Pop-In to Save the Harbor's Boston Harbor Pop-Up Near North Station

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is pleased to announce the opening of its new interactive Boston Harbor Pop-Up Museum at 226 Causeway Street across from North Station in Boston.

All the joys of Boston Harbor... in the North End! (Left to right) SHSB staff and interns- Emily Bozadjian, Tanika Tucker, Anil Gurcan, Chris Mancini, Jules Stuber, Kate Oetheimer, and Amy Gaylord.

At the Boston Harbor Pop-Up, kids of all ages can explore the harbor, create designs in the sand, and color murals featuring Boston’s sports teams and images from Boston Harbor. They can also learn and share stories and songs of the sea from Boston’s nautical past, and even pose for a picture with a big striped bass with Boston Harbor in the background.

SHSB staff and interns enjoying the scenic harborside at the Pop Up. Selfie with a striped bass, anyone? (Left to right) Jules Stuber, Kate Oetheimer, Chris Mancini, Amy Gaylord, Anil Gurcan, Emily Bozadjian, and Tanika Tucker.

“Last year Save the Harbor ’shared the harbor’ with more than 30,000 kids from more than 100 organizations from 40 communities on the region’s public beaches and in the Boston Harbor Islands,” said Bruce Berman, Director of Strategy and Communications for Save the Harbor who curated the exhibition. “This Boston Harbor Pop-Up brings the beach and the islands into the heart of the city, for everyone to enjoy.”

The interactive exhibits include works by Save the Harbor’s Artists in Residence Olga Karayakina and Guillermo Erice as well as intertidal artist Andres Amador. It also includes fish prints, photographs, videos and other works created by Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s Youth Environmental Education program staff.

The Pop Up will be decorated with artwork from Olga Karayakina, Guillermo Erice, Andres Amador, SHSB staff... and YOU! (Left to right)- Anil Gurcan, Amy Gaylord, Jules Stuber, Tanika Tucker, Kate Oetheimer, Chris Mancini, and Emily Bozadjian.

“It’s a great place for kids of all ages to explore Boston Harbor” said Save the Harbor’s President Patty Foley. “We would like to thank our partners at Invesco Real Estate, C.B. Richard Ellis – New England, and Colliers International for their creativity, energy and enthusiastic support.”

Making the harbor accessible for everyone to enjoy! (Left to right) Amy Gaylord, Chris Mancini, Anil Gurcan, Jules Stuber, Tanika Tucker, Kate Oetheimer, Emily Bozadjian.

“Save the Harbor does tremendous work to educate children and adults about the positive impact that a clean harbor has for residents and businesses in the greater Boston area.  We are delighted that our property, 226 Causeway is the first location to host this exhibit to promote their important work” said John Kiernan, Director – Asset Management at Invesco Real Estate, a global real estate investment manager.

Our friends from CBRE New England enjoying a day at the harbor! (Left to right) Chris Mancini, Lucia Caradonio, Kayla Hammersley, Tanika Tucker, and Kara Modliszewski.

The Boston Harbor Pop-Up is open Monday through Saturday from 10AM to 4PM and on Sunday from 12PM to 4PM. It is located at 226 Causeway Street in Boston, just across from North Station.

Express your artistic creativity, enjoy the wonders of the harborside, and don't forget to take a selfie with the giant striped bass before you leave!

For more information about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay or the Boston Harbor Pop-Up, call 617-451-2860 or email info@savetheharbor.org

Unable, Unwilling, or Simply "Too Smart to Splash" on March 11th?

Though the water temperature in Boston Harbor is already a balmy 40 degrees, we have recently discovered that there are some people who would really rather not join us for a quick dip in Boston Harbor at the Harpoon Shamrock Splash on March 11th.

If you are unable, unwilling, or simply "too smart to splash" yourself this year, we hope that you will take a minute to make a contribution today at https://tinyurl.com/teamsavetheharbor to support Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's team as we splash to raise funds for free beach events and youth programs in 2018.

