Schools to Careers Partnership learns about Boston Harbor

This hot and sunny afternoon Bruce, Michelle, Will and I went over to the Bank of America Pavilion to meet a group from the Schools to Careers Partnership and listen to Save the Harbor's spokesman Bruce Berman talk about Boston Harbor and Save the Harbor/Save the Bay.

The group of rising high school seniors had visited Deer Island earlier in the morning and were eager to learn more about Boston Harbor. For one hour Bruce walked the group through how the harbor has changed through the last 20 years. He kept the group of young people interested with comical anecdotes, including one about a beach runner getting what he thought was tar on his shoes, but which turned out to be human waste. The runner (Bill Golden, City Solicitor  Quincy)then sued everybody and their mother for his "miss step" on Wollaston beach, which got the ball rolling to turn some of the dirtiest beaches in the country into the cleanest.

Bruce focused his talk on potential opportunities for students interested in science and engineering in the non-profit world.

After Bruce's talk the student got their questions answered including, "How much money do you make?". This question was diplomatically answered with a range of salaries but Bruce also pointed out that besides making money, "It's best when you love what you do." Despite the heat that left us all wanting a tall glass of ice water it was a great hour break from the office to share information with a fun and engaged group.

Blair

Kicking Off the Summer on Constitution Beach!

This last Monday, the East Boston YMCA got the summer rolling on Constitution Beach with their YMCA Summer Kick Off! It was a bright sunny day with a cool breeze and tons of beach games. On one side of the beach there was sand hockey and soccer matches kicking up sand and laughter.  And on the other, there was sand castle building, bean bag tosses, and frisbee golf. There was even an intense kids against staff tug-of-war! By the end of the day the score was undoubtedly kids 3-0.

In addition to all the fun games there was a special friend who joined in on the fun in the sun, his name was Larry the Lobster! He greeted everyone who walked by and even let the kids hold him. 


To finish the day off with a bang there was a giant flash mob! Everyone on the beach joined in and danced together to many different songs that included the cupid shuffle and the infamous YMCA song. It was a cool sight to see and a wonderful way to celebrate our beautiful clean beaches!

This is the first of many Better Beaches events that Save the Harbor has helped to fund this summer, and we know that our friends at the Y have given us an amazing preview of the exciting summer ahead on all of our beaches. I'm so excited to attend all the other beach parties, concerts, campfires, and sandsculpting competitions from Nahant to Nantasket this year, and I hope you are too!

See you out on the Harbor this summer! 


Liz Allen
~Events/Communications Intern

Good Weather. Good Fun. Great Day!

Today, the amazing staff and I were invited to enjoy a beautiful day on Constituion Beach in East Boston. We were invited by the East Boston YMCA to their Summer kick off event. It was an excellent day to hold the event due to the weather since it was not too hot and not too cold. There were tons of activites on the beach for kids. We were able to be one of the numerous activities for the kids to enjoy during their day on the beach.

The Save the Harbor team had our friend Larry the lobster with us today, so that he could say hello to all the kids in East Boston. Some kids were afraid to even get close to him while others were completely fearless. The fearless children held Larry the lobster by his back in order to make sure they did not get pinched. Even though Larry may seem nice at times, I noticed that he could be a little be fiesty if you get too close to his claws or provoke him. However, today Larry did not pinch or hurt anyone and one of our staff members noticed he was missing a leg. He probably did not want to lose another leg, so I guess that is why he did not pinch anyone.

Overall, today at Constitution Beach with the East Boston YMCA was a great day that Save the Harbor enjoyed contributing to. The Flash Mob dance was definitely fun to participate in and watch. Also, tug of war was very interesting and exciting even though my side lost. That was fine with me though because the kids were very happy to beat people that were bigger than them. I had an amazing day in East Boston and cannot wait to go back there when Save the Harbor's summer programming officially starts.

Back in Boston!

Aboard the Provincetown II for the Youth Partners Brunch!

