⟵ BACK TO Green Harbors
Boston Harbor
Having been initiated in Boston, the Green Harbors Project’s (GHP) vision encompasses the stewardship of the water flowing from the upland watersheds to through the harbor and out to Stellwagen Bank. Using a whole system approach, the sites on the map (below) follow the course of the rivers, the coastal salt marshes and water quality within the harbor itself.
The GHP restoration efforts strive to recognize and incorporate the traditional ecological knowledge of native communities, both locally and globally. This approach has included our participation in the building of an educational fish weir on Thompson Island in the spring of 2010. Thompson Island was historically a summer fishing site for local native communities and is a convergence point for three main rivers: the Neponset, the Charles and the Mystic Rivers.
Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) is a holistic set of observations, stories and traditions that are passed along from generation to generation. One primary aim of TEK is to maximize the sustainability of local resources; and this is exactly what Dr. Frankic wanted to mimic when initiating the GHP. She envisioned the establishment of a holistic scientific approach when working to restore shellfish, salt marsh and eelgrass beds.
Presently, UMass Boston and the GHP have several research and community-oriented projects underway with more and more momentum being built in their wake. Our projects include salt marsh monitoring and restoration, monitoring of invasive species, monitoring harbor water quality, native shellfish restoration, green roofs development and the pumping out commercial boaters.
Please join us as we re-imagine a harbor teeming with lobster, boaters, swimmers, eelgrass, and native shellfish.
Boston Current Projects
We are excited to share our current work in the Boston Harbor with you, including the possibility for restoring some of the harbor's lost and degraded coastal habitats through the Biomimicry LivingLabs.
Students are the key to the GHP's success, as many of these projects are student-led. The student projects address local community issues and positively contribute to student employments post-graduation, they are all presented in the accompanying pages.
We welcome and strongly encourage community and organizational support for the student’s work. If you would like to learn more, please visit our Adopt-a-Student for a green job page.