To sweeten the deal, anyone who makes a contribution of any amount to our team or any other participant will have a chance to win round trip flights from our partners at JetBlue!

We know that your heart will be with us as we hit the water. We hope that we can count on you to make a small contribution today at https://tinyurl.com/teamsavetheharbor to help make 2018 another great year on our region's public beaches, and thanks for your support!

Though you will be warm and dry while we are wet and cold, we know you love your beach and that you support the work we do to restore, protect and share Boston Harbor with all Bostonians and the region's residents from Nahant to Nantasket.

Thanks for your support!
Team Save the Harbor


P.S. If you can't (or won't) splash but want to join us on the beach for a refreshing Harpoon beer and a great beach party, you can register as a chicken at http://shamrocksplash.org/CompleteRegistration.asp

Watch our short video from last year's Splash

Register or donate today at www.shamrocksplash.org

For more information about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, visit our website at www.savetheharbor.org

For more information about the Harpoon Shamrock Splash, check out this post on our blog, Sea, Sand & Sky or follow savetheharbor on Facebook, Instagram and twitter #harpoonshamrocksplash

February Break with Boston Harbor Explorers at Atlantic Wharf

On Thursday, February 22, Atlantic Wharf and Boston Properties hosted Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's Boston Harbor Explorers' program for February Vacation Week Programming. Save the Harbor staff, youth and interns were joined by 30 kids from South Boston Neighborhood House for a morning of sea chanteys, art projects, stories, and of course an up close encounter with Louise the Lobster at the touch tank!

Tony the Pirate telling the South Boston Neighborhood House kids the story of "Little Eyes" the magic crab.

The day began with Tony the Pirate detailing the origins of crabs, jaguars, and vultures and teaching the kids how to sign different animals in sign language. After Tony's stories, the kids learned and sang the official Save the Harbor sea chantey, "Haul Away Joe", a reminder that that when we all pull in the same direction we can get almost anything done, whether its raising the sail of a tall ship or cleaning up Boston Harbor!

An enthusiastic rendition of Haul Away Joe

Once the kids were inspired and excited from singing together, they broke off into groups to learn more about the harborside. Each group took turns at different Boston Harbor- themed stations. The first station was fish printing, where the South Boston Neighborhood kids channeled their inner artist by making gyotaku fish prints with scup and mackerel.

Artists in the making

At the touch tank, kids had a chance to meet Louise the Lobster and a Bert the Rock Crab. The kids were delighted to learn about crabs' regenerative limbs and how to determine if a lobster is a female or a male. The kids also learned about the anatomy of the crustaceans, their diet, and their role in the ecosystem of Boston Harbor.

Lobsters, crabs, and humans-- oh my!

They even got to draw themselves as pirates, inspired by Tony's tales and Save the Harbor's "All Hands On Deck" broadsheet, which tells the stories of diverse young mariners and seafaring women.

The masterpieces-- these kids make for some scary pirates!

Looks like Tony's been overthrown...

And of course the day wouldn't be complete without the delicious lunch from Boloco, courtesy of Atlantic Wharf!

A successful day with South Boston Neighborhood House at Atlantic Wharf.

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is grateful for our amazing partners at Atlantic Wharf for continuing our great tradition of excellent vacation and summer programming at their outstanding location on the Fort Point Channel.

Thanks also to James Hook & Co. for lending us Louise and Bert for the morning!

For more information on our Youth Programs and other similar events, visit savetheharbor.org and check out our blog - blog.savetheharbor.org.

A touch of summer

Welcome, to the grand opening of the Boston Harbor Pop-Up Museum!!!

   Meeting up with old friends to work on this museum has been the true highlight of my year. It made me realize how much I miss Save the Harbor. It was definitely an experience considering it was my first time fish printing! So what do I think of it you ask? Well, other than the smell it’s really cool to put ink on a fish and press the paper on it to see the details of the fish's scales. We used mackerel and a flounder. My favorite was the mackerel. Qualid and I decorated the poles with dozens of fish prints. 