After finishing up my sophomore year at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in upstate New York, located on Seneca Lake, I was awarded the opportunity to work for STH/STB as a Communication Intern. At college, I have worked through the school newspaper to shed light on the various programs and opportunities locals, college students, and youths have to experience the joy of living on the biggest fingerlake in upstate New York. Back in Boston for the summer, I am hoping to inform and even participate in the events offered at STH while I am here-hopefully getting to see what STH programs are all about! I am a Writing and Rhetoric and Development Studies double major with a History minor and am hoping to use my writing, speaking, media, and communication skills to create a way for the STH/STB youths and students to bring to life their own experiences and reflections of events and trips offered in Boston Harbor. As well, I am interested in see how the logistics of events play out and what type of planning goes into the summer activities and programs that I have been intrigued to experience.

It is important to me to get kids out to the ocean to understand what a unique source Boston Harbor really is. I have been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to grow up in the North Shore Boston area. Long strips of clean, sandy beaches, thick shorelines of tall sea grass, abundant sea critters crawling along the shoreline, and active families and boaters have created an environment where humans and sea life can exist together. My family and I-my sister, brother, mom and dad (and the two dogs of course, Moxie and Bailey)- spend the weekends on our Boston Whaler, our home away from home. Beacon and Gloucester Harbor have brought my family together in a sense, providing us with a source of entertainment, fun, and relaxation that we can all enjoy. We wake up to the piping of seagulls, the hum of the sea breeze, and the hushed splashes of small fish. I usually spend my afternoons knee deep in a book (as of now its The Kite Runner), while my brother and dad fish off the bow of our be-loved sea vessel, named "Worthless Crew"-hence me sitting lazily in a beach chair enjoying my novel!

Through these experiences on the ocean, including boating, water skiing, fishing, tubing, or simply sitting on the beach, I have grown to appreciate the coexistence between humans and sea life, having invested a lot of time on the water to enjoy and experience the ocean that stretches along the coastline of Massachusetts.

However, many people have not had the opportunity to enjoy the ocean like I have that has given me such an appreciation for its conservation. I am excited to say that I have found a place where my interests and inspiration to bring people to the waters of our shoreline can be put into action! At STH/STB I hope to reach out to the youth of Boston through communication outreach, publications, articles, and participating in some of the events offered through Better the Beaches program that aim at restoring and reconnecting people with Boston Harbor and the surrounding Harbor islands such as Spectacle Island and George Island. I'm even more excited to join the fun and get out on the water myself (I've never been to any of the Harbor islands, and am DYING to check that off my list of summer activities!). Its a plus that our office building is located on a fishing pier along Seaport Boulevard-right next to the World Trade Center with a harborside view! Maybe I'll see some seals, who knows?

I attended my first Save the Harbor event this week- a brunch aboard the Provincetown II. I was excited to hear Bruce and Patty speak about what else this summer has in store for the staff and the Boston youths and teens!

My First Day

"The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever."

 - Jacques Costeau

Hi my name is Catherine Simon. I'm from Winter Haven, Florida, but I go to Boston University where I'm a senior majoring in public relations and minoring in environmental analysis and policy. Right now, I'm taking LSAT prep classes and will be taking the actual LSAT in June. I hope to do environmental law in the future. 

I've always had a passion for the environment, especially the ocean. Since I was three-years old, I've gone lobstering in the Florida Keys, which will always be one of my favorite places. There's no better feeling than being in the water. 

I usually look for advocacy internships where I can combine my communication skills and environmental knowledge with my love for protecting the environment and animals. Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is a fantastic organization with a really great strategy for fulfilling its goals. Unlike other non-profit organizations I've interned for, it has the most well balanced perspective toward getting donors and stakeholders on its side. 

So far I love the office's location. I hardly ever come to the harbor since BU is pretty far away, but it's always nice to be near the ocean. I also love the wafting smell of fish, and how the office is nestled between seafood companies. This ambiance is fitting for such an organization.  

I'm very excited for my internship here. I really want to delve into the policy and legal aspects of what Save the Harbor does. All of my past internships have primarily dealt with the public relations and marketing aspects of organizations, but I'm looking forward to diverging from this. I hope I also get the opportunity to go out into the field and explore the harbor islands I have had yet to visit. 

This will be my first summer in Boston, and I'm happy to spending it at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay.

Simply Marble-ous Beach Cleanup Kicks off Summer-Long Treasure Hunt

Help us find our marbles!

