Vivien Li is a woman on a mission - and her mission is 47 miles long.

For the past 19 years Vivien has been the Director of The Boston Harbor Association (TBHA) a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting a clean, alive and accessible Boston Harbor and waterfront. A major focus of TBHA is the creation and support of the Harbor Walk, the development of the 47 mile stretch of Boston Harbor waterfront that is now almost entirely accessible to the public. Recently we had an opportunity to chat with Vivien at the headquarters for The Boston Harbor Association.

The first thing we learned was the importance of the state's Public Waterfront Act known as Chapter 91. The Waterways regulations which implement the law provide for public access and water-dependent uses along the waterfront, which have resulted in a "HarborWalk" public access system, as well as open spaces, public seating, rest rooms, and docks along the waterfront. Backed by this ruling and Vivien's relentless efforts the Harbor Walk now continues for 39 of the 47-mile stretch of waterfront with a wide variety of free and accessible activities. Currently, visitors to the waterfront can find binoculars, new bathhouses at the beaches, free concerts and yoga classes, artwork, decorative plantings and more. 

Vivien explained that in 1973 the League of Women Voters established The Boston Harbor Association to create an accessible waterfront for future generations.  Now as each parcel of land along the waterfront is sold,

re-developed or remodeled developers are required to comply with the rulings from the Public Waterfront Act.  It is through the vigilance of TBHA that the spirit of this ruling is fully carried out.  There are still some parcels that have not yet fallen under this ruling. But when they do Vivien will be there.

Anchoring different points of the Harbor are a wide variety of museums.  Begin at the Children's Museum,  in Fort Point Channel, walk to the New England Aquarium, at Central Wharf and catch a water ferry right to the dock of the USS Constitution Museum. Or you can head off to the Institute of Contemporary Art in South Boston or wander over to the John F. Kennedy Libraryin Dorchester. There are numerous examples of public art and cultural facilities throughout the entire stretch of the Harbor Walk.

Vivien points out that each area of the waterfront reflects the different neighborhoods of Boston.  Some, like Fort Point Channel have beautiful hotels and restaurants, while other neighborhoods like Dorchester feature revitalized beaches.  In all cases the residents who live in the area as well as visiting tourists all benefit from this effort - it brings everyone to the waterfront.  

 It is Vivien's commitment to creating and strengthening community in each of these neighborhoods that has so dramatically changed the look and feel of the Boston Harbor.  The Boston Harbor Association Website provides a detailed view into the ongoing efforts, the history and free events and tours that the organization sponsors.  Take a closer look and join in.

Vivien Li is the Director of The Boston Harbor Association.  She welcomes everyone to join her on the HarborWalk tours and the many other free activities, including boat cruises, that are now part of The Boston Harbor Association.

Lynn Baum is Senior Content Developer for Jan Crocker Museum Associates. 

By Carol Majahad

First, some facts.  North Andover, MA, originally just Andover, became a town in 1646.  In 1855, the southern end of town broke from the rest, taking the name Andover with it.  The remaining original town was re-incorporated as North Andover.

Two historic sites remain adjacent to each other in what was the original center of town; the 1789 Johnson Cottage that is part of the North Andover Historical Society (NAHS) and the North Parish Unitarian Universalist Church.  Although the current church building only dates back to 1836, it is a direct descendent of the original founding Puritan Church. The establishment of the church with at least five members in 1645 was a prerequisite for establishing the town. 

In recent times our two sites have formed a long-standing collaboration keeping the history of the Old Center vibrant. In fact, many members of the church are also supporters of the Historical Society. Together, programs were created that brought the history to life. For example, to help augment the NAHS's hands-on curriculum, a former Minister would cheerfully don a period costume, mount the pulpit and give a rousing sermon invoking the church services of an earlier time. Following the sermon came the real treat. It was time to ring the bell. Not just any bell, it was cast in 1807 by Paul Revere and Sons. The students would head up to the old entry, line up and leap onto the bell rope hoping to hear it ring. They were literally hanging on to history.

