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TBHA Home > Resources > Past Harbor News |  |
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Past Harbor News
Harbor News is designed by The Boston Harbor Association to keep the general public current on a number of new and ongoing activities and initiatives around Boston Harbor. Click on any of the topics below for more information.
Fulfilling its mission to educate the next generation of harbor stewards about a sustainable harbor, The Boston Harbor Association completed its successful fall "Harbor Bound" season on 28 October. This season TBHA introduced a new element to the tours - an overview of environmental sustainability on Deer Island, showcasing the extraordinary efforts of the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) to generate 30% renewable energy by 2020.
This fall, students from the Mary E. Curley Middle School in Jamaica Plain, Dorchester Academy, and Boston Latin School learned about sustainability first-hand. They had the opportunity to see two 190-foot high wind turbines that were installed in August 2009 and will generate over 2 million kW hours per year. They also learned about the roof mounted photovoltaic system and lighting improvements, both of which promote sustainability by using energy-saving power.
The students received an introduction to the MWRA's Department of Laboratory Science by Director Michael F. Delaney. Dr. Delaney explained how scientists conduct water quality testing and provided an overview of his educational background. The MWRA lab tests water quality daily, including from the beaches. On a lighter note, the students were amused to learn of Deer Island's appeal as a movie set, most recently as a location for the filming of "The Box" which opened in theaters during the fall. The Boston Harbor Association would like to thank the staff at MWRA for their support including tour guides Nadia Caines, Richard Dalton and Tom DeRossier and Mass Bay Lines for their ongoing support of "Harbor Bound." If you are interested in participating spring, 2010, please contact TBHA at mail@tbha.org.
HarborWalk tour participants got a first hand view on Tuesday, 20 October of two vibrant landscapes along Fort Point Channel and Boston Harbor. These “urban gardens” reflect the advocacy work of The Boston Harbor Association in promoting public access and public amenities along the waterfront. TBHA Deputy Director Patrice Todisco and landscape architect David Warner led a group of over twenty participants to view the landscape design around the John Joseph Moakley Federal Courthouse and the Boston Children’s Museum. Participants explored the seaside park next to the Moakley Courthouse, and learned that landscape architects Laurie Olin and Carol Johnson, along with architect Harry Cobb, designed the park collaboratively. The park is meant to showcase how civic buildings and civic space can be utilized together to create an extraordinary result. The tour group walked through and learned about the park’s promenade, loggia, great lawn, and harbor garden, which principally features native plants that flourish in the harsh waterfront environment. Participants also viewed the park’s interpretive signage, and learned that the plants accentuate the designers’ intent to create an environment that stimulates “our senses and spirit and educates our minds about Boston’s encounter between land and sea.” During the next part of the tour, the group visited the wharf and plaza at the Boston Children’s Museum, designed by landscape architect Michael Van Valkenburgh. The plaza functions as the Museum’s “front yard,” and is a major destination along the Fort Point Channel for festivals and events. The tour guides pointed out some intriguing elements of the area that make it stand out as unique and fun amidst its urban environment: distinctive paving patterns, massive granite boulders, and a native plant garden designed to be a child-scale experience of nature. The Boston Harbor Association plans to host a series of new HarborWalk tours in the spring highlighting parks, gardens and open spaces.
Boston Harbor became cleaner this summer, thanks to The Boston Harbor Association’s annual Marine Debris Removal and Prevention Project. Clean-up boats operated by on-water contractor Boston Line & Service Co. were on the harbor from June through October, 2009, scooping up over 2,000 plastic wrappers, almost 2,000 styrofoam cups, about 1,500 paper cups and plastic bottles, as well as floating pilings. Plastics were recycled as part of the program’s environmental sustainability efforts. Given the heavy rains in June which washed much debris into the harbor, this summer’s efforts were particularly appreciated by visitors to the Tall Ships celebration and by swimmers, boaters, and marine life. Special thanks to the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the City of Boston, Massport, and Eastern Salt Company for their generous funding of this year’s program.
