Hi my name is Luke!

Hi my name Luke and I am a brand new intern at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay! I have come from the not so far away lands of West Hartford, Connecticut to learn the ways of public policy and clean water from the expert team working at STH/STB. My first lesson here, and probably most important, has been that people are at the core of any good policy. Much of what we do at STH/STB is to listen to the good folks of Boston and find ways to channel their passion for a clean environment through our work into meaningful actions and events. This lesson became clear as I took part in Save the Harbor’s Better Beaches Awards Grants Ceremony on Saturday, June 6 during which 35 organizations were awarded more than $200,000 to host free beach events this summer. These events range from Rock Concerts in Lynn to Quidditch Tournaments on South Boston Beaches. The work done at STH truly starts and ends with these people and communities who want clean beaches and clean water to utilize as a public space. We take Max Havlin’s excitement for flying broomsticks and dragons and give him a clean beach and commonwealth funding to bring his imagination to life for an entire community. Or we take Boston Community Boating Organization’s desire to bring sailing to hundreds of juniors this summer and work tirelessly to ensure the water in the harbor is safe for kids to fall into. Keeping the harbor clean is our goal, but the people of Boston are at core of everything we do.  

I am excited to be part of a dynamic team working for such a selfless and noble cause. Again, listening to what the People of Boston want, I anticipate some of our upcoming projects as interns will focus on ways to permanently rehabilitate Winthrop Beach or a plan to jump start the South Boston Harbor Trail Project. I look forward to working on these problems and making a difference for the people in these communities. Of course if you are a constituent of any community in the Greater Boston Metropolitan Area and you have concerns, questions, or ideas to improve the Boston Harbor or Beaches, please contact us! We welcome your input warmly and will take action on your behalf.

As a new Bostonian, I am overwhelmed by the breadth of happenings in the City - ALL of which I wish to take part in! From open water swimming at Carson Beach, to dancing in Cambridge, to out door movie nights, museums, and concerts, is there a better place to spend summer than Boston? I wouldn’t believe you even if you told me there was. I feel genuinely welcomed by the people here and look forward to an amazing summer.

Keep checking the blog for more updates from my fellow new interns, Kirsten Pfister, Max Pohlnan, and Jessie Thuma (all fantastic people) as well as more information on our current projects. Keep loving your Beaches!

All the best,

Luke

Save the Harbor: The Return

Hello once again everyone,

For those of you that don't already know me, my name is Lucas Crowley, and I'm excited to begin my second summer here with the Save the Harbor crew! I am a 20 year old rising junior at the University of Rhode Island studying marine biology. In the fall of this year I will be participating in the BIOS study abroad program in Bermuda, which I am beyond excited about!!! Along with studying marine biology, I am also a captain of URI's ultimate frisbee team, RIUT, to which I have devoted a lot of time and hard work to. I've made countless friends and connections from this team and it's something I will never regret being a part of. 

Go RIUT

Some of my other hobbies include playing golf, aimlessly driving around my home town of Hanson and the surrounding south shore, and of course, spending time around the ocean. My love for the ocean began early in life with my frequent visits to the New England Aquarium and the various beaches of the south shore. I was always fascinated with the extremely diverse life that resides in the ocean, and as a result I have made it clear that my study of marine biology remains focused on wildlife within the ocean.

I took away so many things from working with Save the Harbor last year. While I myself think that I am slightly shy, those that know me know that I am very approachable and easy to talk to. I make friends very quickly and as result, became extremely close with everyone I worked with last year. This trend has continued into this years orientation week and I am extremely excited to be working with this group of staff members this summer as well as the THOUSANDS of kids we plan on seeing and giving such an amazing opportunity to harness what the Boston Harbor has to offer. 

If I've learned anything from working with the staff at Save the Harbor, it's that they never miss an opportunity to take a hilarious or sometimes slightly embarrassing photo...something just today I unfortunately got to witness first hand...

