Another Busy Week -- From the Islands to Sandcastle Contests

Hey guys!

This past week was jam-packed -- I was working all over the city, starting at the Harry McDonough Sailing Center in South Boston, moving on to George's Island with All Access, and ending the week on Sunday at the Revere Beach Sandcastle Contest. On my day off, I was lucky enough to go to AquaPalooza for some fun in the sun!

At George's Island, I lead lots of campers into the tunnels in Fort Warren to search for the Lady in Black -- even though I've been in the tunnels plenty of times before, I still get a little scared every time I take a group in there. At the McDonough Center I got to spend some quality time on the docks, looking for fish and crabs.

I was really excited to go to the Revere Beach Sandcastle Contest; every year the sand sculptures are amazing, and this year was even better than last year. My favorite was the lion! Even though it was extremely hot, the Save the Harbor team stayed cool in the shade and interacted with children at our lobster touch tank.




I can't wait to see what this week's going to bring!

~Carolyn

A Day at the Beach

I spent this past Sunday afternoon showing off our touch tank (and working on my tan!) at the Revere Beach sand-sculpting festival. We were lucky to get perfect beach weather for the event and the turnout on Sunday was great!

Lots of kids, parents, and others came by to check out our lobsters and learn more about our Better Beaches and Youth programs.

Since the day was so nice, I convinced my dad to tag along as well. He was a cab driver in Boston back in the 70's, but hadn't been back to Revere Beach in over 25 years. Based on his memories of the beach back then he was a bit hesitant to go. When I met him at the end of the day though, he had nothing but good things to say about the beach and the festival

On our way back home he told me: "I'm shocked at how much this place has changed! I had no idea there was such a nice beach so close to our house, I'm going to come back again!" I thought that pretty well summed up what our beaches programs are all about.

-Paula

Lions and Turtles and Castles, Oh My!

Hello Boston! How was your weekend?

Let me tell you a little bit about ours. This past weekend was one of the most exciting weekends of the summer on our beaches-- Revere Beach Partnership hosted their annual National Sand Sculpting Festival, the largest festival of its kind on the east coast! Every year, the festival attracts hundreds of thousands of residents and visitors to Revere Beach to see the scultors at work and to marvel at their finished works of art. I even rode the T with students from Mexico, Russia, Italy and Turkey (just to name a few) who were here studying English in the mornings and taking day trips around Boston in the afternoons. People were literally coming to Revere from all over the world!

Now, if you've never been to Revere Beach for the Festival, you might not understand how breathtaking and unbelievable these sculptures are. You might be thinking, "Big deal, it's just a bunch of sandcastles, right?"

Wrong:

You see that castle? There are LIGHTS in the windows! They truly outdid themselves this year.

I got to see the sculptors at work, but if you head over to Revere right now, the finished works of sand art are still intact along the beach by the Bandstand. Hurry over before it rains this week! You really won't regret it, and you'll be absolutely floored by the things that Revere's sculptors can do with sand.

I want to say a HUGE congratulations to Ernie Garneau and Revere Beach Partnership for another fantastic event this year. They made some awesome improvements to past years (as if past years needed improvement!), and they went extremely well. Ernie and his team created the "Learning Village" this year, placing all youth-centered activities in one place for the first time. They also created the "Community Village" where all of Revere's small non-profit community groups were group together, giving them a sense of togetherness and a whole lot a foot traffic. These were great additions for the community in Revere, and great ways for the Revere community to share their gifts with such a large local, national, and international audience! We're extremely proud to partner with them and work alongside them to make our Harbor a better place, and a place we can share with so many people each year.

See you on the docks!

Michelle Palermino

Revere Beach Sand Sculpting Competition 2011

Sunday’s hot temperatures didn’t stop thousands from turning out to Revere beach to admire some of the truly beautiful sand sculptures and have some fun swimming, eating, and listening to good music!

Save the Harbor was on location to educate folks and provide a lobster touch-tank. People stopping in for shade were offered a chance to pet or pick up one of the two lobsters.

While some shied away, most eagerly looked at a sea creature, they might otherwise not see so up-close. Our great staff alleviated any fears people had about getting pinched by informing them that lobsters can’t reach behind their backs!

