Christina Mignosa
Grade 9, St. Mary’s High School, Lynn
Mrs. Goodman, Teacher
A clean Boston Harbor means a clean home. I spend eight hours a day everyday during the summer in Boston Harbor sailing my Laser and competing. Sailing in places where the water is polluted and debris is floating takes away a lot of the pleasure. Boston Harbor affects my life in so many ways it would be difficult to be without it. I have spent many days swimming off boats at Worlds End in Hull. Every year I sail in the Make a Wish regatta in Winthrop Bay, and the Hingham Bay Race Week. I often walk around Deer Island and am amazed by the wastewater treatment plant and how futuristic it is. This is a monument to cleaning the harbor. It is nice to know that solar power and wind power are fueling this huge plant. I am anxiously awaiting the addition of three more wind turbines. According to the NECN website, Governor Deval Patrick said that Deer Island is ‘Leading by example’ in a commitment to clean energy.
My mother tells me stories of when she was young and the harbor was so polluted that she could not swim in it. I am so relieved that people started being concerned about polluting. Living on the waterfront in Winthrop, the harbor is a constant backdrop of my life. I grew to love the sea, and I am awed by it. A clean Boston Harbor has fueled my need to protect the sea. I hope to become a marine biologist and conservationist. I often take my kayak out to Snake Island, and have a picnic surrounded by all the creatures who call Boston Harbor their home. If the harbor was not clean, the sea life would not live in the Boston Harbor. In recent years, harbor seals have wintered in Winthrop. We are incredibly lucky to be hosts of these beautiful creatures.
With my membership in Sailors for the Sea, I am trying to do my part in protecting the ocean. My great grandfather, Captain James Patrick Sullivan, was a Boston Harbor pilot for 35 years. He witnessed the harbor’s deterioration and was disheartened by it. He believed it was our duty to protect Boston Harbor; in return it will contribute to our life. Humans have a partnership with the ocean. We cannot be arrogant enough to believe the ocean is simply there for us. Individuals must realize that taking all we want from the sea and using it as a dump is a bad idea. It states in the bible that we are stewards of the Earth. Our job is to take care of the planet and in turn use what we need to survive.
According to highbeam.com, the MWRA reports Boston Harbor clean up will generate 23,880 jobs in many fields. A clean Boston Harbor allows people to work in Boston Harbor as lobstermen and fishermen, and without a clean harbor, they would not have the resources to live. It is stated on the MWRA website, “Boston Harbor encompasses nearly 50 square miles of shoreline from Revere to Hingham”. This shows just how much there is for us to protect. You can easily find places where Boston Harbor protection is evident. For instance, there are fences on Winthrop Beach, Revere Beach and Snake Island, to protect Piping Plover nests.
A clean Boston Harbor means my children and generations to come may work and play in its unspoiled natural habitat. If we keep it clean, future generations will profit from our hard work and stewardship.
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