Earth Day Celebrations on Boston Harbor With Save the Harbor/Save the Bay

Special to the Transcript

On Saturday, April 22, 2023, almost 1,000 kids and families from across the city and around the region celebrated Earth Day weekend on Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s annual free Marine Mammal Safaris.

The four free trips were narrated by Save the Harbor’s Harbor Historian David Coffin aboard M/V Massachusetts, which was donated for the day by Massachusetts Bay Lines. The trips departed the Rowes Wharf Ferry Terminal adjacent to the Boston Harbor Hotel, and searched for harbor seals and harbor porpoises from Castle Island and Logan Airport to the USS Constitution in Charlestown.

Mancini was delighted with the turnout, which was one of the largest Save the Harbor has seen since beginning their Earth Day weekend Marine Mammal Safari tradition.

“We cleaned up Boston Harbor for all the region’s residents, but of course the seals and porpoises really appreciate it too,” said Mancini. “It was great to see hundreds of people from all over the area come down to the harbor to experience it up close, even on a cool, windy day.”

Save the Harbor’s Deputy Director Kristen Barry shared that sentiment as well, reminding participants to follow @savetheharbor on social media, and to join the group this summer for free “Share the Harbor” and “All Access Boston Harbor” cruises each week to the Boston Harbor Islands, and free events on the region’s public beaches from Nahant to Nanatasket. 

Barry said that Save the Harbor’s Marine Mammal Safaris and their other Earth Week Programming are possible thanks to the generosity of Massachusetts Bay Lines, The Cronin Group, BXP, the National Grid Foundation, the Mass Cultural Council, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.

She also thanked the Champions of their Youth Environmental Education Programs, Bay State Cruise Company, Liberty Mutual Foundation, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the Department of Conservation and Recreation, Eastern Salt Company, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, and JetBlue.

Save the Harbor’s Youth Programs are also supported by Leaders Alexandria, Amazon, the Boston Bruins Foundation, Boston Properties – Atlantic Wharf, the Boston Foundation, Camp Harbor View Foundation, Cell Signaling Technology, City of Boston Department of Youth Engagement and Employment, the Comcast Foundation, Constellation Generation, Hood Park, HYM Investment Group, Income Research and Management Charitable Trust, John Hancock Financial Services, Leader Bank Pavilion/Live Nation, Massport, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, National Development, Nutter, P & G Gillette, Pembroke Real Estate, Lawrence J. and Anne Rubenstein Charitable Foundation, William E. Schrafft & Bertha E. Schrafft Charitable Trust, Clinton H. & Wilma T. Shattuck Charitable Trust, the Vertex Foundation.

The group also thanked Sponsors and Friends the Boston Consulting Group, Copeland Family Foundation, East Boston Savings Bank Foundation, Lovett Woodsum Foundation, Mass Humanities, Mass Marine Trades Education Trust, New England Biolabs Foundation, Pabis Foundation, Rockland Trust, Ms. Wallace M. Leonard Foundation, and Vertex.

To join our mailing list and receive invitations to upcoming free events and programs on Boston Harbor, the waterfront, our region’s public beaches and in the harbor islands, email info@savetheharbor.org.