When 100 JetBlue Airways crew members and volunteers from Save the Harbor hit the beaches of South Boston on Wednesday, June 13, 2012, not only did they help the Department of Conservation and Recreation remove trash, weeds, stray sand and debris from the shore, they also left something special behind for beachgoers to enhance their summer fun.

  Find a marble on the beach this summer and you could win
40,000 TrueBlue points for travel on JetBlue Airways

During the clean-up, each of the 100 participants "released" a single blue Save the Harbor / Save the Bay 25th Anniversary marble in the sand at the water's edge, kicking off a summer-long treasure hunt for the marbles and a chance for five lucky winners to receive 40,000 TrueBlue points each. Through JetBlue’s TrueBlue loyalty program, roundtrip award flights start at just 10,000 points (a).

 

More than 100 JetBlue Airways and Save the Harbor staff and volunteers
began their cleanup at the McCormack Bathouse in South Boston.

"Jet Blue Airways is a terrific partner," said Bruce Berman, of Save the Harbor / Save the Bay. "They care about their customers and our communities, and they are tons of fun to work with."

"We have a long-standing relationship with Save the Harbor and with the community in Boston, home to our 2,000 crewmembers, who mirror the company’s philanthropic efforts with their own volunteer work locally," said JetBlue’s Regional Marketing Manager Ronda Ivy McLeod. "A beach-clean-up and treasure hunt is right in line with our fun value as well as our commitment to the city that chooses JetBlue more than any other airline out of Logan." 

 DCR's horticulturalist and a damp but enthusiastic team
from Jet Blue Airways pull weeds and plant flowers along the beach

JetBlue’s crewmembers began their cleanup at the Edward McCormack bathhouse on Carson Beach and finished up at Pleasure Bay, picking up trash, planting flowers, and clearing paths and sidewalks along the way. DCR District Manager Kevin Hollenbeck pointed out that 100 volunteers "can do five weeks worth of work in just 2 hours, and that means a lot."

 "DCR does great work on the region's public beaches," said Bruce Berman of Save the Harbor Save the Bay. "But they are always happy to have a little help."

Berman was quick to point out that the one-inch tempered blue glass marbles "released" on the beaches were both beautiful and environmentally friendly. They are made of recycled glass, which was made from sand. "What a great way to encourage people to take a fresh look at these great beaches, which are now among the cleanest urban beaches in America."

In addition to the 100 marbles "released" in South Boston, the group will also release 100 additional marbles on the region's public beaches in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull. "Find one on any of our great public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket this summer, and you could be a winner" said Berman.

Together we did 5 weeks of work in just a few hours.

 

To enter the contest, which runs through Labor Day, simply send Save the Harbor a photograph of you holding one of the marbles on the beach where you found it. In August, the group will hold a drawing to select five lucky winners, who will each receive 40,000 TrueBlue points that can be used for award flight redemption on JetBlue Airways to any of the 45 nonstop destinations the airline serves from Boston’s Logan International Airport.

 Send us a photo of you with your marble and you could be a winner!

To enter the contest,  just post a picture of you with your marble at the beach where you found it on Save the Harbor's Facebook page, email it to info@savetheharbor.org , or send it by snail mail to our office on the Fish Pier. Please be sure to include your contact information, so we can notify the winners.

See you on the beach!

All Aboard for The Youth Partners Breakfast!

Save the Harbor's youth partners were welcomed aboard the Provincetown II for our
Youth Partners Breakfast on June 12th to learn about our planned 2012 summer program expansions.

Save the Harbor is back in action for the 2012 season, kicking off the summer with our annual Youth Partners Breakfast on the morning of June 12th, which took place aboard the Provincetown II docked right next to the World Trade Center. Save the Harbor's Bruce Berman and President Patty Foley were pleased to bring all our youth program partners together, and to announce this year's planned youth environmental education and recreation program expansion.

Harold Sparrow, the Senior Vice President of Operations at the YMCA of Greater Boston was on hand to speak about  Save the Harbor and its mission. "Save the Harbor and its recreational programs create lasting memories and give the youths and teens of Boston the opportunity to form lasting relationships," Sparrow said. "I'm proud to be a part of it."

Harold Sparrow, Senior VP at the YMCA Greater Boston speaks to STH staff and youth partners at the 2012 Youth Partners Breakfast.