Overall, a very fun day to enjoy some art, food, and the marine environment!

Autri

Aquapalooza 2011!

This Saturday I had the opportunity to go out with Matt, our Vice President, a couple of friends and Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's staffers to Aquapalooza. The event was as fun as its name. At first, as the youngest people on the boat, we were a little hesitant. We had to be on this boat till 6pm - what if it was a disaster? But, quickly we realized what a blast Aquapalooza is. Things started looking up as we docked in Peddock's Island surrounded by other boats and as the band started playing. We couldn't have even anticipated how much fun we would have. First off, it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

It was really hott in that boat with all the dancing and food so we desperately wanted to get into the Harbor. But, we couldn't go swimming without a boat to pick us up. So - we wrote on a paper plate "pick us up" and finally after a long wait we finally got a bite! A group of young boys and girls picked us up and took us to a fellow staffer's boat, Carolyn! We hung out with her for a little before we ventured into the Harbor.

Initially it was freezing and we instantly regretted our decision to jump out into the water.....but quickly as we realized how far we were from our boat, we started swimming. We were tired. We hung on to booeys, we hung on to people's boats, we hung on too each other until we finally made it back to the boat. Of course, there wasn't an easy way to get on and the people working on the boat had to lift us from the water. Banged up and soaking wet, we were finally back on the boat.

Exhausted but happy, we waved at everyone as the boat heading back into Boston As the boat headed back to Boston we waved at the boats and listened to the band play Sweet Carolina, Save a Horse, and the like. We got an amazing view of Boston.

Till next time!

Cassie

Eels! Eels!

This week Community Boating christened two new eel traps. We sailed out to the traps to find 12 eels by the causeway and another 14 by a reedy spot on the southern shore. We brought a bucket of them to the dock and they proved to be quite the spectacle. 20 or so kids came running to see them when an announcement was made over the loud speaker.

In addition to the eels the traps have also caught some sunfish and small mouth bass that provided an up close view of what lives in the river.

This upcoming week is bound to yield more eels. In addition it is Compost week! We will start composting food scraps from lunches and paper towels from the bathrooms. The compost will also provide a great source of worms for fishing! Check back soon for more!

Paul

An Artist on the Island.

Camp Harbor View is a unique place with many adventures to be had. A new discovery by a camper was the pair of yellow binoculars we have to see more close up the harbor surrounding Long Island, where Camp Harbor View is stationed.

Anthony, a young artist, was able to create a wonderful drawing of the Boston skyline from the pier at Camp Harbor View. There are many sights to be seen from Long Island such as Spectacle Island, Deer Island and Logan International Airport ( which consumes the area which used to be home to Governor Island, Noddle Island and Apple Island).

There is a long history with the Boston Harbor, some bad and some good but history none the less. The newest turn of Boston Harbor's history is good. The beaches are clean and swimable and marine life is prospering. The campers at Camp Harbor View are not only able to see the beauty of the Boston Harbor, but also experience the wonderful things it has to offer. Fishing and crabbing are only a few of the many things we have the joy of experiencing. I can't wait to get back out there!

-Sarah

Invasives at Courageous!

This week at Courageous Sailing Center, the Step Green boats learned about invasive species, and more the specifically, those in Boston Harbor.

Many of the young sailors had no idea that the green crabs they caught that week were introduced to North America from Europe in the early 1800s! Similarly, they were unaware that the club tunicates they enjoyed prodding on lobster traps were originally from Japan! On the other hand, the sailors were pleased that their favorite crab, the red rock crab, was a local native.

An interesting discussion opened up about the transportation and introduction of invasive species. The kids at courageous were baffled at the ways critters could be introduced to Boston Harbor: traveling around the world attached to hulls of ships, floating in ballast waters or even being as released pets.

We will be on the lookout at Courageous for the new invaders!