   We then moved on to the mini sand raking which by the way had these beautiful designs. We used tiny rakes and tools to make designs in the sand boxes just like we did over the summer.

It was so fun to help get this space ready for visitors!

   Today I helped few members of the Save the Harbor/Save the Bay staff helped decorate this new public space for visitors like you to attend. Fish printing, painting, mini sand raking and much more was talking place. We enjoyed the gallery walk of some pictures taken during the summer. Come out and enjoy !

Jennifer Rosa 

New Intern – Emily Hammett

Hi everyone! My name is Emily Hammett and I am so excited to be the new operations intern for Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. I am currently finishing up my senior year at Boston University as a Health Science major focusing on environmental and public health.

Growing up on Martha’s Vineyard had a huge influence on my interest in the ocean. Moving to Boston only further expanded this interest in harbors and beaches to those in Massachusetts and all around the world. For the past 21 years, I have spent all of my summers on and around the water; from working as a lifeguard for public and private beaches and as a dock hand for the Oak Bluffs Marina, to just leisurely boating, fishing, swimming, and enjoying the great outdoors. My background living and working on the water, and my eagerness to learn more is what led me to finding Save the Harbor/Save the Bay.

I am so glad to have the opportunity to learn more about nonprofits as they contribute to the improvement of our environment here in Boston. As I begin my internship here, I’m hoping to apply my knowledge about community health and wellness in a way that will enhance the health of the residents of Boston and the city as a whole.

2018 Harpoon Shamrock Splash

  Register today at www.shamrocksplash.org

The 7^th annual Harpoon Shamrock Splash to benefit Save the Harbor/Save the Bay will be held on Sunday, March 11, 2018, at the BCYF Curley Community Center at M Street Beach in South Boston. With your help this year we will raise more than $50,000 to support free beach events and programs on the region’s public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket!

Follow this link to find out more about the free Better Beaches programs and events we supported in 2017.

For just $25, you can enjoy refreshing Harpoon beer, tasty treats, a terrific beach party and the warm feeling you get when you give back to your community. You will also have a chance to win round trip flights from JetBlue, terrific swag from Harpoon and other great prizes for best costume and biggest fundraiser.

 Register today at www.shamrocksplash.org

The Harpoon Shamrock Splash to benefit Save the Harbor/Save the Bay began in 2011 in partnership with Harpoon Brewery and JetBlue as a fundraiser for beach lovers to plunge into cold water and raise money for their beaches.

In 2017, the Harpoon Shamrock Splash raised more than $55,000 to support nearly 100 free concerts, beach festivals, sand raking competitions, and circus performances in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.

So help us crush last year's record and raise $60,000 to support free events and programs on the region's public beaches this year.

Register online before the event at www.shamrocksplash.org for just $20, or register on the day of for $25. Registration includes a beer, a burger, a Harpoon Koozie, and the chance to win round-trip flights on JetBlue for best costume and biggest fundraiser.*

Start a team, invite your friends to join you, and help us make a big splash on the beach in 2018.

Thanks to our event sponsors at Harpoon Brewery, JetBlue, Mix 104.1, B. Good, L.L. Bean and the Blue Sky Collaborative, and to our Better Beaches Program Funding Partners at The Boston Foundation, The Harold Whitworth Pierce Charitable Trust, the Richard Saltonstall Foundation, National Grid and Comcast.

Thanks as well to the Massachusetts Legislature,  the Baker-Polito Administration and the Metropolitan Beaches Commission for their support for our beaches, and to our partners at the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Boston Centers for Youth and Families and the Greater Boston YMCA for their support.

So register today at www.shamrocksplash.org. Sure, you will be cold for a few minutes but the warm feeling you will get from taking part in this great event will last all year long.

We can’t wait to see you  on the beach on March 11th.

About Save the Harbor/Save the Bay
As the region’s leading voice for clean water and continued public investment in Boston Harbor, the region's public beaches, and the Boston Harbor Islands, Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s mission is to restore and protect Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Bay and the marine environment and share them with the public for everyone to enjoy.