At the suggestion of our youth partners we announced that our All Access Boston Harbor program will run 4 days a week in July and August, so we can "share the harbor" with even more youth and teens aboard our new boat, The Provincetown II. (Thanks to Mike Glasfeld, owner of Bay Stae Cruise Company for making this possible!

We are particularly excited to announce our newest program, 20 free "Changing Channel" boat tours of the Fort Point Channel, which will run from the Boston Children's Museum on City Water Taxi's Checkeboard Fleet. We can accommodate 25 people per trip. For more information, or to schedule a trip for your group, call us today at 617-451-2860 or email us at imailto:info@savetheharbor.org

Save the Harbor also announced that we will be holding the 2nd Annual Kids Beach Bash and Splash on Friday August 17 at the BCYF Curley Community Center in South Boston.

Save the Harbor's Bruce Berman greet our youth partners before boarding the Provincetown II for the annual Youth Partners Breakfast.

We will also be hosting or sponsoring 30 free events on the public beaches of Boston from Nahant to Nantasket. These events include concerts, family beach festivals, sand castle contests, and other fun activities that are expected to bring up to 500,000 families, teens, and youths from Boston and elsewhere to celebrate the region's public beaches.

Hope to see you out there on Boston Harbor enjoying its beaches, islands, and spectacular view-rain or shine!

Getting started at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay

Hello! My name is Bridget McGillivray and this is my first week as a Communications Intern at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. I am a rising junior at Harvard University and I am from Victoria, British Columbia. I heard about the organization through Harvard, and I am very excited about the opportunity to work here for the summer! 

Growing up on Vancouver Island, the ocean and marine wildlife has always been a huge part of my life. I’ve spent countless hours on the water and I truly can’t get enough of it. For the past four summers, I worked at my dad’s whale watching company, Prince of Whales Whale Watching. My experience at the company greatly expanded my knowledge of marina wildlife and my interest in aquatic environments and sea regulations. Not surprisingly, I really love whales! The effort to preserve and protect certain species is very important to me and I hope to become more involved in the near future. 

This summer at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, I will be writing blogs and working with media tools in order to share news and events with the rest of the Greater Boston community. I am really looking forward to spending some time outside too! 

Well, I am excited to get started and share Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s passion for the environment with the rest of the Boston community-I also can’t wait to explore the beaches and get out on the water!

Save the Harbor / Save the Bay Releases Beaches Report Card

 

Save the Harbor / Save the Bay issued its first annual "Water Quality Report Card" on the region's public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket on Wednesday morning at 9:00 - 1-:00 the Exchange Conference Center on Boston's Fish Pier.

To assess and compare the water quality conditions on each beach, the group looked at the percentage of tests exceeding the state swimming standard of 104 cfu/100ml of Enterococcus.

Overall Beach Safety from “Best to Worst”

Nantasket	100%
South Boston @ M Street	98.60%
South Boston @ City Point	98.60%
South Boston @ Carson (Bathhouse and I Street)	97.30%
South Boston @ Pleasure Bay	94.50%
Wollaston @ Rice Road	93.20%
Constitution Beach - East Boston	93.20%
Malibu Beach - Dorchester	91.70%
Savin Hill Beach - Dorchester	91.70%
Nahant Beach	88.50%
Wollaston @ Milton Road	87.70%
Wollaston @ Channing Street	87.70%
Revere Beach	87.50%
Wollaston@ Sachem Street	86.30%
Winthrop Beach	84.60%
Short Beach  - Revere	83.30%
Tenean Beach - Dorchester	79.50%
King’s Beach - Lynn	73.20%

"Some of the region's beaches, including Nantasket Beach in Hull and the South Boston beaches, are safe for swimming nearly every day and rank among the cleanest urban beaches in the nation" said Save the Harbor / Save the Bay's Bruce Berman.

"Many others are doing quite well.  However there continue to be pollution problems at some of the region's public beaches, including most of Wollaston Beach in Quincy, at Tenean Beach in Dorchester and at King's Beach in Lynn.  We need to address them all if we are to achieve the late Judge A. David Mazzone's often stated goal of beaches that are safe for swimming "Damn near every day!"

Last year Nantasket Beach in Hull was the "Gold Standard" for the metropolitan region's beaches, earning a 100% rating for beach safety. The South Boston Beaches came in a close second, averaging better than 98%. Tenean Beach in Dorchester and Kings Beach in Lynn each failed more than 20% of the tests performed in 2012.