Sea, Sand, and Stripers

Hey all! Wednesday was a very exciting day at the McDonough Center in South Boston: we caught the first catch of the summer! Two of the campers there, Jacob and Dylan, were extremely proud of themselves when they discovered that they caught a pretty good size striper. Right before we put the last rod away, which was being used by Dylan and then passed down to Jacob, Jacob shouted that he caught something and I had to grab him before he fell into the water because of the fish! After the fish put up a decent fight, we brought it onto the dock (which was sinking because of all the spectators) and allowed the two boys to drench themselves in their patience that paid off. Although it may be a while until we catch another fish in South Boston, it added a great air of enthusiasm to the kids for the rest of the week. Today, all the kids were talking about the "ginormous" fish that Jacob and Dylan caught, and a bunch of kids wanted to see if they could catch one even bigger. Along with fish, McDonough was overflowing with crab fishing too. Today it got to a point where we had to put some of the crabs back because we did not have enough room for the amount of crabs being caught every minute! From catching fish to beach exploring to hunting crabs, this was an extremely eventful week for the kids. Right when I arrive to the gates of the sailing center, I am bombarded with eager adventurists who want to examine the beach, or catch crabs, or immediately start fishing, or even just sit down and talk for a while. Although I am notoriously know as the "Quincy Kid" (and David when talking formally) by the campers, I am really starting to enjoy the work I do with Save the Harbor. Thanks for reading!

David Coletti

First Catch of the Season

This summer at Harry McDonough Sailing Center in South Boston has been a ton of fun so far. I cannot believe that we are just a couple weeks into our program when already so much has happened. We have had a lot of success catching all kinds of crabs, from hermit crabs to red rock crabs, as well as other creatures like periwinkles, muscles, and clams. Yesterday seemed to be shaping up to be another great day, even though none of our explorers had catch a fish yet. Little did we know, the harbor explorers we’re in for a exciting surprise.

Just as the staff and I were beginning to wrap up for the day, one of our young anglers, Jacob, felt a sudden and heavy tug on his fishing rod! Conor and David were the first of the staff on the scene, as they managed to assist Jacob reel in his catch. When the fish was almost to the surface, we were able to catch the first glimpse of the large striped bass! Once it was reeled onto the deck, Conor was able to pull the lure safely out of the striper’s mouth. After posing for a few photos, the fish was grateful to be returned to Pleasure Bay. We measured the catch to be 27 inches, just an inch under being big enough to keep. Hopefully, yesterday’s success will be a good sign of things to come.

Tommy

Great Day at Community Boating

Our patience was rewarded today as we discovered that small hooks and hot dogs for bait worked great for catching perch!

In addition, Paul and some of our explorers at Community Boating pulled up about 30 eels in our two eel traps. They were a huge hit with everyone on the dock!

Stay tuned for more details to follow!

-Paula

First Catch at Boston Children's Museum

This morning Timmy Grogan won the honor of catching the first fish of the season (a cunner) at Boston Children's Museum!

More details on this historic catch will follow shortly!

-Paula

A Whirlwind of Fun

I had no idea I was in for such a spectacular week at Blacks Creek. It was absolutely gorgeous out and the area is beautiful. I found a molt of a crab in the marsh area and it was in perfect condition to show everybody. The kids here seemed very interested in how a crab molts and how in the world a crab could possibly pull of his legs out of the shell.

We noticed that there is a crack in the back of the crab’s shell where the crab crawled out backwards. Then we opened up the crab molt to examine what the inside of a crab looked like. It was a learning experience for everyone, including myself.

Also this week, I taught the kids here how to use a guidebook with all of the species of organisms we can find around Boston Harbor. Many approached me with different types of seaweed and asked what it was. Since I didn’t know myself, I reached for the guide book and had the kids help me figure out what it was. We found

rockweed, sea lettuce, and many other types of seaweed. We also looked at different types of crabs and correctly identified a green crab by using the book. I’m very proud of everyone who worked with because they picked up a great skill so well.

While showing a few kids how to look up a crab in the guide book, a sailing instructor from Blacks Creek showed up with a huge blue fish! Everyone huddled around with excitement and admired the size of the fish. Sadly, the fish was on it’s last minutes of life when it was found and couldn’t be revived even after trying to coax it back to life in the water. When declared dead, we carefully wrapped the fish in trash bags and brought it with us to Camp Harborview. When we got to Camp Harborview, I showed the campers there some of the outer anatomy of a fish and pointed out where the lateral line was. Then Scott and I filleted it beautifully and assisted the campers with baiting the hooks. This was definitely my favorite moment this week, and will be a huge highlight for my summer.

Annie

Crab Race!