Just trying to relax after a long day of work

I know it's all fun and games and I'm looking forward to getting some friendly payback this summer, I can't wait to continue blogging and keeping everyone up to date with all the exciting plans we have for this summer. Until next time everyone!

Boston Harbor Explorers Program Registration at Black's Creek!

On Wednesday, June 24^th, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay held open registration for its Boston Harbor Explorers Program at Black’s Creek in Quincy. Save the Harbor's youth program runs closely with the Quincy Department of Recreation's sailing program. 

Amy registering summer explorers

Parents arrived at Pageant Field in the morning to sign their children up for Quincy Rec summer clinics, boating lessons, and Save the Harbor's Boston Harbor Explorers program. To kick off the registration, Amy spoke to the group of parents about what the program is all about and why it’s a great opportunity for their kids. Boston Harbor Explorers at Blacks Creek is a free program that runs Monday through Thursday from 9am to 12pm and is open to kids ages 6 and up. It begins July 6^th, one week after the Black’s Creek Sailing Program begins, and continues through the summer until August 12^th. Save the Harbor staff meet the participants right at the boathouse, at 9am and again at 10:30am, before and after the sailing sessions. Participants are welcome to stay for one or both sessions of the program during the day. 

Taking a break from fishing to build some sand castles

Everyone loved the idea of giving their children a chance to have some hands-on educational experience in environmental and marine exploration. Boston Harbor Explorers spend their day fishing, wading in the water, taking nature walks along the shore and in the woods, and looking for crabs and other critters. In between exploration adventures, Save the Harbor staff members explain the history of Boston Harbor and its cleanup, and describe the marine ecosystem in which Black’s Creek is situated. Underwater cameras and water quality testing kits give kids a chance to see and understand what’s below the water's surface.  Many parents were signing their kids up for a second, third, and even fourth summer with Save the Harbor and couldn’t say enough about how much fun their kids had and how excited they were to spend another summer with us. 

We spend lots of time looking for critters on the beach

For more information about our Boston Harbor Explorers Program, or to register your child for the Boston Harbor Explorers program at Blacks Creek email 

Amy Gaylord at gaylord@savetheharbor.org 

The program runs Monday through Thursday, 9am to noon, from July 6th through August 12th

We hope to see you there! 

Two young explorers excited for the summer

 --Jessie Thuma, Policy/Communication Intern

Campfire, Marshmallows and Pirates at Constitution Beach

On Thursday, June 18th, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay joined the East Boston YMCA and the Department of Conservation and Recreation for the first Constitution Beach Campfire Festival of the summer!  

Giannna Acker roasts her marshmallow

The event brought more than 60 kids and their families to Constitution Beach in East Boston to kickoff the summer by roasting marshmallows around the campfire, dancing and singing, and listening to pirate stories on the beach . Families and friends set up camp chairs and blankets to enjoy the evening and watch the sunset while DCR staff member Enzo Polcaro kept watch over the fire to ensure perfectly roasted marshmallows! 

Storyteller Norah Dooley describes how big her friend Herman the worm was!

Mary Read the Pirate, played by storyteller Norah Dooley, made an appearance and gathered the kids along the shoreline to tell stories of her life as a pirate. She explained what life was like on her pirate ship and taught the kids a very important skill that all seafarers should know- how to tie a knot! 
 Everyone practiced and practiced, and those who were able to tie a proper square knot were rewarded with a foreign coin from Mary's Pirate Booty!

Everyone played freeze dance once they finished eating their marshmallows

It was a fantastic event hosted by the East Boston YMCA and the Department of Conservation and Recreation with the support of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's Better Beaches Program. We are greatly looking forward to the rest of the Campfire Festivals hosted on Thursday nights this summer and fall! 
They will be held at Constitution Beach (Zero Barnes Ave) in East Boston from 5:30PM - 7:30PM on July 16th, August 6th, September 17th, and October 15th. 
We hope to see you there!