The results were made public at the initial meeting of Save the Harbor's Beaches Science Advisory Committee, convened to conduct a systematic review of water quality and beach flagging accuracy on the region's public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket.

"Our goal is to help turn the data into information that people can use to make decisions," said Dr. James Shine of the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard University, who co-chairs the science committee along with Dr. Judith Pederson, a coastal resource specialist at the MIT Sea Grant College Program. "As scientists, we are here to focus on the facts," said Dr. Pederson. "It is Save the Harbor's job as an advocacy organization to build a consensus on how to address the situation going forward."

Berman, who teaches marine science and management at Boston University, agrees. "The scientists and technical advisors play a critical role in increasing our understanding of the causes of these problems, and can help us evaluate proposed solutions. But at the end of the day, this isn't just about the science, it is about our shared values and the love we have for these beaches."

By all accounts, the Deer Island sewage treatment plant and the Mass Bay outfall pipe have dramatically improved the health of Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay since they were completed in 2001. However, Berman noted that the first phases of the Boston Harbor Project were not intended to solve all of the problems that cause pollution on our region's public beaches. "The remaining problems need to be addressed on a "beach by beach" and "pipe by pipe" basis, as we did in South Boston with remarkable success" said Berman, "and that's exactly what we propose to do."

Save the Harbor / Save the Bay also asked the science committee for advice on ways to better protect the public’s health and access to clean water by improving the current beach flagging system. 

"Posting yesterdays test results on the beach is simply not a sensible way to let the pubic know if it is safe to swim today" said Berman. "Most of our beaches deserve a fairly high grade, but I would flunk the red flags."

Here is a link to Save the Harbor / Save the Bay's 2012 Beach Water Quality Report Card
for the Boston Harbor Region's public beaches from Nahant to Nantasket.

Here is the data on which the report card was based, which was presented at
Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's Beaches Science Advisory Committee meeting
at the Exchange Conference Center on Boston's Fish Pier on Wednesday, May 30 2012.

MWRA Presentation (Background and Water Quality Testing Methods)
EPA Presentation (Past and Future Water Quality Criteria)
EPA Presentation (Rapid Testing Methods)
Save the Harbor / Save the Bay's Report (Beach Safety ad Flagging Accuracy)

Here is an Executive Summary of the results.
Here is the Data on which our report is based.
You can find a Press Release about the report here.

Here are two useful papers - on Antecedent Rain and
an analysis of posting based on the Previous Day's Results.

For insight into our values, view Save the Harbor's television commercial about beach flagging,
view our short video "Water Power" or visit our webpage at www.savetheharbor.org

If you have any questions, please contact Bruce Berman at
bruce@bostonharbor.com or by phone at 617-293-6243

Starting out at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay

Hi! My name is Kelsey O’Brien and I’m a rising senior, studying Information Systems and Operations in the School of Management at Boston University. I’ve just returned to Boston after spending the past semester in sunny Sydney, Australia. I had a truly incredible time there learning to surf, exploring the outback, bungee jumping in the rainforest, and scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, but I’m glad to be back in my favorite city for the summer. I know that working at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay will be a whole new kind of exciting adventure! I’ll be here helping out on the tech side of things as we transition to the spiffy new website that will be up later in the summer – be sure to keep an eye out for it! 

I’ve heard so many great things about SH/SB from my good friend Cassie who worked here for the past two summers, so I can’t wait to get started! I can already tell that I’m going to love it here because my first event requires me to go to the beach. I’ll be attending a JetBlue clean up of a local beach next Wednesday. Helping the environment, spending time at the beach, and having opportunity to bond with some of the other staff, what more could I ask for? Hopefully the weather turns around by then, because so far it has been a very COLD and rainy June in Boston (see photo above for a look at a frozen Kelsey on the Boston Fish Pier). 

Weather aside, the summer is off to a great start. I'm looking forward to an awesome experience at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay!

Starting the Summer at Save the Harbor/Save the Bay

Hey! My name is Blair Sheets and I am a rising junior studying Marketing at Boston University's School of Management. I'm from Dallas, Texas, so pretty far from home, but I am so excited to be spending my summer in Boston!