Everyday at Piers Park the kids catch different kinds of crabs in the crab traps. The two main species of crabs that they catch are Red Rock Crabs and Green Crabs. The kids get so excited whenever they catch a crab and they always want to know whether the crab is male or female. The crabs walk around the touch tank until it's time to pack up the equipment for the day. At this point, the kids excitement goes through the roof because they know it's time for crab races! They line up the crabs close to the edge of the dock and whichever crab goes to the water first wins the race. Lately, the Green Crab has been the fastest crab and usually makes it to the water before any other species of crab. It's so much fun to watch the crabs race and it's definitely a good way for the kids to release them back into their habitat. I can't wait for the next crab race, GO GREEN CRABS!!

-Will Clark

Waiting for a Bite at Community Boating

It's been a tough season so far for many fishermen around Boston, and our Charles River/Boston Harbor Explorers at Community Boating are no exception. While we're still waiting for our first minnows, eels and carp, the past week has provided some great opportunities for kids to come up with and test their own ideas about the best ways to catch a fish.

We've fished off of the shore, docks and boats, used big hooks, little hooks and lures, baited our hooks with fish, bread, and corn, and used various combinations of bobbers and sinkers. Some kids have gotten very creative with this! One boy decided, after attaching a bobber to his line, that he needed a weight to be able to cast it further. Once he attached the weight, it made the bobber sink, so he ended up using two bobbers and a weight, which, according to him, worked perfectly.

In addition to a few promising nibbles we've had some really great experimentation. The kids are excited to keep trying for the first fish and I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve (as well as a container of worms in my fridge!), so hopefully we'll be able to bring in our first fish by the end of the week!

-Paula

Making Winthrop a Better Beach

I'm a big fan of sleeping in on Saturdays. After the first week of youth programming, Saturday really would have been a perfect morning to catch up on some extra sleep, right? We all tend to want to hit the snooze button a few times on weekends (cursing the fact that we had to set an alarm at all), eventually force ourselves to get up, and spend the next few hours trying very, very hard to push the bitter "I could be asleep right now" thoughts out of our heads.

Well, if Saturday morning began that way, it certainly didn't last long. As Tom, Annie, and I pulled up to Winthrop Beach to help the Friends of Belle Isle Marsh and Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo with the morning's beach clean up, I was reminded how great the Winthrop Beach community is and how honored I was to get to spend a morning with them!


We couldn't have asked for better weather for Winthrop's first "Better Beaches" event of the summer. Bill Fuchs and his team from DCR handed out gloves, trash grabbers, rakes, and trash bags while folks caught up with old friends-- and met new Winthrop neighbors and visitors, too! Before we headed down to the sand, Speaker Robert A. DeLeo spoke to the crowd about the importance of preserving such a great resource like Winthrop Beach-- and all of our beaches around the Harbor. The stretch of Winthrop Beach that we were cleaning, he said, was just a small section of our Harbor's beaches; but when conscious citizens care about keeping our beaches clean and accessible to our region's residents, it's all going to add up. And that morning, Winthrop was definitely doing their part.

As the clean up wrapped up, our friends at Winthrop Arts Association hosted their 4th Annual Artists on the Beach event, bringing local artists to the water to paint beautiful Winthrop scenes. When the Friends of Belle Isle Marsh and the Winthrop Arts association first applied for a Better Beaches grant through Save the Harbor, they wanted to push the creativity of traditional kids and family events and incorporate the arts into a innovative new way to bring people to the beach. Thus, Artists on the Beach was born!


It really was a great morning in Winthrop. I always say that we at Save the Harbor get to work with the coolest, most passionate people around the Harbor, and never has that been better exemplified than by the group of people who gave their Saturday morning to improve their beach, be it by trash grabber or paintbrush. Needless to say, I drove away from Winthrop Beach on Saturday morning thinking, "Wow... I could have slept through all of that... and I'm really glad I didn't."

So I hope you will ask yourself next Saturday morning (or any morning!): "What can I do to help my beach today?" It could be picking up some litter along the shore, or it could be as simple as bringing someone new to the water to share our beautiful natural resource with more of Massachusetts's residents and visitors.

I promise you, it'll be worth setting your alarm on a weekend.