For more pictures from the event take a look at the video below!

Campfire at Constitution Beach- June 18, 2015


Stay tuned for a complete calendar of all Better Beaches Program Events happening this summer! 


About Save the Harbor's Better Beaches Program:

On June 6th, 2015 Save the Harbor/Save the Bay awarded more than $200,000 in Better Beaches Program grants to more than 35 different groups in 9 beachfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket to support over 70 free public events this summer.

This year’s Better Beaches Program grants will fund traditional beach events like free concerts and sand sculpting competitions, family fun nights and beach festivals, including a late season beach party hosted by Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. It will also include a Quidditch tournament, story telling with the pirate Mary Read, a coastal illumination and sand painting by noted California coastal artist Andres Amadore. 

Here's the full list of the 2015 Better Beaches Program grant recipients:

For more information about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s Better Beaches Program, see our blog post about the awards ceremony on our blog Sea, Sand & Sky here and be sure to visit our website at www.savetheharbor.org or follow savetheharbor on Facebook and Twitter.

A Spectacular Summer on the Beach

After a very Wicked Winter, it is going to be a Spectacular Summer on Boston Area Beaches

 

On Saturday morning, June 6^th Save the Harbor/Save the Bay awarded more than $200,000 in Better Beaches Program grants to more than 35 different groups in 9 beachfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket to support over 70 different free public events this summer. 

(First row, from left to right) Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Deputy Commissioner Sam Overton, Metropolitan Beaches Commission Co-Chair Rep. RoseLee Vincent, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay Board Chair Joe Newman of National Grid, Save the Harbor President Patty Foley and Spokesman Bruce Berman with representatives of more than 30 groups from 9 communities who received Better Beaches Program grants totaling more than $200,000 today at Boston’s Fish Pier. 

This year’s Better Beaches Program grants will fund traditional beach events like free concerts and sand sculpting competitions, family fun nights and beach festivals, including a late season beach party hosted by Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. It will also include a Quidditch tournament, story telling with the pirate Mary Read, a coastal illumination and sand painting by noted California coastal artist Andres Amadore. To view a comprehensive calendar of all the events happening on the beaches this summer, click here.

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay also announced the expansion of their free Boston Harbor Explorers program at DCR’s Carson Beach in South Boston, which is now one of the cleanest urban beaches in America. The program will be based at the McCormack Bath House on Day Boulevard, and run five days a week for 8 weeks in July and August.

Activities at DCR’s Carson Beach will include including free swimming and kayak lessons and beach soccer clinics, as well as environmental exploration, fishing, and art on the shore. Save the Harbor expects more than 2,000 youth and teens from area youth development and community organizations to take part this year.

“The region’s public beaches are an extraordinary asset to the residents of Boston’s waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket” said Save the Harbor’s spokesman Bruce Berman. “It was a wicked winter. We want to thank the Department of Conservation and Recreation and the Metropolitan Beaches Commission and all our program sponsors and partners for making this a spectacular summer for the more than 1 million people who live just a short ride or drive from the coast.

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay launched the Better Beaches Program with the support of The Boston Foundation in 2008 to help local communities and beaches friends groups create and sustain free events and activities on the region’s public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket, as recommended by the Metropolitan Beaches Commission.

"We were proud to be there at the beginning to help found Save the Harbor/Save the Bay nearly 30 years ago," said Metropolitan Beach Commissioner Paul S. Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation. "And we applaud and support their Better Beaches Program. It activates our beaches and enhances their value to urban families, and provides another incentive for young professionals to settle in Greater Boston."

“At hearings from Nahant to Nantasket we heard repeatedly that modest investments in free events and programs can put these beaches to work for our communities” said Senator Tom McGee of Lynn, Metropolitan Beaches Commission Co-Chair.

