the Island Ambassadors. Although I didn't know much about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, I now know one thing: this program is giving me the opportunity of a lifetime. It is allowing me to do something that I am passionate about. Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is also allowing me to work with children and teach them and teach myself, and also be outside exploring....it doesn't get any better than that!

So I applied and here I am. So far things have been great, and hopefully this summer doesn't end my time with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay.

I'm super excited that I have started my new job...I must admit it doesn't even seem like a job. It seems more like a chance of a lifetime. Over these past couple of days I have done and seen things that I have never done before. For the first time in my entire life I rode in a boat. It was one of the most fun things ever. Also, for the first time I have had the chance to see one of the most beautiful things - I got the chance to see 2 of the many islands in Boston Harbor.

I have to say the the climbs were rough but the views were great. When I got to the top of Spectacle Island I saw a view of Boston that I have never seen before. It made my view of Boston a lot different , and it also made me realize that things can be so beautiful when looking from a different angle. I must say I have the best job and boy oh boy do I love it.

Shaunae Smith

Summer Starts Here!

Summer began "officially" last week, but for me it began today with the first meeting of our 2010 summer youth environmental education staff at our offices at the Fish Pier on Boston Harbor.


Our President Patty Foley welcomed everyone to the Save the Harbor team, and then we got right to work.


First stop - Long Wharf, for a visit to Spectacle and Georges Island with SH/SB's Maritime Historian and songster extraordinaire David Coffin - who has promised us a post about the island visit soon.

Today we are meeting at 9:00 - to familiarize ourselves with the equipment we are going to be using this summer, and plan to visit most of our Boston Harbor Explorer sites as a group this afternoon.

See you on Boston Harbor
Bruce Berman

Folk Festival at Lynn Heritage State Park this Saturday

Hello all,

You're invited to our 2nd annual folk festival, featuring 13 acts.
Musicians playing music from Italy, Greece, Cambodia, Haiti, Russia, Span. America.
Brazilian capoiera, and Japanese calligraphy, story-telling, dancing lessons.
This Saturday, July 3 from 2-7 PM at Heritage State Park, off the Lynnway.

EAST BOSTON YMCA SUMMER KICK-OFF BEACH DAY 2010

East Boston YMCA packed Constitution Beach on Bunker Hill Day for a fun-filled Summer Kick-off celebration. The event featured free lunch, games, information tables and plenty of splashing around on the water's edge.

Jen from Save the Harbor brought along a touch tank that was a big hit with all the kids - especially the lobster, razor clam and other critters.

The event gave over 400 kids from East Boston and their parents a great way to spend the day off from school and an opportunity to connect with the East Boston YMCA and their summer free lunch program.

We look forward to more great family events at Constitution Beach later in the summer, including a movie night and campfire - all thanks to the folks at East Boston YMCA.

Check back here for more on events throughout the summer!

Constitution Beach Summer Kick Off

Hi everyone! My name is Jennifer Last and I am the Youth Program Coordinator/Lead Teacher at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay this summer. Today I attended the summer kick off event at Constitution Beach. It was great to see all the activity at the waterfront, and so many people of all ages having fun on Boston Harbor.

We had a touch tank filled with critters we gathered from the waters edge. All I had to do was scan the intertidal zone (between high and low tide) and the shore, and we found hermit crabs, green crabs, razor clams, mussels, clams and much more.

You can find lots of interesting sea creatures and observe them right at the water front or in a bucket. Be sure to put them back when you are finished, unless you are going to eat them, or use them for bait!

Save the Harbor / Save the Bay's Boston Harbor Explorers program will be at Piers Park in East Boston every day this summer - and on Constitution Beach as well. Hope to see you at the beach or on the shore!

Thanks East Boston YMCA for hosting the annual summer kick off day at Constitution Beach. It was great!

All Access Boston Harbor 2010

Hi everyone! My name is Caitlin and I’m the new programs and events intern for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. I want to tell you about All Access Boston Harbor, a fun and FREE opportunity for youth organizations to spend a day on the water at one of the Boston Harbor Islands. On every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from July 6 through August 19, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay will be sponsoring day trips to both Georges and Spectacle Islands.

In the past years the kids have had an amazing time!