Summer 2009 volunteer Julia Vermeulen, a high school senior at Noble and Greenough School, surveyed the entire existing HarborWalk in Boston's six waterfront neighborhoods. Assisted on some days by Magaly Salazar (whose MLK Scholar internship was supported by John Hancock Financial Services), Julia noted improvements made to the HarborWalk in the last year- such as the new HarborWalk segment built as part of the new office building at
One Marina Park Drive (lobby shown) and a new Public Green (see photo above), both part of the Fan Pier development project. The survey highlights HarborWalk additions including new docks at Russia Wharf and Battery Wharf, as well as segments which need additional maintenance or attention. Results of the full survey will be available in November. Julia's work is the basis of TBHA's advocacy this fall for signage and maintenance along the HarborWalk. Beacon Capital, owner of 253 Summer Street on the Fort Point Channel, has been making much-needed repairs to its seawall and, in the process, looking at ways to make its HarborWalk segment more accessible.
Working with TBHA, Beacon Capital's Senior Managing Director Doug Mitchell and Vice-President Zeina Grinnell are adding HarborWalk signs as well as environmentally-sustainable lighting to make the HarborWalk segment more "user-friendly" (see photo of existing HarborWalk). The new compact fluorescent lighting fixtures are more energy efficient than the old high-pressure sodium fixtures. At the Boston Children's Museum, Interim-President David Ellis and Museum Vice President Charlayne Murrell-Smith are focusing on maintenance issues TBHA noted in a September, 2009 letter. A landscape company has been busy pruning the larger trees on the Museum's wharf (see photo), and new HarborWalk signs to replace missing signs will be installed during the first week of October.
To ensure that the newly-opened HarborWalk segment on Dorchester Avenue is well maintained, TBHA met with Federal Reserve Bank of Boston Vice President Dana Warren and the Bank’s Director of Facility Paul Gusmini. As a good neighbor, the Bank has agreed to assume routine (not capital) maintenance of the new segment. Under the direction of Co-Chairs Charles Norris and Al Raine, the Water Transportation Working Group of The Boston Harbor Association has completed a White Paper on water transportation management and governance issues. This work has taken on increased relevancy as changes in the Commonwealth's transportation agencies have created an uncertain future for water transportation, shifting the focus from strengthening and expanding the current system to preserving existing routes, and avoiding reduction or elimination of service. The Water Transportation Working Group is working on a second White Paper focused on the future of Ferries as Transit. In the interim, the current White Paper is being provided to David D’Alessandro, who is preparing an independent review of the MBTA operations, and to Jeffrey Mullan, incoming Secretary and CEO of the newly created MassDOT. The new Water Transportation pavilion at Battery Wharf, which provides a seated waiting area for water transportation, was constructed as a result of TBHA’s advocacy.
On 26 August 2009 TBHA concluded a very successful “Back to the Beaches” summer season at Carson Beach in South Boston with a volunteer crew of 22 dedicated workers from John Hancock Financial Services. Working under the direction of Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) site supervisor Jack Kelly, the group improved pedestrian routes contiguous to the beach, removed invasive species, and cleaned trash from the shoreline. Carson Beach, which is accessible from the Red Line, is heavily used and depends upon volunteer efforts to enhance the maintenance capabilities of the DCR staff. Kudos to John Hancock's volunteers for lending their support!
Designed to connect people to the Harbor, TBHA's "Back to the Beaches" programs are generously supported by the Boston Water and Sewer Commission. This summer TBHA conducted four "Back to the Beaches" cruises to the newest Boston Harbor beach on Spectacle Island. To plan for next season, TBHA conducted an on-line survey of program attendees and discovered that 84% of the respondents were highly satisfied with their TBHA experience and 87% would recommend the program they attended to a friend or colleague. Participants suggested longer and more frequent trips to Spectacle Island and its beach, expansion of TBHA programming, and improvements to the audio component of the boat cruises.