“The people of this region love their beaches,” said Commission Co-Chair Rep. RoseLee Vincent of Revere. “Thanks to Save the Harbor/Save the Bay for making this happen.”

Funds to support the Better Beaches Program come from the proceeds of the Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash pledge fundraiser, which was held this year on the first snowy Saturday of spring. Over the past 7 years, Save the Harbor’s community partners in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy, and Hull have leveraged $205,000 in small grants received from Save the Harbor/Save the Bay with $815,722 in cash and in-kind contributions from local government and small businesses for a total investment of $1,020,722 in 214 free events and programs for the region’s residents and visitors alike.

This year, with additional funds from the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay awarded over $200,000 in grants to groups in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.  

"These Better Beaches Program grants offer a tremendous amount of value by financially assisting free, public events that are both enriching and engaging," said DCR Commissioner Carol Sanchez. "By partnering with organizations like Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, DCR continues to seek different ways to make our beaches a fun, unique, and enjoyable experience."

Here's the complete list of 2015 Better Beaches Program Grants.

In addition to the grants given out on Saturday, each group will also given a small bag of marbles to scatter along the shore as a part of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and JetBlue’s summer-long “Simply Marble-ous” Treasure Hunt. If you find a marble on the beach this summer, send a picture along with your contact information to Save the Harbor/Save the Bay to be entered to win a free round-trip flight courtesy of JetBlue.

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay would like to thank the Metropolitan Beaches Commission and the Department of Conservation and Recreation for their support of the Better Beaches Program.

We would also like to thank the more than 600 people participated in this year’s Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash, and all our Better Beaches program, policy and event sponsors, including Harpoon Brewery, JetBlue, The Boston Foundation, Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust, Richard Saltonstall Charitable Foundation, P&G Gillette, Comcast, National Grid, The Department of Conservation & Recreation, BCYF Curley Community Center, Boston Centers for Youth & Families, YMCA of Greater Boston, Food Should Taste Good, Mix 104.1, Sullivans and Russo Marine.

For more information about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s Better Beaches Program, visit their website at www.savetheharbor.org their blog Sea, Sand & Sky at www.blog.savetheharbor.org or follow savetheharbor on Facebook and Twitter. 

The Cleanest Urban Beaches In the Nation

On Memorial Day weekend, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay released two reports on water quality on the Boston Harbor Region’s public beaches with very good news for the beach going public.

The first was Save the Harbor’s 4th annual Beach Water Quality Report Card on the Boston Harbor Region’s public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket that are managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR). 

Click on the image to read the complete story in the Boston Globe

According to the report, “In 2014, water quality on the Boston Harbor Region’s public beaches was very good compared to previous years, with all 15 of the public beaches we studied from Nahant to Nantasket scoring between 87.5% and 100% for an average overall beach safety score of 96%, due in part to unusually low rainfall during the 2014 swimming season.”

The second was Save the Harbor’s 2015 Urban Beach Study, which compared water quality on the South Boston beaches with water quality on iconic urban beaches in New York, Virginia, Florida, California and Hawaii.

The study concludes that “Based on the data for the iconic beaches we examined, from 2012 – 2014 the South Boston Beaches were consistently cleaner than the other iconic American beaches we examined, scoring a perfect 100% in 2014, with a three year overall beach safety average of 99.42%, making them the cleanest urban beaches in America.”

“Having clean beaches in the heart of the city is a great asset, not only to local residents, but to all the ratepayers in our service area,” said Fred Laskey, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

“The Baker-Polito Administration is strongly committed to keeping state assets and waterways clean and beautiful,” said Matthew Beaton, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs. “ I am proud that the Beach Quality Report Card shows that the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s beaches are among the cleanest in the nation, and I applaud the continued efforts of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, MWRA, and others for working collaboratively to ensure that the public can continue to enjoy the Boston Harbor Region’s beaches.”

