The Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands is a grassroots membership organization whose mission is to inspire stewardship and respect for the islands through educational and interpretive programs. The organization encourages public use of the islands, balanced with the need to protect their fragile ecosystem and historic environment. Our group of spirited volunteers has worked on behalf of islands for 45 years!
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​The Friends of the Boston Harbor Islands is an independent organization founded in 1979 that is now affiliated with Boston Harbor Now. ​

JOIN - RENEW - DONATE  TO THE FRIENDS OF THE BOSTON HARBOR ISLANDS

Annual New Year's Day trip

Annual New Year's Day trip to Cathleen Stone Island formerly known as Thompson Island on January 1, 2025. Trip will be on Mass Bay Lines (Rowes Wharf) from 12:00-4:00 pm. To purchase tickets click here.

volunteer with national parks of boston ​​

You will find opportunities for the fall by searching  www.volunteer.gov. These include Stewardship Saturdays along with the Bunker Hill /Charlestown Navy Yard Visitor Services Assistant. All volunteers register through  www.volunteer.gov.
For specific volunteer days see below:
  • ​Stewardship Saturday event on Great Brewster Island, November 6th from 7:30 am – 3:30 pm. 
  • Stewardship Saturday event at the Outer Islands, November 13th from 7:30 am – 3:30 pm.​

FBHI IN The News

Betty Reid Soskin​, who turned 103 years old in September, graces the cover of the summer edition of Ranger, the magazine of the Association of National Park Rangers, and is the subject of a piece on page 16. She's also featured in an article titled “Songs of Freedom” in the fall issue of National Parks magazine. This piece goes into the upcoming documentary and new musical which shine a light on the amazing life and work of Betty, an activist, famed ranger and musician.

You’ll also find in the same issue of Ranger the article "Chasing History" about the FBHI Great Brewster book project. The article is on pages 14-15.

A Personal account of visiting three Harbor islands in three days

"Offshore Escape" by Dorian Fox is about his visit to Georges, Peddocks and Spectacle Islands. By clicking here you'll open the article on National Parks Conservation Association's website in a new window.

​A Boston Harbor Islands Adventure: The Great Brewster Journal of 1891

The FBHI has published a book that all those who love the Harbor Islands would enjoy. On June 5, 2023, the History Press released A Boston Harbor Islands Adventure: The Great Brewster Journal of 1891. This book is the result of intense work by FBHI volunteers, led by Stephanie Schorow, author of East of Boston: Notes from the Harbor Islands.

From the back cover: In 1891, four intrepid women from Lowell, Massachusetts, sailed to a remote island in Boston Harbor for a 17-day escape from New England and prim and proper society. Calling themselves the Scribe, the Aristocrat, the Acrobat and the Autocrat, the women stayed in a cottage on Great Brewster Island, reveling in the chance to shed their identities of wife, mother and daughter. Relive their sojourn through their remarkable journal – which is in the collection of Harvard University – filled with observations, illustrations, photography and poetry.

Order from History Press here
OR GO TO YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE.

​To book an illustrated lecture on this amazing book, email sschorow@comcast.net

Visit the harbor virtually!

We'll be posting historical and informative information occasionally on our Facebook Page about the harbor & your islands. View our "Zoom Ahoy" series of virtual presentations:

friends of the Boston hARBOR islands is affiliated with boston harbor now as the FBHI Fiscal Agent 

You can see the May 2023 announcement of the change by clicking here.

our history – digitized!

We've been able to have some of our history preserved - our Tidings Newsletters from 1985-1987 have been digitized, and we've just uploaded our eTidings from 2014-2019 as well!  Click here to see them!

1969 video of boston hARBOr (restored)

Through the efforts of Suzanne Gall Marsh & the UMass Archives a rare 1969 film showing Boston & many of the Harbor Islands has been restored and is available for viewing - click on the image and prepare to be taken back in time!  The video is just under 18 minutes long.  Enjoy!

you can vISIT THE islands online year-round with many photos of cathleen stone, calf, graves light station, rainsford and outer brewster islands

Can't make it out - or interested in seeing what you might see on one of our trips?  Visit the islands online via photos by some of our Friends - Click on the island names below to start your journey!