See you on the beaches,

Michelle Palermino
Youth Program Coordinator

Harbor Explorers, MIT Scientists!

Many of the thousands of young people that Save the Harbor / Save the Bay’s youth environmental education programs serve each summer haven't had many opportunities to interact with marine science first-hand. But on Boston Harbor’s rocky shores and sailing center docks, they can be heard squealing with delight as they catch a minnow in a dip net or hold a lobster for the first time. By the end of each summer, and often just by the end of one day, they can explain more about the intertidal zone and the anatomy of a crab than the average college student. It’s truly amazing how much our children and teens can learn and retain about marine science when they’re having fun. It's what we strive for here every day!

In Summer 2010, the 9,400 kids and teens in the Boston Harbor Explorers and All Access Boston Harbor youth programs had the unique opportunity to take their exploration of marine science one step further. They didn’t just transform into individual budding scientists, but became crucial components of a network of thousands of “citizen scientists” across the region through a brand new initiative of Save the Harbor’s youth curriculum. Dr. Judith Pederson, a great friend of Save the Harbor and a professor with MIT’s Sea Grant College Program, enlisted the help of our youth program staff and participants to gather scientific data across the Harbor about its marine wildlife, how its water quality changes from day to day, and how its marine environments differ from location to location across our magnificent natural resource.

And this summer, a new year of Harbor Explorers are joining the effort -- and the fun!

The goal of Dr. Pederson and her team's research tasks is to gather data regarding the abundance, density, size, and gender of invasive crabs on Boston Harbor’s shores - specifically Asian Shore crabs. Using predetermined measurements for a sample area, the kids and teens choose a section of shore at random and collected the crabs they found within the limits. Everyone had a blast chasing the crabs as the scurried under rocks to evade capture. After investigating each crab’s species and gender once it was caught, measurements of its carapace, or body, were also determined and recorded. Each new day our explorers got to analyze how their “crab count” results changed based on the weather and the tides. But most of all, they got so excited that their new role as citizen scientists let them get their hands on so many critters in the process.

The benefits of Citizen Science extend even farther beyond recreational and educational benefits for Greater Boston’s youth. Each of our Citizen Scientists gave MIT researchers another pair of eyes and hands to observe and record new data, making it possible for a just a few researchers to collect large amounts of data and study huge stretches of coastline. Additionally, history has proven to us that some of the most interesting discoveries have been made not by scientists, but by regular citizens volunteering to be a part of understanding our world a little better! So our Harbor Explorers are keeping an eye out for new and unfamiliar things too!

Save the Harbor’s thousands of youth this summerare learning an important lesson: you don’t need a lab coat or beakers filled with brightly colored chemicals to be a scientist. All you need is the eagerness to explore and analyze, and, if you’re lucky, the chance to be part of something greater.

Happy Crab Counting!

Michelle Palermino

Citizen Scientist

Deep Sea Rescue

For those who do not know, I have been stationed in Southie for the past week. We are still working on catching fish (it is true that you can sort of count Thi's young sea robin that she caught). Mainly we have been catching various crustaceans with our crab traps. With great success, we have baited them with mussels and pulled up asian shore crabs and a few green crabs. However, tradgedy struck the McDonough Sailing Center when one of the two crab trabs fell into the brackish depths of the sugar bowl. It would appear that the knot on the crab line became undone, resulting in our young campers to pull up simply the line with no trap. The very next day, our other crab trap met a similar fate as a group of girls tried to shake seaweed off the trap. It tumbled into the water as we watched powerless. Now, sans crab trap, we decided that we needed to mount a recovery operation. Three brave girls lead by my intrepid friend Betty decided to swim from the shore to the spot of the suken trap. Despite the girls being strong swimmers, they were unable/unwilling to dive down and get the trap. The water proved to be rather murky, which complicated efforts, and deeper than everyone expected. Tommy and I attempted to direct them from the dock with limited success. Upon the girls suggestion I ran over to a sympathetic camper named Paddy, who volunteered his goggles for the rescue attempt. Still, the girls were unable to get the trap and had to doggie paddle to the steps. Taking matters into my own hands I jumped into the water, blindly feeling around the muddy bottom until my hand clutched the familiar metal. I truimphantly shot to the surface with my prize and we all swam a shore, having a good chuckle about our efforts.