According to Bruce Berman, Director of Strategy, Communications and Programs for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, “just a few years ago Boston Harbor was a national disgrace, as our waste washed up on the beach and shore from Cape Ann to Cape Cod.”

“Today, thanks to Save the Harbor’s sustained advocacy and important public investments by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, most of the Boston Harbor Region’s beaches are safe for swimming nearly every day, and the beaches of South Boston are the cleanest urban beaches in the nation. Though there is still more work to do, the region’s residents and ratepayers should be very proud of what we have accomplished.”

The Beach Water Quality Report Card is based on an in-depth analysis of thousands of samples taken by the DCR and the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority (MWRA) in 2014. The samples were collected at 34 testing sites on public beaches in 9 communities including Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy, and Hull. It is based on methodology developed by Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s Beaches Science Advisory Committee (BSAC), Co-Chaired by Dr. Judy Pederson of MIT’s Sea Grant Program and Dr. Jim Shine of the Harvard School of Public Health.

Here is a snapshot of the results.

Because rainfall amounts vary significantly from year to year, this table which compares overall beach safety from 2011 through 2014 for the metropolitan region’s public beaches.

In 2015, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay will continue to advocate for additional public investment to help local communities address persistent pollution problems that continue to close Kings Beach in Lynn and Swampscott and Tenean Beach in Dorchester. Save the Harbor will also continue to work with the Metropolitan Beaches Commission, the DCR, MWRA, EPA, DEP, DPH and the Beaches Science Advisory Committee to develop more accurate models to improve flag accuracy. You can download a copy of the report card online at http://www.savetheharbor.org/Content/beachesreportcard/

Urban Beach Study

On June 23, 2011 Save The Harbor/Save the Bay stood with local, state and federal officials and cut the ribbon on the South Boston CSO Tunnel Project. You can find out more about the project at http://www.mwra.com/

At that time, Save the Harbor’s Director of Strategy, Communications and Programs Bruce Berman made this bold claim:  “This project will make the beaches of South Boston the cleanest urban beaches in the country!” You can read the quote in context at http://tinyurl.com/clean-at-last

In 2015, Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay’s policy staff and interns decided to test that claim by comparing water quality on South Boston’s Beaches with 5 iconic American urban beaches: Coney Island Beach in New York, Virginia Beach in Virginia, South Beach in Miami, Florida, Santa Monica Beach in California and Waikiki Beach in Hawaii.

Here is a snapshot of the results:

You can download a copy of the urban beach study online at http://www.savetheharbor.org/Content/urbanbeachstudy/

For more information on Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s 2015 Water Quality Report Card or Save the Harbor’s Urban Beach Study, please contact Bruce Berman on his cell at 617-293-6243 or email bruce@bostonharbor.com

Acknowledgements

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay would like to thank Dr. Jim Shine and Dr. Judy Pederson, Co-Chairs of our Beaches Science Advisory Committee, for their advice and support.

Save the Harbor would also like to thank Kelly Coughlin and David Wu of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Dennis Fitzgerald of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and Vanessa Curran and Michael Celona of the Massachusetts Department of Public Heath for their help with this year’s beach water quality report card, which was directed by Bruce Berman for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and prepared by policy interns Ben Wetherill, Jingwei Zhang, and Yudan Jiang.

The urban beach study was directed by Bruce Berman for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and was produced by Save the Harbor’s 2015 policy intern Vincent Pei with contributions from policy interns Jingwei Zhang, Mehar Kaur and Max Pohlman.

About Save the Harbor / Save the Bay

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is a non-profit public interest harbor advocacy organization. We are made up of thousands of citizens, as well as scientists, and civic, corporate, cultural and community leaders whose mission is to restore and protect Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Bay, and the marine environment and share them with the public for everyone to enjoy.