The Boston Harbor Association’s 4 August 2009 HarborWalk tour focused on one of the organization’s top priorities, a Greener Boston Harbor. During the 90- minute tour, more than 25 participants visited three sites along the South Boston waterfront which are working to promote an environmentally sustainable Boston Harbor.
At the Boston Children’s Museum, participants viewed a portion of the museum’s “green roof” (see photo above), and learned that last year’s visitors helped with the roof’s plantings. Boston Children’s Museum is the first “green” museum in Boston, and incorporated storm water reclamation into its building expansion to reduce run-off into the Fort Point Channel.
At Manulife/ John Hancock Financial Services building, TBHA HarborWalk tour participants (see photo) viewed the innovative double-skin curtainwall, which in conjunction with the building’s high efficiency mechanical systems is reducing heating and cooling energy consumption by as much as 6% annually. The stepped design of the building’s 12th floor incorporates a “green roof” feature, allowing for better insulation and improved stormwater run-off.
At the Fish Pier on Northern Avenue, participants learned about Massport’s efforts to provide fishing vessels with electric shore power. Currently there are two stations at the Fish Pier where four users can use on-shore power, and funding has just been provided to expand shore power to the remaining fishing vessels. This will allow all fishing vessels to have access to electric power, rather than using their boat engines or on-board diesel generators which tend to generate more emissions. In 2008, Governor Deval Patrick signed the MA Oceans Act of 2008, which directed the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) to develop a comprehensive management plan for the protection and sustainable use of our ocean and coastal waters. The Commonwealth is notably the first state to undertake such a far-reaching plan, putting MA at the forefront of similar federal plans for other states. After 18 public meetings, 90 stakeholder consultations, and countless hours on the part of private citizens and state officials, the Draft MA Ocean Management Plan was released on 30 June 2009. The plan includes planning principles based on those explicitly stated in the Act and builds upon those identified by the 2004 Massachusetts Ocean Management Task Force, of which The Boston Harbor Association was an active participant. The plan will now undergo several months of public meetings and revision before final implementation. The draft ocean plan addresses four goals:
Click here to download a full copy of the DRAFT Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan.
Improved visitors facilities are underway on both Spectacle and Georges Island. Visitors to Spectacle Island’s beach will appreciate the new full-body showers and a new changing stalls for bathers located near by the beach. On Georges Island, a rehabilitation and expansion initiative is currently underway. To be completed in summer 2010, new amenities will include:
The Boston Harbor Association hosted another successful cruise to Spectacle Island on 14 July 2009. 160 participants joined TBHA for a narrated ferry ride to Spectacle as the bright sun made both passengers’ eyes and Boston Harbor sparkle. TBHA Executive Director Vivien Li spoke about TBHA’s efforts to improve both the water quality and the public beaches of the Boston Harbor, including Spectacle, for swimmers, boaters, and marine life. Upon arrival at the island, participants were free to explore Spectacle’s beautiful environment. Visitors spent time relaxing at the beach and swimming area, hiking to the top of the north and south drumlins to see the spectacular views of Boston Harbor, taking narrated tours of the island with the Department of Conservation and Recreation park rangers, grabbing a snack at the Summer Shack to eat in the shade of a huge pavilion, or checking out the exhibits in the Visitor’s Center about Spectacle’s unique scenery and history. Don’t miss the July 15 article in the Boston Globe about the trip, written by reporter Matt Collette, who enjoyed the cruise to Spectacle along with TBHA. Please click here to read the article. See you on some of our upcoming cruises!
On Monday, 6 July 2009, thanks to generous funding from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority, Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the City of Boston, Massport, and Eastern Salt Company, The Boston Harbor Association launched its 10th annual Boston Harbor Debris Removal Program to ensure a cleaner harbor. More than 220 tons of debris have been removed since the program began in 2000, eliminating navigational hazards and making the harbor safer and more inviting for swimmers, boaters, and marine life. At the 6 July press conference, Mayor Menino also announced that the City of Boston is funding a new pumpout boat, operated by UMass Boston.
