July 30, 2012. Boston, MA.
35 kids from the Back Bay group Oasis de Vida Church took a free day trip to Spectacle Island in Boston Harbor in July as part of Save the Harbor / Save the Bay’s All Access Boston Harbor Program.
The group met at Boston’s Bank of America Pavilion before setting sail on the Provincetown II for Spectacle Island, where they participated in a hands-on experience to learn about Boston Harbor’s marine environment and Spectacle Island’s unique treasures and history.
All Access Boston Harbor is a free educational and recreational program that offers over 6,500 kids from Boston’s neighborhoods and surrounding communities the chance to explore Boston Harbor and the Harbor Islands throughout the summer. For some of the kids, it will be their first chance to experience Boston Harbor. For others, visiting the harbor is a summer tradition.
“We think it's important to share our great harbor with as many kids as possible,” said Save the Harbor President Patricia Foley. “This year we have expanded our free island trips from three days a week to four, giving even more youth and teens the opportunity to spend the summer at the seashore.”
Before setting sail on the Harbor, participants learn about the compelling history of Boston Harbor and Spectacle Island from maritime historian David Coffin. Once on the island, the kids can choose to take part in an archeological expedition called “The Treasures of Spectacle Island” along the South Beach, hike to the top of the North Drumlin to fly kites and see the 360-degree view from the highest point in the harbor, or swim and splash in the water at the North Beach.
Spectacle Island, a former landfill, is now part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Park where kids enjoy examining pieces of sea glass, broken pottery, and other artifacts. Save the Harbor / Save the Bay’s “Treasures of Spectacle Island” program offers Boston’s youth and teens the opportunity to find pieces of Spectacle Island’s past in order to learn more about the history of the harbor and our city. The youth are encouraged to figure out the life journey of the artifacts they discover on the beach, what they were, who used them, and how they came to Spectacle Island.
“A shard of beach glass can act as a window to the past”, said Bruce Berman, Director of Strategy, Communications and Strategy for Save the Harbor / Save the Bay, “Every item on Spectacle Island has a story we can learn from.”
Each year Save the Harbor / Save the Bay runs free youth environmental education programs, including that combine recreation and hands-on education to bring Boston Harbor alive for thousands of Boston area young people. Since 2003, we have connected more than 60,000 youth and teens to Boston Harbor, the Boston Harbor Islands, our region's public beaches and Boston's waterfront.
These free summer youth programs are made possible with Leadership Grants from Distrigas of Massachusetts/GDF SUEZ, P. I. Garden Fund, Bay State Cruise Company, Forest Berkley & Marcie Tyre Berkley, The Coca-Cola Foundation, The Ludcke Foundation, Yawkey Foundation II, The Fallon Company, Massachusetts Port Authority, P&G Gillette and Schrafft Charitable Trust.
Save the Harbor also appreciates funding support from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, The Dolphin Trust, Alice W. Dorr Foundation, Massachusetts Bay Lines, National Grid Foundation, John Hancock Financial Services, Lawrence J & Ann Rubenstein Charitable Trust, Arbella Insurance Group Charitable Foundation, Boston Bruins Foundation, Clipper Ship Foundation, Mass Humanities, Bank of America Pavilion, Fuller Foundation, Thomas & Lucinda Foley, South Boston Community Development Corporation, Andus Baker & Rowan Murphy Family Foundation, Boston Centers for Youth and Families, Department of Conservation, Martha Mazzone Charitable Gift Fund, Martha J. & Gilda Strazzula Foundation, Community Suffolk, Inc., DeMarco Produce and hundreds of individual small donors.
To find out more about Save the Harbor / Save the Bay's All Access Boston Harbor trips, visit their website at http://www.savetheharbor.org, their youth blog, “Sea, Sand and Sky” at http://www.blog.savetheharbor.org, and their Boston Harbor Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bostonharbor.