For more information about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay and the work we do, please visit our website at www.savehtheharbor.org, our blog “Sea, Sand & Sky” at blog.savetheharbor.org, or follow savetheharbor on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

*Although the fun is unlimited, some restrictions apply. See the event site for details.

We're Hiring! Youth Program Staff: Senior Harbor Educator

2018 Youth Environmental Education Programs

Do you have experience teaching, coaching, and mentoring youth and teens? Do you have a background or strong interest in marine science, environmental studies, fishing, history, art, music, sports, or education? Would you like to spend your summer on the water, sharing Boston Harbor with Boston's youth and teens as part of a fun, dedicated, and talented staff? Then we have the perfect summer job for you.

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.

Opportunity:

If you love the water and working with young people, this is a unique and challenging opportunity to have fun while making a difference in the lives of thousands of youth from around the City of Boston. Come spend a summer outside on the shores and docks of Boston Harbor— educating youth and teens, spreading your love of the water and the environment, and sharing your outgoing personality with the youth of the Greater Boston region!

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay runs two hands-on environmental education programs on Boston Harbor that served 31,451 youth in 2017—at no cost to the participants. We work in partnership with Boston's youth sailing and recreation centers, as well as Camp Harbor View on Long Island and The Boston Children's Museum, to educate their summer staff and young participants about the urban marine environment. We also run a series of educational boat trips to the Boston Harbor Islands where youth participants can take part in hands-on recreational and educational activities on Georges Island or Spectacle Island.

Senior Harbor Educators (SHEs) are responsible for implementing engaging, active, and hands-on lessons from our Boston Harbor Curriculum featuring fishing, lobstering, crabbing, water quality tests, and guided shoreline walks. SHEs also lead art on the shore projects, storytelling by the sea, and other enrichment activities at youth program sites, and at occasional evening and weekend beach events. SHEs may also lead healthy outdoor activities such as beach soccer, kickball, volleyball, and more. SHEs work with a team of one college-age Lead Harbor Explorer (LHE) and several high school age Junior Program Assistants (JPAs). Senior Harbor Educators supervise and mentor LHEs, who in turn assist the SHE in leading programs and supervising and mentoring the JPAs, helping to ensure their success in all job tasks including biweekly blog posts completed by all members of the summer program staff.

Program participants range in age from 7-17, and come from every neighborhood in Boston with a strong emphasis on low-income communities and underserved youth.

Employment:

Full time seasonal: Last week of June through end of August (Specific dates TBA). This is a paid seasonal position without benefits.

Responsibilities:

• Read and learn our STEAM and Humanities based Boston Harbor Curriculum to implement it with confidence and creativity 
• Lead daily programs on the water, the beaches, and the piers and docks of Boston Harbor
• Educate youth about the ecology of Boston Harbor, and inspire a sense of Harbor stewardship
• Supervise and mentor high school age Junior Program Assistants and college-age Lead Harbor Explorers 
• Work with Program Assistants to ensure their successful completion of biweekly blog posts
• Lead programming at occasional after-work or weekend beach events

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• Experience working with children, preferably in a school, summer camp, or coaching environment
• Outgoing, enthusiastic, comfortable speaking in public, and confident in leadership roles
• Flexible, creative, spontaneous, and able to work independently and as part of a team
• Comfortable around water and getting your hands dirty (baiting fishing hooks, handling marine life, and hands-on exploration of the Harbor environment are regular activities)
• Background and interest in marine biology, environmental science, maritime history, or related field preferred
• Experience mentoring youth and teens preferred
• Interest in art/music or sports a plus
• Experience with and interest in fishing a plus
• Interest in and experience with storytelling and/or the performing arts a plus
• Bilingual skills a plus
• ELL/ESL teaching experience a plus

To apply, please send cover letter and resume to Amy Gaylord at gaylord@savetheharbor.org.