The Boston Harbor Association has also been the primary advocacy group successfully getting a new maritime museum and 24-hour observation deck completed at the Fairmont Battery Wharf, North End waterfront. At the grand opening of the new HarborWalk segment in early July 2009, visitors viewed a new water transportation pavilion (see above), an enhanced HarborWalk with interpretive signage and binoculars, and an outside terrace dining area. Both the pocket maritime museum and observation deck are open to the public and free of charge.
Tall Ships from around the world docked in Boston harbor from Wednesday, 8 July 2009 to Monday, 13 July 2009. The Tall Ships celebration, organized by Sail Boston 2009, included public access to piers and many of the ships. In addition, Sail Boston 2009 organized a number of related free events along Boston Harbor.
Be sure to visit the New England Aquarium’s newest addition, the Marine Mammal Center on the new HarborWalk (see photos above and below), starting 1 July 2009. The new $10 million facility will be home to five fur seals; there are only 20 fur seals in captivity in the world today. Visitors will be able to see and hear the seals, and view informational panels. Seating is available during four seal shows daily. In the evening, LED strips make for an interesting walk along the Aquarium’s newest HarborWalk segment. For further information, please visit http://www.neaq.org or call 617-973-5281.
Another addition to the HarborWalk this year is the new pocket maritime museum on the HarborWalk, Battery Wharf Museum, which opens to the public on 6 July 2009 as part of the Fairmont Battery Wharf Hotel and Sensing Restaurant complex.
Learn fascinating maritime and Coast Guard history in this free exhibition space. From the 24-hour observation deck on the second floor, enjoy breathtaking views of Boston Harbor. The well-designed Battery Wharf section of the HarborWalk features free rest rooms, interpretive signage, telescopes, and an attractive water taxi pavilion and dock for transportation all around the harbor and to the airport. For further information, please visit www.fairmont.com/batterywharf or call (617) 994-9000.
With funding from John Hancock Financial Services, MLK Scholars Magaly Salazar and Carolin Santana Carolin interned with TBHA for the summer of 2009. To download full copies of their expositions, click here.
Have you taken a look at “Your Drinking Water Report” lately? The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA)’s just-released report shows that of the 120 contaminants tested in 2008, every standard was met. Lead test results for the City of Boston in 2008 show that drinking water provided by the MWRA’s Quabbin Reservoir was below the federal Lead Action Level. Take comfort in the fact that, according to the MWRA, “For less than a penny a gallon, you receive some of the cleanest, best tasting drinking water in the country!” For a copy of the report, please call the MWRA at 617-242-5323. In April 2009, The Chiofaro Co. entered the permitting process for the redevelopment of the Harbor Garage Site along the waterfront. The Chiofaro Plan suggests that new buildings of much greater height replace a seven-story parking and retail structure near the New England Aquarium. The Boston Harbor Association will play a prominent role in the projected two-year reviewing process, making aviation safety and sustainability top priorities. The proposed addition will include two new buildings containing thousands of square feet of floor space for offices, hotel use, residences, and retail space. Both towers, if approved as proposed, will be the tallest ever allowed on Boston’s waterfront. During the review process, TBHA will be attentive to the wind and shadow impacts of the project upon pedestrians, open spaces and parks, and waterfront users. TBHA will also look to both Massport and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to make appropriate determinations of aviation safety along this portion of the waterfront. State “Chapter 91” tidelands regulations specify a 50 percent open space requirement and a 155 feet height limitation at this location. This makes a Municipal Harbor Plan Amendment necessary in order to increase standard height limitations. The Boston Harbor Association commends the proponent of the Chiafaro Plan for making sustainable design and energy conservation key elements of the project. To obtain a copy of TBHA Executive Director Vivien Li’s article in the June 2009 issue of Banker & Tradesman about TBHA’s position regarding the Chiofaro Plan, please contact The Boston Harbor Association at 617-482-1722 or mail@tbha.org.
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The Boston Harbor Association - 374 Congress Street, Suite 307 - Boston, MA 02210 - 617-482-1722 (P) - 617-482-9750 (F) - mail@tbha.org |