Over and out,

Conor B. Newman

Are we going to Hawaii?

Last week, the Save the Harbor crew took two trips to Spectacle Island. For many of the youth that join us, it is their very first trip to the Harbor Islands. For some, it is a reminder that Boston is actually on the water. One group, the Blue Hills Boys and Girls Club, was particularly surprised. Here is just a little bit of the conversation I had with some of the boys from the group:

Me: "Are you excited to get on a boat today?"

Youth: "We're going on a boat?"

Me: "Yes, to go out to the islands."

Youth: "We're going to islands? Are we going to Hawaii?"

Me: "No, you're going to the Boston Harbor Islands."

Youth: "Woah, there are islands here?"

Me: "Yes, there are."

And not only did he get to see that there truly are islands in Boston Harbor, but he became a seafarer, beach-side archaeologist, and intrepid explorer:

This week, we will go to George's Island, and I am sure we are in for another exciting week of firsts.

Courageous Charlestown's Harbor Seal

At some point, a clever harbor seal made part of the dock of Courageous Sailing Center it's new home... or at least its new sunbathing location.

When we harbor explorers went down to the docks, we saw the strange creature flopping onto the dock to sun itself. From a safe distance, our explorers observed the seal, being careful not to bother it. To our delight, the seal rolled, lifted its tail and made funny faces as it sunned itself happily. Some of our explorers had never seen a seal, and were especially amazed at the sight of this marine mammal.

At last, we bid the seal adieu and returned to our other fun activities further down the dock.

-Sheuli

Courageous Crab Racing

Today the Harbor Explorers at Courageous Sailing Center had a brilliant idea!

After pulling up crab traps, finding LOADS of crabs, and making them a new habitat in buckets and touch tanks, our explorers decided they would allow the crabs to race to freedom once more. And so, the Courageous Crab Races began!

Harbor explorers laughed and giggled as their crabs scurried sideways to the water on either side of the docks!

- Sheuli

Pier's Park Music Day... IN THE RAIN!

The rain didn't stop we Harbor Explorers from having fun at Pier's Park Music Day!

Pier's Park Sailing Center sailors and Harbor Explorers performed songs which they'd been working on all week in the large white tent near the docks. The explorers made an original song to the about their week's activities, and sang it to the tune of the Spongebob Squarepants theme song! What fun they had dressing in silly hats and singing songs about how they fished and crabbed and lived in seaweed!

While watching the other acts, the Harbor explorers learned how to tie sailing knots and made fishing line jewelry with sea creature beads! Everyone was proud of their creations. After the show, the Harbor explorers enjoyed playing games and making sea creature crafts. The rain couldn't stop all the smiling.

-Sheuli

Fun in the Sun at Pier's Park

Week 1 @ Piers Park was a blast for the Harbor Explorers! Since we were afforded such beautiful weather for most of the week, we Harbor Explorers CRABBED, FISHED, and generally EXPLORED to our hearts' content!

On the side of the Pier's Park dock, we found a menagerie of sea creatures! Mussels, Tunicates, Sea Sponges and a variety of seaweeds were found in clusters below the waterline. Some of our explorers had never seen mussels, let alone Golden Star Tunicates, and were eager to learn more about the creatures that had been scooped up in their nets!

With our abundance of Mussels, the Harbor Explorers did a sizing activity, where we sorted the mussels by size (or into age classes). The Explorers thought of the way their parents measured THEIR height changes as they grew older. When the activity was finished, a long line of Mussels bordered the dock, ranging from tall to small. The explorers easily inferred that the smallest mussels were juveniles, and the largest adults. The Harbor Explorers were AMAZED by just how much a mussel could grow in its life cycle!

Some of the same mussels we found were used as bait in our crab traps. And SOOOOOOO many crabs were caught! Invasive Green crabs were found in abundance along with local Red Rock crabs and Jonah crabs. The Harbor explorers were taught how to identify the crabs to species, then determine whether they were male or female. Before long, all of the explorers knew what kind of crab they'd pulled up, before it was out of the trap!

By the end of our days at Pier's Park, all our explorers were thoroughly covered in sea creatures! This week was a blast, and we found so many new creatures.

