Save the Harbor / Save the Bay

Save the Harbor/Save the Bay is a Boston nonprofit that works to restore and protect Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Bay and the marine environment, and to share them with the public. It is a leading regional voice for clean water and continued public investment in the harbor, the region’s public beaches and the Boston Harbor Islands. Its free programs are designed to break down barriers of race, language, income and ability so that everyone can enjoy the waterfront.

The organization was founded in 1986 by the attorney who brought the Boston Harbor Case, the judge who first heard it, the Boston Globe reporter who covered it and an advocate who wanted a harbor clean enough for her children. It pushed for the completion of the harbor cleanup, led the effort to turn 34 neglected islands into the Boston Harbor Islands national park and helped make the South Boston beaches some of the cleanest urban beaches in the country.

What to Know

• Free harbor cruises, island trips and Better Beaches events run from Nahant to Nantasket each summer.
• Its youth and family programs have connected more than 350,000 young people and their families to the harbor.
• The organization manages the Metropolitan Beaches Commission for the Massachusetts Legislature.
• The Summer Sendoff Boat Benefit raises money for a summer of free events.
• Beach accessibility resources help visitors with disabilities enjoy Boston’s beaches.