If you’re interested in touring the historic Fort Warren, exploring underground tunnels, or catching fish, Georges Island is the place for you to go this summer! If kite flying, miles of hiking trails, and lounging on sandy beaches is more your style, you should sign up to come with us on a trip to Spectacle Island! Reservations for the trips are required and space is available on a first come first serve basis, so don’t wait!

http://betterbeaches.blogspot.com/2010/06/more-good-news-for-beaches-of-boston.html

For the third year running Save the Harbor/Save the Bay has given valuable assets to fund events around the Boston beaches area.

At a press conference on the Boston Fish Pier on Saturday, June 12th, the non-profit organization Save the Harbor / Save the Bay awarded $30,500 in grants to 11 groups to support 35 free public events in nine Boston Harbor region beachfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket.

In addition, Save the Harbor announced that in the fall they will introduce the “Best of the Beaches” awards of up to $2,000 to organizations that deliver outstanding events on our region’s public beaches in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull this summer.

This year’s "Better Beaches" events will include beachfront concert series, kite festivals, sand sculpting competitions, beachside art shows, environmental education programs, family fun nights and reading programs, volleyball tournaments and several beach festivals.

The program is made possible by a $25,000 grant from the Boston Foundation, $25,000 of in-kind support from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), and the financial support of Save the Harbor’s corporate partners at National Grid, Comcast Massachusetts, and JetBlue Airways.

"I love our beaches. I love all these groups and Save the Harbor/Save the Bay for making them work even better," said State Representative Kathi-Anne Reinstein who co-chairs Metropolitan Beaches Commission.

“There is so much we can do to make environmental initiatives a priority,” said Ronda Ivy-McLeod, manager of regional marketing for JetBlue Airways. “We are taking action by supporting Save the Harbor / Save the Bay and their local partners, and invite the community to join us. Every one of us, whether an individual or a corporation, one contribution at a time, can do much to help protect our environment and strengthen our communities.”
In addition to the grants, local Friends groups will raise an additional $160,000 in direct and in-kind support for their events and capacity-building initiatives, resulting in a total investment of more than $190,000 in free events and activities on the region’s public beaches.

“From the start of the Boston Harbor Clean-up it was clear that Boston's restored harbor and renewed waterfront would be an economic engine as well as a major community resource,” said Paul S. Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation, an early funder of Save the Harbor / Save the Bay. “That vision has been born out by the success of organizations and business in communities across the region that have drawn thousands of local residents to these clean and accessible public beaches.”

With the Better Beaches program in its third year, Save the Harbor called on local beach groups to submit proposals that strengthen their organizations and allow them to sustain beach programming in the longer term. Groups responded with creative revenue-generating ideas for merchandising kites, T-shirts, totes, and hats as well as developing corporate partnerships, membership drives, raffles, fundraising events, marketing and media strategies.

“All these groups share a love for their beaches,” said Patricia Foley, President of Save the Harbor / Save the Bay. "These great programs would simply not be possible without the hard work and enthusiasm of these Friends groups.”

Save the Harbor / Save the Bay introduced the Better Beaches Small Grants Program in 2008 in response to a key finding of Metropolitan Beaches Commission’s report which called for increased programming on the area beaches. In the program’s first two years Save the Harbor / Save the Bay funded events designed to jumpstart public activities and programming on public beaches. Through 2009, the program leveraged a total of over $180,000 investment in free events and programs on the region's public beach.

Be sure to frequent these events and get the most out of the Boston beaches this summer!

http://betterbeaches.blogspot.com/2010/06/good-news-from-beach-saturday-june-12.html

Good News From the Beach!

At 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, June 12th, at our office on Boston’s Fish Pier, Save the Harbor / Save the Bay will award $30,500 in "Better Beaches" grants to 11 groups to support 35 free public events in nine beachfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket.

This year’s events include beachfront concert series, kite festivals, sand sculpting competitions, beachside art shows, environmental education programs, family fun nights and beach based reading programs, as well as volleyball tournaments and beach festivals.

In addition, Save the Harbor will announce a new initiative, the “Best of the Beaches” awards, with cash prizes of up to $2,000 to be awarded later this year to organizations that deliver outstanding events on our region’s public beaches in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull this summer.

Save the Harbor / Save the Bay's "Better Beaches" program grew out of the recommendations made by the Metropolitan Beaches Commission in their 2007 report “Beaches We Can Be Proud Of.” It is made possible by a generous grant from the Boston Foundation, in-kind support from the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), and the support of Save the Harbor’s corporate partners at National Grid, Comcast, and Jet Blue Airways.