I'm happy to be working with a great organization like Save the Harbor/Save the Bay. I'll be working here as a communications/marketing intern making sure that everyone in Boston gets connected to the harbor this summer. Not only do I get to help a fantastic environmental organization but I also have the opportunity to get out of the office for the occasional trip to the beach as a part of my job! My first trip will be this Wednesday the 13th for the JetBlue beach cleanup. I can't wait!

I'm ready and excited for the opportunity this summer to share with you all of the fun happenings in the Boston Harbor. I know this summer with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay will be amazing.

-Blair

Seals of Approval for our Marine Mammal Safari!

After a fairly mild winter (and a freezing but fun Cupid Splash in March!) it's finally Spring on the Harbor -- and we couldn't be more excited for the season ahead! And what better way to kick it off our spring and summer programs than free boat trips for kids and families out on Boston Harbor?

This past Saturday, April 28th, Save the Harbor / Save the Bay took boatloads of kids, families, and community groups out on our annual Marine Mammal Safari to search for the harbor seals and porpoises that make Boston Harbor their home every Spring. We took 2 three-hour trips out past Deer Island, Spectacle Island, and Georges Island, around the Brewsters, and past Boston light, learning about each location as we went. We had truly gorgeous weather all day, and there were exciting seal sightings on both trips!

Out of several different seal sightings that morning, I'd say that the first boat's highlight of the day was a pair of harbor seals hauled out on the rocks off of Georges Island, lounging in the beautiful weather. We were having a nice, relaxing morning on deck, warmed by the sun, and the seals were doing the same! The second boat of the day saw some seals off of Gallops Island as they rounded Georges Island. The four porpoises that reportedly have been spending the past few weeks in the Harbor seemed to have eluded us. Keep an eye out for them when you're out on the water in the next few weeks, because they're around here somewhere-- and the kids had a great time searching for them anyway! Porpoises aside, with so many seal sightings, everyone on board both trips got to see some marine mammals, making this another successful year for the Marine Mammal Safaris, which we have been running since 1998.

Families and groups joined us from all over the city, including Dorchester, Hyde Park, Mattapan, East Boston and South Boston-- and we even had the Urban Scholars program at UMass and a group of students and professors from Boston University join us as well! We had families from outside Boston hop aboard the boat, too-- from Chelsea, Malden, Gardner, Stoughton, Lynn, Melrose, and more. And one family of five joined us from France, getting to see Boston Harbor and it's environment as most tourists don't have the chance to do. We truly had people aboard from all over the city, region, and world!

Many thanks to Massachusetts Bay Lines for their continued support of the Marine Mammal Safari trips, as well as our sponsors at Gillette, State Street Foundation, John Hancock, JetBlue, and National Grid for making these trips possible. We're so proud to be able to bring so many kids and families closer to Boston Harbor and its marine life each spring, and I personally love to see so many kids as excited about spending a day out on the water when they board the boat as when they depart. It really got me excited for our All Access Boston Harbor program this summer, when we'll be hosting similar trips for youth groups to Spectacle Island and Georges Island for four days a week in July and August! Contact me at palermino@savetheharbor.org if your group wants to find out more!

Thanks to everyone who joined us. We'll see you all on the Harbor this spring and summer!

All the best,

Michelle Palermino

Spectacular Park Serve Day on Spectacle Island!

Superintendent Bruce Jacobson of the Boston Harbor Islands National Park,
Deputy Commissioner Jack Murray of the Department of Conservation and Recreation, and
Vice President Susan Fagan of Coca-Cola greet volunteers at Long Wharf.

On Saturday, April 21 dozens of volunteers from Coca-Cola teamed up with Save the Harbor/Save the Bay for a community service project on Spectacle Island during the first-ever Coca-Cola Scholars National Day of Service as part of the Department of Conservation and Recreation's Park Serve Day 2012.

Coca-Cola Scholars and volunteers at Spectacle Island

The trip out to the island was amazing! Though the day was cloudy as we boarded the boat, the skies had cleared by the time we arrived at Spectacle Island, to help get the island ready for the season.