Find out more at www.savetheharbor.org or on our blog
“Sea, Sand & Sky” at www.blog.savetheharbor.org

Join us on Facebook
www.facebook.com/savetheharbor

Follow us on twitter
@savetheharbor

My First Safari with Save the Harbor

The weekend before I started my internship, everyone went on a safari, but of course I was a day late and a trip short. On the bright side I was promised an invite to all the upcoming safaris!
During their trip they saw Cormorants, let me guess you don’t know what that is? Well, a cormorant or in the Latin term Corvus Marinus aka marine crow or sea raven is a long necked bird with a reptilian appearance. Cormorants are everywhere but usually over looked or hard to find. During my time with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay
I have already seen a few of them around the Harbor. I was sent on my own safari around the bay to find my own in fact! Cormorants eat fish and shellfish that is one reason why they are such a controversial bird, fisherman are never pleased with them. They are amazing swimmers and can dive up to 100 feet for fish. They can also stay underwater for more than a minute while diving.
Cormorants stay in huge groups when nesting and drop their poop on trees and rocks, killing the trees and staining the rocks. Many people don’t like cormorants because they are messy and they happen to take fish the fisherman work hard to catch. Chinese fisherman take advantage and use them to catch fish. Cormorants often stand out with both wings spread not to attract the female but to dry their wings because they lack the water proof coat most water birds already have.

One way they physically display their interest in a female is by using the "wing wave display" to attract her. “Males also perform elaborate courtship dances, including dances in the water where they present the female with nest material (Kirschbaum)”. They are pretty interesting birds who dance and stain rocks with their waste and manage to get fisherman upset. If you want to know more about the Cormorants here are some links.
Description of Cormorant
Fun Facts about Cormorants
Mating

Now go out and find a cormorant!

 Darah

Marine Mammal Safaris a Big Success!

On Saturday, April 18, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay ran three Marine Mammal Safaris on Boston Harbor.  The trips on Mass Bay Lines’ MV Freedom were fun-filled and popular—over 650 people joined us to tour the inner harbor and spot seals on a sunny day.

 The Safari aspect of all three trips was successful—we spotted seals all day long! Kids and families helped to point out seals, and Baywatcher Bruce Berman narrated from the bridge.

One of the many seals spotted swimming in Boston Harbor.

Groups joined in the fun from BCYF Gallivan Community Center in Dorchester, BCYF Blackstone Community Center in the South End, the Charlestown, South Boston, and Dorchester Boys and Girls Clubs, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, Maverick Landing Tenants Association, Franklin Field/Franklin Hill Healthy Boston Coalition, and more.

Brendan, Marianna, Jahnea, Tina, Jahsiah, and Jaliyah from the Dorchester Boys & Girls Club

Mayala, Isabella, and Grace Barr of Chelsea

Karen Lee, John Xu, and Nancy Tsui of Quincy

The sunshine and spring-like temperatures ensured a good time for all.

Stay tuned for more opportunities for youth groups and families to get out on the Harbor for free, fun adventures and educational opportunities!

Save the Harbor's free youth environmental education and family programs are made possible with Leadership Grants from Bay State Cruise Company, Distrigas/GDF SUEZ, The Coca-Cola Foundation, Ludcke Foundation, and the Yawkey Foundation II.

Save the Harbor is grateful for Partnership Grants from Forrest Berkley & Marcie Tyre Berkley, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, The Chiofaro Company, The Fallon Company, Hampshire House Corporation – Cheers for Children, John Hancock Financial Services, Inc., Massachusetts Bay Lines, Massachusetts Port Authority, National Grid Foundation, P&G Gillette, William E & Bertha E. Schrafft Charitable Trust, and the Clinton H. & Wilma T. Shattuck Charitable Trust.