This year local beaches friends groups will invest an additional $160,000 in direct and in-kind support for their events themselves, resulting in a total investment of more than $190,000 in free events and activities on the region’s public beaches in 2010!

We expect Metropolitan Beaches Commission Co-Chairs Senator Jack Hart and Representative Kathi-Anne Reinstein to attend, as well as other commissioners, elected officials and representatives of our foundation, corporate and beach community partners.

For more information about the "Better Beaches" program or Saturday's announcement, contact Save the Harbor / Save the Bay’s Director of Strategy and Communications Bruce Berman directly on his cell at 617-293-6243.

Better Beaches Small Grants

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is thrilled to ring in the beach season with some great news!

We are delighted to announce that we will be awarding a third round of Better Beaches Small Grants to local organizations in beachfront communities and waterfront neighborhoods from Nahant to Nantasket thanks again to the generous support of The Boston Foundation.

We launched "Better Beaches" in 2008, in partnership with the Metropolitan Beaches Commission and the Department of Conservation and Recreation to help jumpstart public activities and free events on our region's public beaches. By all accounts we have done just that, helping groups on nine communities put their beaches to work for all the residents of our region.

Last year, with the support of all of our great partners, Save the Harbor supported 31 free events in 9 communities that brought hundreds of thousands of the region's residents to their public beaches. Among the many notable events and programs we supported in 2009 were concerts and sand castle competitions, family reading nights and neighborhood beach festivals that attracted hundreds of thousands of regional residents to the cleaner waters of Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay.

The 2010 Better Beaches program looks to build on this success by seeking proposals that will support and promote beach programming in 2010, and strengthen local beach groups so that they can survive - and thrive - in the longer term. This year we will look forward to funding creative proposals that include plans that will help sustain beach programs in the long term through media partnerships, advertising or other outreach efforts, the creation of materials such as posters, t-shirts, or other items for resale, or support for other innovative (or tried and true!) fundraising, membership or marketing efforts.

Of course, beyond financial support, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay will also continue to offer technical and operating assistance to empower all beaches groups to better advocate on behalf of their beaches and their programs.

Save the Harbor will hold a Grant Workshop on Monday May 3rd from 5:30-7:30 at our office on Boston Fish Pier, to discuss new ideas with applications. We are accepting requests ranging from $500 to $5,000. Proposals are due Monday, May 10th. Grants will be awarded on Saturday, June 5th at our offices on Boston Fish Pier.

Click here for more information about how to apply.

We are looking forward to another great summer of events and activities on our region's public beaches and hope you are too!

Building on Better Beaches

At Save the Harbor/Save the Bay we love this time of year because people up and down the coast are excited to clean up their beaches and show them off to new visitors – and we get to help.

Thanks to generous contributions from The Boston Foundation, National Grid and Comcast, we anticipate that we will have dozens of fun and free events in every beach community from Nahant to Nantasket, so wherever you call home, there should be an event on a nearby beach.

Our president Patty Foley reflected last spring that “It’s remarkable what people who love their beach and their community can accomplish with just a little bit of help.”

After spending some time working with people who love their beaches, I couldn’t agree more. Most everyone that we work with fell in love with “the beach” (whichever it may have been) early and has given back often.

Especially now that we have heard the ideas for the summer from our friends groups on our Metropolitan Beaches from Nahant to Nantasket, these words resonate once again.

The Better Beaches project – bringing people back to our beaches – is never-ending and sometimes challenging but it can also be a great deal of fun. This year, with a little bit of encouragement, we are hearing from people from all of our beach communities about how they plan to take their beach stewardship to the next level through media partnerships, advertising, outreach, fundraising, merchandising, and membership initiatives.

Together, in 2010, these friends will create and sell thousands of T-shirts and other items, develop an online store, produce a TV ad, and work hard to bake several other fresh ideas into working models for financial sustainability.

Strengthened by these strategies, we are confident our friends groups will put together an impressive slate of events from Constitution Beach’s kickoff Beach Party to Nantasket Beach’s Endless Summer that will give people throughout the region plenty of reasons to stretch their summer season and find new things to love about our beaches.

Aside from fulfilling our goal of bringing more people out to the beaches, this year’s series of events will generate a lot of great images and press, stories – and most importantly – memories.

We really hope you are able to make it out to some of this year’s events and buy some kites, totes and T’s. We will use the Better Beaches Blog and our Boston Harbor FacebookPage to keep you posted about beach happenings and events and the great groups that host them.