I wonder what we'll find in our traps and on our lines next week!

-Sheuli

All Access Ruless!!!

Hey kids and fellow staffers, just completed my first week and it went by so fast. I started off at Boston Children's Museum where we had a slow day. On wednesday, I got to be on All Access for only the second time and I got say, it was funtastic!! The kids were amazing and the my fellow staffers are those that anyone would love to work with. By the time Friday came along I was wishing I had an extra day of All Access. Looking forward to an awesome week 2!

~RvP

INTRO

Hello everyone. My name's Aruna and this will be my second summer working at SH/SB. I had a lot of fun my first year and learned so much that I just had to come back for a second year. I just graduated from John D. O'Bryant High and will be attending Wentworth Institute of Technology this fall. Looking forward to a fun filled summer and first year of college!!

~RvP

The Art of Fishing

Watching kids fish at Pier's Park was definitely one of the highlights of my week. Fishing can usually make even the most energetic kids a bit calmer. Despite the fact that nobody caught anything, the kids were enthralled throughout the week. This was particularly evident on the Monday when two of the kids who had been slightly rambunctious during the earlier part of the day were able to fish for hours. Watching the kids fish showed me how exciting it truly was. Although they didn't catch anything, they would continuously convince themselves that they had a bite. Although this seemed childish at first I realized that fishing is all about tricking, whether you are tricking the fish or yourself.

Grant

Adventure to Winthrop Beach!

This weekend, I spent time with Michelle and Tommy at Winthrop beach. This was an event from the Better Beaches Program where several community members joined us for a beach clean up.

After the meet and greet we ventured onto the beach with our awesome garbage grabbers to pick up trash. We found several bottle caps, plastic wrappers, cigarette butts, ropes, and many other types of debris. Some one even found a big plastic lobster lying around! We all walked the length of the beach to where Terns were nesting. It’s around the time they’re eggs are hatching so the Terns were very protective of their territory. After cleaning up the beach we strolled down the street to see the artists who’s art is based off the beach. There were

watercolor paintings as well as acrylic paintings on driftwood and rocks from the beach. They were all very beautiful and captured the character of the beach perfectly.

The community involvement here was really fantastic and it meant a lot to me as an environmental advocate. People of all ages attended this event and were enthusiastic about the work we did. Seeing kids at this event is awesome because it says that young minds are interested in taking care of the environment and are aware of current issues. This energizes me to want to do more for the environment and can’t wait until next week where I will be attending my next event from the Better Beaches Program.

Annie Adams

First Week at Piers Park

Piers Park this week was incredibly fun and exciting. At the beginning of the week, many of the kids didn’tknow how to fish, but they learned very quickly. By Thursday, most everyone was able to cast a line and reel in the hook like a pro. Though we haven’t caught any fish, every one of us remains hopeful that we will catch something soon. We also had many talks about the wildlife around the bay. All are able toidentify several different types of crabs as well as being able to tell the difference between male and female crabs. We caught Red Rock Crabs, Green Crabs, and Jonas Crabs, with the crab traps that everyone learned how to use this week. We also looked at different kinds of tunicates and sponges. All of these creatures are a part of a habitat the kids learned about called, the intertidal zone. Friday, we applied our knowledge in a song that we performed for all of the Piers Park programs to the tune of the “Spongebob Squarepants” theme song. They all performed very well and looked great fun costumes that we got to wear. Though it was raining on Friday, everyone still managed to have a ton of fun with activities like making jewelry and playing basketball. It was a great week and I look forward to working here again this summer.

Annie Adams

Crab Extravaganza

Happy weekend harbor explorers!

I hope everyone's been enjoying the great weather by spending some quality time at the beach. On Friday the rain and clouds made for a chilly start to the morning at the Children's Museum, but that didn't stop eager kids from learning about crabs at our touch tank!

We caught a lot of crabs: Green crabs (which aren't always green) and Spider crabs (which always look like spiders). I was so impressed by all the children that couldn't wait to touch and hold the sea critters. Almost all of these explorers-in-training asked what we do with the crabs at the end of the day, and were very relieved when I told them to everything we catch is released back into Fort Point Channel. These kids have such big hearts; they all care about getting the crabs back to their crab homes!

Until next time,

~Carolyn