Save the Harbor also appreciates funding support from

Arbella Insurance Group Charitable Foundation, Baystate Federal Savings Charitable Foundation, BCYF Curley Community Center, Blue Hills Bank Foundation, Blue Hills Bank Pavilion, BOMA, Boston Bruins Foundation, Boston Center for Youth and Families, Breckinridge Capital Advisors, Carnival Foundation, Clippership Foundation, Circle Furniture, Community-Suffolk, Inc., Department of Conversation and Recreation, Eastern Bank Charitable Foundation,Paul & Phyllis Fireman Charitable Foundation, Matthew J. & Gilda F. Strazzula Foundation, Goulston & Storrs, HYM Investment Group Inc., Lovett Woodsum Family Foundation, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, National Park Service, Rowan Murphy & Andus Baker, P&G Gillette, Reebok Foundation, Santander Bank Foundation, South Boston Community Development Foundation, Thomas & Lucinda Foley, Red Sox Foundation, Lawrence J. & Anne Rubenstein Foundation, Senior Housing Property Trust, TD Charitable Foundation, YMCA of Greater Boston, and hundreds of individual donors.

We would also like to thank our Better Beaches Program funding partners for their support,  including the more than 500 participants in the 2014 Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash and:

Comcast Massachusetts

Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust

Harpoon Brewery

JetBlue Airways

Mass Bay Credit Union

National Grid

P&G Gillette

Russo Marine

UBER

For more information about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, visit our website at www.savetheharbor.org, join savetheharbor on Facebook or follow @savetheharbor on Twitter

Darah B. Moreira

  Hey everyone, my name is Darah. I am 17 years old and I attend Cardinal Spellman High School as a junior. I am extremely excited to be working with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay as an intern for the week. Coming into this I had no idea what the program was about, but even after getting a quick look at the Programs and reading about Save the Harbor I am really excited for the rest of the week. If I am good at anything it would be having fun, and Save the Harbor has fun but also supplies Bostons residents with better, cleaner, beaches. All this beach talk leads me to another thing, summer! The summer program looks like a blast! I will definitely look into a job for this upcoming summer, and hopefully get a chance to expand my knowledge about the Harbor and its history.
  About me, I spend most of my time playing soccer whether its for my school or club team. I really enjoy summer and traveling. Especially being from Florida and being so used to summer all the time, I value a clean beach. In ways just like the families of the Harbor. I am so excited to finish off the week and learn more about the things I can do to make beaches around me cleaner!
                                                                                                                                        -Darah

Marine Mammal Safaris on April 18th

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay invites you to join us on a Marine Mammal Safari on Saturday April 18, 2015. These trips are FREE for schools, community groups, youth organizations, families, and friends of Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay. Join us as we search for harbor seals and porpoises, sing sea shanties and share stories of the sea on our annual Marine Mammal Safaris narrated by Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s Bay Watcher, Bruce Berman.

                               

These playful harbor seals have been hanging around the Fish Pier all winter!

We are excited to be offering THREE free cruises this year, on April 18th:

First Trip: boards at 9:00am, departs at 9:30, returns by 11:00am

Second Trip: boards at 11:15am, departs at 11:45, returns by 1:15pm

Third Trip: boards at 1:30pm, departs at 2:00, returns by 3:30pm

All three trips depart from and return to the Massachusetts Bay Lines dock at Rowes Wharf (behind the Boston Harbor Hotel).  Find directions at www.massbaylines.com/directions/ 

Reservations are required. The cruises are free but space is limited! To reserve your spot TODAY please contact Amy Gaylord at (617) 451-2860 x1008 or gaylord@savetheharbor.org  
Please specify how many people in your group and which cruise you would like to go on!

Please bring warm clothing, as it may be cool or windy on the water. If you have binoculars, they are helpful to see the seals and porpoises. Snacks and beverages may be purchased aboard the boat, but you are also welcome to bring your own brown bag lunch. 

These trips are designed for groups, families, and children over the age of 5 and under the supervision of a parent or guardian.

For more information please contact Amy Gaylord at Gaylord@savetheharbor.org or (617) 451-2860 x1008.

A very special thanks to all our Youth and Family Program Funders

and Massachusetts Bay Lines for their generous support of this event!