 I loved seeing the Boston skyline from the water and other Boston Harbor landmarks like Pleasure Bay and Castle Island. We were greeted by many warm and friendly faces from the DCR. Our group broke out into smaller teams and helped by moving brush, removing trash, and weeding. The work was challenging, but it was rewarding to see how quickly a group of dedicated people could work together and finish a project.

Spectacle Island caretaker Alan Rilla, with Coca-Cola Scholars
Carl Kubler, Carolina Beltran, and Danni Xie

Ann Champagne

All in all, it was a great day, the sun came out, and everyone had fun! This trip made me really see how many great outdoor opportunities are around Boston and I hope to return to Spectacle Island in the near future!

Group photo at the end of the day at the top of Spectacle Island
with Boston Harbor and the city in the background

Thanks to everyone who came to help out and make the day such a great success!

Davida

Fun in the sun

Today was my second day of fishing with Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay in front of the Boston Children's Museum. The weather and time helped get more kids to come out and fish with the crew. It was very sunny out and the tide was high. Construction across the Chanel was quiet so maybe there was more fish out. Fishing was very fun. Once we got the rods and set up everything, it was time to fish. Since I learned a little about fishing the other day, I was prepared for what was ahead of me. Many kids started showing interest in fishing and wanted to fish. Since most of the kids were young and didn't know how to fish it was my job to help them. I was able to show the kids how to fish and even though it took awhile it was worth the wait. Once I showed the kids how to fish they were fascinated and in love with it. The kids stayed fishing for over 30 minutes and didn't even want to leave, hassling their parents to let them stay. To see all of them have a blast was amazing and even though we were not able to catch fish everyone had a great day. I look forward to hopefully helping Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay in the summer with fishing.

Christian Aguilar

My First Day

My name is Christian Aguilar I am 15 and I attend Trinity Catholic High School. Today was my first day of my April Break internship at Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay. I was sent here from my middle school Epiphany, who has a graduate support program to help recent graduates. I was sent here to get a feeling of how it is to work in a office space so I can be a little more familiar with having a job.

Coming into the job I didn’t know much about the organization just that the program was involved with the ocean. When I first got there I was very nervous about what was ahead of me. I got to meet most of the crew at the meeting and learn somewhat of what the company is up to. The crew was very welcoming and opened. Then I was assigned a job which was to learn about the organization and find out what they do for the community and how it benefits Boston. After doing some research and some walking around along the pier it finally hit me I knew what the program was about. Save the Harbor/ Save the Bay is not your “typical environmental organization”. They don’t always look to the government for help. The company is built from knowledge and fundamentals. The task of the program is to clean up the dirty and horrible stench of Boston Harbor. They set up goals to make the dirty water to pure water. I think the motto of the program is to save the sea life and make the water clean enough to swim in.

Looking around I got to see many sights like the boats sailing around in the smooth water or just parked in the water waiting to be used. Also I got to see many nice restaurants with high class service and food that wowed my eyes. Walking around was amazing I got to smell the fresh smell of the ocean and fish. I got to see the world trade center and the body of clean water that surrounds it. I also got to see all the minute businesses that are running along the side of the ocean. There were so many sights but next to all the sights I saw the beautiful water that surrounds those sights. I’m looking forward to fishing at the children’s museum and also joining the crew on a trip out on the water.

Maybe ill see you at the Children's Museum later!

- Christian Aguilar

Boston Harbor Heroes - 2012

Friday, March 30, 2012

Last year, on the occasion of Save the Harbor / Save the Bay's 25th Anniversary, we produced a short video and established an award honoring the many Boston Harbor Heroes for the role they played in the Boston Harbor success story. 

On March 30, 2012 at "Destination Boston Harbor 2012" at the InterContinental Boston, Save the Harbor / Save the Bay proudly recognized 5 new "Boston Harbor Heroes" for their commitment to our city, our community, and the harbor we have worked so hard to restore and protect.

Lowell Richards of MASSPORT, who left us so suddenly on February 5, but will always be in our hearts. He served our city - and the Commonwealth - in so many ways that it is simply impossible to list them all here tonight.
 

Professor Charles Haar of Harvard University, who passed away on January 10 after an extraordinary career.  His work as Special Master in the Boston Harbor Case has served as a roadmap for the restoration of Boston Harbor.

