Some programs simply can’t be captured in words or pictures. You just have to be there. This was one of those days. It was mid August and, as it sometimes does in New England, the air was completely free of humidity and haze. It was crystal clear and the sky was as blue as the ocean we were paddling on!

When the students from the May Institute showed up to the beach we knew right away, their attitude matched the weather. They were bright, sunny and excited to take on the adventure.

After a quick briefing of the day and a few teambuilding activities to get the group acclimated, we spent time teaching some basic paddling skills to help the students prepare. Once everyone felt comfortable, we set out for a long journey around Worlds End and Rocky Neck and then up into the Weir River Estuary. It was truly remarkable! There were so many different types of birds and fish were umping everywhere!

After getting back to the beach and unpacking our boats we sat down for a little debrief session, as we always do. At the end of our discussion, after a lot of laughs, we asked the students to talk about their “high moment” for the day. Many students talked about the weather and the feel of the cool water on such a hot day. Others expressed how good if felt to be free and paddle “wherever they wanted”. Another said they’ll remember, “paddling on the ocean and getting the chance to help my friend.” One student even said ,”this was the best day of my summer”!

As simple as it may seem, it’s clear to us, these students were impacted….probably more impacted than they realized right away. Days like this don’t come that often but when they do we realize how much we need them. Enjoy the scenery!

A big THANK YOU goes out to the Trustees of the Reservation for allowing us to use Worlds End as a launching site for this and many other programs.