Youth Programs Coordinator

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is a dynamic non-profit working to restore and protect Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Bay and the marine environment and share them with the public for everyone to enjoy. With offices on the Boston Fish Pier overlooking Boston Harbor, Save the Harbor is the region’s leading voice for clean water and continued public investment in Boston Harbor, the region's public beaches, and the Boston Harbor Islands. 

Save the Harbor is seeking a Youth Programs Coordinator to join our hard-working 7-member team to coordinate our youth and family programs and expand outreach to help us “Share the Harbor” with underserved youth and families from across the City of Boston and around the region.

Our free youth and family programs have made Save the Harbor the Boston Harbor Connection for youth and families in Lynn, Nahant, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull, helping to create a generation of Boston Harbor stewards who truly understand the value of our spectacular urban natural resources to them and their communities.

Position Summary

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is looking for a Youth Programs Coordinator with strong leadership skills and experience in education and community building to lead and coordinate our Youth Environmental Education Programs. The Youth Program Coordinator will work directly with our Vice President of Operations and Programs and Lead Teacher to:

·         Recruit, schedule and assist in the management of our 34-person summer program staff, including 6 Senior Harbor Educator, 5 college-age Lead Harbor Explorers, 20 high school Junior Program Assistants, and program consultants including our Harbor Historian and Artist in Residence.

·         Assist with the mentorship of 20 high school Junior Program Assistants.

·         Work with 120 youth development and community organizations to recruit for and coordinate our free summer Youth Environmental Education Programs, including 28 free All Access Boston Harbor cruises to the Boston Harbor Islands, and our Boston Harbor Explorers program which runs at 12 program sites including the region’s youth sailing centers, The Boston Children’s Museum, and Camp Harbor View.

·         Connect with new partners to expand the reach of our free programs throughout the region.

·         Play an important role in the development of enrichment and training opportunities for our summer staff as part of our Youth Jobs and Leadership Development Program.

·         Assist Communication and other Program staff to create program materials, newsletter articles, press releases and blog posts.

·         Develop new program and event opportunities, expand our curriculum, and develop our Boston Harbor Explorer’s Guide

·         Continually evaluate and improve our programs.

·         The Youth Programs Coordinator is a member of our core staff, and will also take on additional responsibilities and collaborate with other staff on events and projects such as our annual fundraising events the Shamrock Splash and Destination Boston Harbor, program events like the annual Beach Bash and Splash in South Boston as well as free weekend harbor cruises, volunteer service days and other essential organizational operations.

Desired Qualifications:

Our ideal candidate will have great enthusiasm for teaching, youth development and mentorship, and a passion for sharing the natural and marine environment with students of all ages – particularly teenagers. Candidate should be able to demonstrate 1-2 years’ experience with youth programs, team management, teaching or coaching, and coordinating a young and diverse staff. Our programs focus heavily on environmental and outdoor education, so background or experience with sailing, swimming, fishing, lobstering, beachcombing, marine science, environmental studies or other outdoor activities is a plus. Because of the nature of our programs ideal candidates should be comfortable on, in and around the water, as well as getting your hands dirty teaching youth and teens to explore the marine environment, catch fish, crabs and other critters. A positive, outgoing, enthusiastic attitude, along with flexibility, creativity, spontaneity and the ability to take a strong leadership position, will serve this position extremely well. Ultimately, our goal is to share our mission, passion and enthusiasm for our work and the Harbor with the kids and communities we serve.

About Save the Harbor/Save the Bay

Save the Harbor is an ambitious organization that has enjoyed tremendous success and earned the regard and friendship of a broad based constituency. Since 1986 we have been the region’s leading voice for clean water and the completion of the $5 billion Boston Harbor Clean-Up, which has transformed Boston Harbor from one of the dirtiest harbors in the nation into a source of educational, recreational and economic opportunity for all Bostonians and the region’s residents.

Though clean water and environmental advocacy remain at the core of our mission, since 2001 Save the Harbor/Save the Bay has increasingly focused our attention on finding new ways to connect the nearly one million residents who live within half an hour of the coast, with the harbor, the beaches, and the islands. Today, Save the Harbor:

·         Convenes and leads our Beaches Science Advisory Committee, which led the effort to transform the South Boston beaches into the cleanest urban beaches in America and is working to improve water quality at King’s Beach in Lynn and Swampscott and Tenean Beach in Dorchester.