Harold Sparrow of the YMCA of Greater Boston, who has worked tirelessly as a member of Save the Harbor's board of Directors to ensure that there will always be a place for young people from all of Boston's neighborhoods on Boston Harbor, our waterfront, our beaches and in the Boston Harbor Islands.

 Ronda Ivy McLeod of Jet Blue Airways, whose support for our "Better Beaches Program" has helped Save the Harbor strengthen waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket.

Will Clark, a sophomore at St. John's University, who joined us as a junior program assistant, grew into one of our lead "Boston Harbor Explorers" - and today serves with Thi Tran and Connor Newman as Co-Chair of Save the Harbor / Save the Bay's Youth Committee.

Thanks to all of them, and to all Boston Harbor Heroes!

Harpoon Helps Save the Harbor Make a Big Splash!

 

On Saturday, March 24th, more than 200 supporters of Save the Harbor / Save the Bay from 8 waterfront communities from Nahant to Nantasket simultaneously dashed and splashed into the chilly ocean in the 2nd Annual Harpoon Helps Cupid Splash. Together, they raised $31,500 from 550 donors to support free events and programs on our region's public beaches in 2012, including sand sculpture competitions, beach parties, and family reading and movie nights.

 

This year the BCYF Curley Recreation Center in South Boston was "Center Stage" for the event, where more than 150 participants raised more than $21,000 to support the cause.

This year's biggest overall fundraiser was Save the Harbor / Save the Bay board member Paul Giudice, who raised $2,500 even though he was not eligible to win a prize. Northeastern University graduate student Kasey Fitzgerald, an intern at Save the Harbor / Save the Bay, raised $1,910 from family, friends, and co-workers to win a pair of round-trip JetBlue Airways tickets.

 

Many participants sported Cupid themed costumes to demonstrate how much they truly love their beach. Celebrity judge Kennedy Elsey of Mix 104.1's "Karson and Kennedy" morning show chose Harpoon Helps Team member Mike Pitt, dressed in a traditional Cupid costume complete with a tiny bow and arrow, as the this year's "Best Dressed Cupid," earning him a round trip ticket on Jet Blue Airways as well.

 

This year, dogs were able to take part in the Cupid Splash along with their owners. State Representative Kathi Reinstein's dog "Molly Reinstein-Denning" splashed in Revere and raised $250. "Better her than me" quipped Rep. Reinstein. "Molly really loves Revere beach!"

RoseLee Vincent was out of town on vacation this year, so she splashed in Marco Island, Florida - and raised $465, saying "My body was in the warm waters of sunny Florida, but my heart was in the cold waters of Revere Beach."

The largest fundraiser and best dressed Cupid on each beach were entered into drawings to win tickets as well. Carol Haney (who sported the best costume in Revere) and John Coyne (who raised $1,200 in Dorchester) will each receive a round trip ticket courtesy of our friends at JetBlue Airways.

Following the Splash, Save the Harbor and Harpoon Brewery hosted warm-up parties in each beach community. At the center stage in South Boston, participants enjoyed a warm bowl of Legal Sea Foods chowder and a cool pint of Harpoon on the beach, while their Cupid counterparts around the Harbor headed to local taverns to warm up, have a Harpoon beer, and celebrate their successful plunge.

"What a great way to spend the first Saturday of Spring" said Charlie Storey, Senior VP of the Harpoon Brewery, whose philanthropic program, Harpoon Helps, co-produced this year's Splash and hosted the Center Stage event in South Boston. "We are proud to be a part of it, and to support our friends at Save the Harbor / Save the Bay."

"It is great to see so many people who really love their beach" said Bruce Berman, spokesman for Save the Harbor / Save the Bay. "Thanks to all who took part - and especially to our partners at Harpoon Helps, JetBlue Airways, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, the Boston Center for Youth and Families, National Grid, Comcast, Legal Sea Foods, Russo Marine and the YMCA of Greater Boston for their support."

Since 2008 Save the Harbor has awarded $125,000 in small grants to support free,family-friendly events and activities on the region's public beaches in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull. Their community partners in the region's waterfront neighborhoods and beachfront communities have leveraged that investment with additional cash and in-kind contributions from local government and small businesses for a total investment of $500,000 to support more than 100 free events and activities for everyone to enjoy. This year's grants will be announced later in the spring.