Twenty-nine children from Bethel Math and Science Scholars, a non-profit organization based in Jamaica Plain, set sail for Spectacle Island as part of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s free All Access Boston Harbor program.

Bethel Math and Science Scholars participated in Save the Harbor/Save the Bay for a complimentary all-access trip to Boston Harbor to Spectacle Island.

A total of 7 organizations brought 260 children to Spectacle Island on August 3rd.

The group gathered at the Leeder Bank Pavilion in Boston’s Seaport, where Save the Harbor historian David Coffin told the children about the island’s history. Coffin told Spectacle He Island was a dumping ground for Boston’s garbage that had been burning for over a decade. Today, the island is Boston Harbor, which has become one of the most popular destinations in the Islands National and State Parks.

“This is one of my favorite stories,” Coffin told the assembled group. “You can turn your life around even if you remain a burning pile of garbage.”

On most trips to Spectacle, youngsters split up into groups to explore the beaches and hike to the top of North Drumlin for spectacular views of the harbor. But when the weather is hot and the tide is high, they can’t wait to hit the water.

To beat the heat, some children swam in the clear, cool waters of Boston Harbor under the close supervision of four DCR lifeguards. We caught crabs and fish from the jetty, worked with the Save the Harbors program staff to find ‘Treasures of Spectacle Island’, collected shells and sea glass, and shared them with each other before returning them to the beach. There were people too.

Chris Mancini, Executive Director of Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, said: with them.

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