·         Leads and manages the Metropolitan Beaches Commission for the Massachusetts Legislature, charged with improving the Boston Harbor Region’s public beaches from Nahant on the North Shore to Nantasket on the South Shore.

·         Strengthens Boston’s waterfront neighborhoods and the region’s beachfront communities by hosting and sponsoring 484 free Better Beaches events and programs on the region’s public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket since 2008.

·         Is the Boston Harbor Connection for the region’s underserved and low-income youth and their families, with free Youth Environmental Education Programs that have introduced more than 190,000 underserved and low-income young people to the spectacular harbor we have worked so hard to restore and protect since we began them in 2002.

Salary and Benefits

Salary is commensurate with experience, and includes 100% employer paid health and dental insurance, plus 401K and generous vacation time. Save the Harbor is ideally located overlooking Boston Harbor on the Fish Pier, and our 7-person staff cultivates a collaborative, fun, but hard-working office environment with a focus on open-communication and enthusiasm for our mission.

To apply for this position, please email your resume and a cover letter to hr@savetheharbor.org by March 16th, 2018.

For more information about the organization, visit our website at www.savetheharbor.org.

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any classification protected by federal, state, or local law.

New Intern: Emily Bozadjian

Hi!

I hope everyone is having a lovely day. My name is Emily Bozadjian and I’m from Medfield, MA—a small town about 45 minutes southwest of Boston. After graduating high school in 2016, I left New England to attend college in North Carolina. However, I find myself back in the 617 as I apply for fall admission at new schools. As a communications major, the communications internship at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay came at the perfect time, and I look forward to spending the next few months at this organization!

I have always had a passion for our planet—whether it was picking up trash during recess in the second grade or experimenting with some more sustainable diets throughout high school and college, the environment has always been on the forefront of my mind. My passion further blossomed this past summer when I volunteered with the World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) organization. For a week I farmed in upstate New York, gaining a deeper appreciation for sustainability, organic practices, and food—what an incredible learning experience!

I knew I wanted to find an internship that reflected my personal commitment to the Earth, and when I found Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, I was ecstatic. Having a communications internship at a nonprofit is a fantastic opportunity to explore and learn more about an aspect of our environment that I have been surrounded by my whole life but do not know a lot about: the ocean. I am eager to dive in!

To understand a little more about what the harbor and bay mean to me, I’d like to share a few moments the ocean and I have shared over the years:

-Avalon, NJ: At age 4, washed out to sea 

-Wingaersheek Beach, Gloucester, MA: At another young age, my sister sticking live sand dollars to my body (against my will)

-Any beach at any age: The same sister picking up dead crabs from the sand and chasing after me with them

-St. John, U.S. Virgin Island: Running into the ocean as an eager fifth grader only to find myself, as I dove underwater, face to face with a stingray 

-Nantucket, MA: Not understanding just how large Nantucket waves are and choosing to stay above water instead of swimming underwater while said waves passed by...it’s safe to say I learned my lesson

-Orleans, MA: At age 17, falling into the water while tubing and losing both my bathing suit and my dignity

In all seriousness, the ocean is my childhood, a dynamic body, and peace of mind. It is such a privilege to intern at an organization committed to saving, celebrating, and protecting it. Looking forward to this journey!

New Intern - Kayla Hammersley

Hello Everyone!!

My name is Kayla Hammersley and I am the new Policy intern here at Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay. Being from Rhode Island means that Del’s is a summer “must have”, that the Big Blue Bug is not only a mascot for a pest control company but for the state itself, that everyone literally knows everyone, and that we always have a wicked good time. Another thing that all Rhode Islanders understand is that the beach is the hottest spot to be on any given day. Being from the Ocean State has influenced myself in many different ways and has furthered my love for all things “beach”.