View from Johnson Cottage to North Parish Church

Changes to the Massachusetts Social Studies Frameworks ended this school program in 2004. However the collaboration between our two sites continued and a new and more vital chapter began.  The Historical Society became the custodian of the Church records during the 1970s, and in 2005 began planning an exhibit to recognize the 360^th anniversary of the founding of the Church.  Conversations with the minister brought up additional programming partnerships, and the possibilities expanded.  Special programs for the Church members and the general public were launched.   

When the North Parish Church contracted an architectural firm to restore the church to the 1836 façade, research was done with the help of the Historical Society.  That partnership spawned a reciprocal public program on the restoration process, held at the Society, replayed at the local cable access studio and finally captured by the Church in a commemorative book in 2009.

Cross-promotional events through websites and social media encourage attendance at both institutions and increase our resources. While 7th grade students are no longer lining up to ring the church bell, current students recently produced and performed act one of The Crucible in the sanctuary.  Our shared past, our common missions, and, of course, our location as next-door neighbors favor a continued collaboration. What will the future hold? 

Carol Majahad is the Executive Director of the North Andover Historical Society.

By Christine Hammond

In 2009 the Children's Museum of Southeastern Connecticut installed three wells for a geothermal heating and cooling system.  Little we did we know that well drilling is messy and kills every living thing within a 5000 square foot area.  Our outdoor play yard was in a shambles and we needed to rebuild.

In the same year the Board of Trustees adapted a new strategic plan. A critical piece of the strategic positioning was a return to the Museum's roots as a community-connected museum, fueled by the energies and talents of our neighbors.

Pulling these two disparate pieces together was an idea we had the year before;  to build a tree fort with a focus on simple machines. The devastation in the yard and the direction from the Strategic Plan provided the right opportunity to move ahead with this project. These seemingly unrelated influences suddenly merged to become the force for creating a new icon for a small children's museum. 

Because we wanted the project to be participatory in its design we began by advertising for group of children to be our exhibit development team.  At the first meeting, the children were shown the site.  Together, they and the Museum staff reviewed the logistics of the project including the zoning codes for size and accessibility. One child even asked about the budget!

As the different issues and topics emerged we were able to divide the kids into smaller groups based on their interests.  Each group had a task, guided by their group leader helping the kids to think in more abstract ways. 

Children were asked to consider the functions of different parts of the tree house and the kinds of materials that could be used.

For example, one group felt that a section of the flooring should be made of rubber giving it some bounce.

Eventually, the children began to express their ideas through drawings, with older ones creating lists.

We used the new drawings and lists to replicate the design ideas with cardboard pieces made to scale. At the next meeting the kids used these pieces, fitting them together like a 3-d puzzle.  We  built four different shapes for the floors, different size walls that could go up anywhere, and numerous versions of entry and exit methods.

The children met again and built a model that eventually became the final version of the tree fort. We are still seeking funding to add the accessories the children envisioned:  a zipline, which will go under the tree fort and a slide that allows kids to exit from the second floor.  We are looking for an old piece of conveyor belt to replace a section of flooring with rubber.

Admittedly, there were a few bumps along the way but working with the children was a real pleasure. We were delighted with their creativity, passion and insight.  We created new connections with a few children that had outgrown the museum years earlier.  We welcomed a few newcomers to our neighborhood and, we achieved a sense of community with a "way cooler" tree-fort than if we had designed it ourselves. 

An example comes from the structure group as they were thinking about the floors.  The group leader asked them what a floor did.  The kids said that a floor stopped someone from falling out of the bottom of the structure.  Then they said the tree fort needed a wooden deck.  The group leader then asked if something else could be used to stop people from falling out of the bottom.  The kids came up with the idea of a section of the floor being made of rubber that had some bounce.   This same type of conversation was held with each group in an attempt to boil down the different elements of the tree fort to their basic functions. 

Christine Hammond is the Executive Director of the Children's Museum of Southeastern Connecticut.