Oakland Beach RI

I currently educate myself at Lasell College with a major in Environmental Studies supplemented with a minor in Business. Most people say don’t mix business with pleasure but I couldn’t resist myself when I first came onto the Lasell Campus. Not only did I immerse myself in my major but I did so also in the culture of the campus as well. From welcoming freshmen onto campus as a peer mentor/advisor and being the President of Random Acts of Kindness Club, I have dipped my toes into various activities that were offered my way. I even dabbled with Lasell Environmental Action Force (LEAF) club collecting water samples and implementing water bottle filling stations on campus as well as enjoying the great outdoors with the Outdoor Adventure Club.

Now I was excited to start applying what I learned in the classroom to an actual organization, so when I found the internship with Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to work with a group of like minded individuals helping to make a difference and helping protect the ocean we all love. This is also a great opportunity to use the materials taught in my classes and expanding my understanding of how those lessons are applied in organizations. I am so excited to have the opportunity to use the culmination of my studies at school during my last semester to provide support to an organization like Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. 

New Intern-- Tanika Tucker

       Hi everybody! Not only am I looking forward to working with all of you, but super pumped for the great sunset pics. Partly kidding, but who isn’t a sucker for a great view?

I could start this off by telling you all my basic information, but I figured why not start off with an embarrassing, but memorable, story about a summer at the beach. I figured we can always laugh at somebody’s embarrassing childhood memories. My love for the ocean, and the beach started at a young age. Luckily, I have family in Virginia, so majority of my summers have been spent at Virginia Beach.

One day, 10/11-year-old me decided that man it would be a great day to feed some seagulls from our balcony. So, I did thinking I was doing a good deed, and well you know that scene from the first Jurassic Park II: The Lost World, where the little girl feeds the baby dinosaurs pieces of her sandwich? That turned out to become a reality for me, as seagulls started to swarm, and the best part was I locked myself out. Still traumatized by the experience, but makes for a great story.

Flash forward to today, I am a Communication/Public Relations intern here, of course I learned my lesson, and no longer fed seagulls. I moved to Boston about three years ago, from Saratoga, NY, and if you talk to anybody from NY we typically don’t tend to leave but I had enough of the horse races, cliff jumping, and just the dullness of NY. I am currently studying at Suffolk University, and will be graduating in the fall of 2018 (yayy). Freshman year I joined a sorority on campus called Theta Phi Alpha, and over the past almost four years my sorority sisters have helped make Boston my home. Plus I needed  change, since I grew up with three older brothers, and am the only girl.

 I first heard about Save the Harbor, Save the Bay when I started working at Community Boating Inc in the spring of 2016.  Besides learning how to sail, learning 17 sailing knots (...impressive I know) CBI has helped me realize my passion for nonprofits, especially those that I feel I can connect with, and are actively involved in my community. Over the past few years, I have been able to get a lot of hands on experience with event planning/event coordinating, as well as more on the marketing, graphic design, and media planning side. My hope is to expand on those skills, as well as use them here as well!

       

 Cheers, and look forward to working with all of you for the next few months!

New Intern Anil Gurcan

My name is Anil Gurcan, and I was born in Ankara, the capital of Turkey. Ankara is inland city surrounded by mountains with no body of water.  Coming from an inland city with no access to water I have always been drawn to cities with waterfronts. Growing up I spent my summers in Izmir, a coastal city on the west coast of Turkey, where I learned to appreciate the harbor and having a body of water nearby. It is in Izmir, getting on to ferries to cross the harbor, hanging out in parks with the smell of the sea that I grew to like being near the water. That is why I fell in love with Boston when I first arrived 22 years ago. Being near the water is good but having it clean and accessible is very important. I feel that in Boston we don’t always think about the harbor. While the Charles River is always prominent, Boston Harbor seems to get lost in the sea of buildings in downtown. Even when I went to UMass Boston as an undergraduate, I rarely remember seeing the ocean.

I learned a great deal about cleanup efforts of rivers in various American cities by working in collaboration with Charles River Conservancy (CRC) during the Spring 2017 semester. As a part of a class project, we created a report highlighting six urban river initiatives in the United States. During the process, I also learned about the history of Charles River and how it used to have public beaches in the 1930s. Through the efforts of many organizations like the Charles River Conservancy, the old dirty water is swimmable again and is the cleanest urban river in the United States.

Non-profits like CRC and Save the Harbor/Save the Bay play an important role by being advocates for a clean water and clean environment. By being an intern at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay I would like further my education on being a change agent and make a difference. During our research on urban rivers we found that the advocacy groups and non-profits were key to creating clean up initiatives in the cities we studied. They were critical in moving the government agencies in a direction towards the cleanup efforts.

In the past I worked in an academic setting, in a small business, and in a large corporation, and I can say my experience is a little different than my peers in my program and I can easily adapt to different work environments. In my time at the Tufts Urban and Environmental Planning and Policy Program I’ve learned a great deal research, policy, and analysis. Additional course work on Non-Profit Finance, Philanthropy and Fundraising, and Negotiation and Conflict Resolution prepared me for the type of work that maybe necessary in non-profits. I am eager  to further my education and learn more about non-profits as well as environmental advocacy and hope that working at Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay will give me that opportunity. 

New Intern - Jules Stuber

Hey all! My name is Jules Stuber, a new development intern here at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. I am a graduate of the University of Vermont, where I majored in community development and minored in environmental studies. As a surfer, fisherman, and lover of fish tacos, I have a special place in my heart for ensuring the sustainability of our waterways and can’t wait to dive in with this great organization.

Over the recent summer, I worked for a nonprofit called Island Grown Initiative, a food sustainability advocacy and education group located on my hometown of Martha’s Vineyard. While working with IGI, I spearheaded our composting and gleaning programs, and started a shell recycling program. This stint in the nonprofit world cemented my resolve to work within and for communities here in New England.  

Growing up with a fishing crazed father who would strap my twin and me as babies to his waders, and a mom who loved to take us down to catch crabs and periwinkles among the tide pools, I was instilled early on with a healthy respect for the ocean. Thinking back, all of my fondest memories involve the ocean in some way- catching the perfect wave, releasing the first keeper sized striper of the season, or just sitting back and watching the shimmering pink summer sun set over calm water. It is this affinity for the sea that has made me want to ensure its well-being for future generations, and I can’t wait to work together with the save the harbor and their youth programs here in Boston.

While it is only my first day here at Save the Harbor, I am already very excited to start fundraising and doing grant research with Trevor and Chris for the new Feast of the Seven Fishes Project. I can’t wait to become more involved with the organization, and look forward to what my next few months here entail!    

Save the Harbor...in December?

Hey everyone!

I hope you are all having a great fall so far even though some days it feels like winter. Luckily, Christmas and vacation are right around the corner because I can’t wait. I don’t think I have ever written a blog post when it is this cold so this is new for me. I had the pleasure of working at the Atlantic Wharf on Saturday, December 2nd for a their annual Holly-Day on the Harbor. I will admit I was skeptical about having a touch tank inside in the winter but most of the kids loved it. We had Louise the Lobster in the tank and we had a mackerel and a scup on the table for fish printing. This was new for me because I had never done fish prints on anything other than flounder. The scup made some nice prints and the mackerel not so much but it was still fun!

Me fish printing with a butterfly fairy princess 

I think we had the coolest table there because everyone made some kind of face when we told them the fish were real and that they could touch the fish. There was a very interactive and fun band of two men that all of the children loved because they sand so many funny songs. There was a gingerbread house table, an amazing face painter and a free burritos and cookies (the cookies were my favorite). The kids worked with on saturday were younger than I have ever worked with during the summer so the experience was different. The younger the kids the more curious they are and these kids aren't afraid of touching the fish, even though their parents were. Overall, this was such a fun, family friendly event that I think everyone should take advantage of next Christmas season.

Hopefully you hear from me again soon!

- Maeve Fittz