From the Pilothouse
With only a few more days left before the New Year, I have been reflecting on the many events of the past season. We had pretty good weather (ok, there were a few notable exceptions), and lots of eager students, young and old. We made many new friends and lost a few precious friends of many years.
But now it is time to look ahead to the coming New Year. There will still be the challenges of operating a non-profit in our struggling economy, and of course the vagaries of the weather, but I think 2010 will be another great year at ISEA.
We start our Volunteer Instructor Class on January 6th, and continue our winter seminar series on January 13th. Most exciting is our sailing schedule for 2010. This will include the 22nd season of spring and fall Schoolship Programs for schools, and a very busy summer of public programs and specialty programs for youth, teachers and community leaders. We will be doing a lot of traveling, with voyages to Escanaba, Charlevoix, and Chicago. This will require a lot of energy from the office staff, ship's crew and our volunteer instructors, but it will be a great opportunity to carry out our mission of Protecting the Great Lakes Through Education in distant ports.
This busy schedule will also require matching funds from our many foundation and individual donors. I hope you will join me and hundreds of other Great Lakes citizens in supporting the work of ISEA in the coming year. One easy way to do that is to click here!
Best wishes for a happy and busy new year.
Tom Kelly, Executive Director |
All classes take place from 6:30-8:30pm at the Inland Seas Education Center unless otherwise noted.
January 6
Introduction to ISEA, our Great Lakes Schoolship Program, and Education Center
January 13
Luke Clyburn of the Noble Odyssey Foundation will present a seminar, "The Norwood Project: Underwater Adventure into the Past"
January 20
The Great Lakes and Global Freshwater
January 27
Safety Aboard the Schoolship
February 3
Sample Collections and Weather
February 10
Water Chemistry
February 17
Benthos
February 24
Plankton
March 3
Fish
March 10
Seamanship
March 17
Teaching Strategies
March 24
Stewardship and Review
April 7
All Day New Volunteer Instructor Training (9:00am-5:00pm)
April 14
Veteran Instructor Training (1:00-5:00pm)
April 21
Lead Instructor Training (2:00-5:00pm)
April 30
New Volunteer Schoolship Programs (8:30am-12:30pm OR 1:15-5:15pm) |
Volunteer to take care of our aquariums and fish
Volunteer to help with donated boat acquisitions & sales
Laptop computer for shipboard use
Digital video camera
Mounted Great Lakes fish
Foul weather gear | |
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Wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday season! |
ISEA's Volunteer Instructor Training Course Begins
January 6, 2010
ISEA is looking for a new class of volunteer instructors to help us pr ovide students with an exciting science and sailing adventure. Not sure if you want to become a volunteer? Come to the introductory session on January 6, 2010 to learn more about ISEA. No experience required!
The volunteer instructor training course takes place on Wednesday evenings from 6:30-8:30pm at the Inland Seas Education Center in Suttons Bay (100 Dame Street). Classes include an educational presentation and hands-on activities led by ISEA staff and experienced volunteer instructors. For more information, head to ISEA's website. If you have further questions or would like to register for the training course, please contact ISEA Education Director Christine Crissman by phone at 231-271-3077 or e-mail. Please help us spread the word! |
ISEA Announces its 2010 Summer Sailing Season
A true Great Lakes sailing experience focused on a unique combination of science and maritime history awaits this summer aboard the schooner Inland Seas. Family Ecology Sails are the centerpiece of a summer of hands-on activities aboard the 77-foot tall ship, with sails scheduled from July 2 through August 11, 2010. These three-hour science and sailing adventures are offered to families, ages 5 and up.
 ISEA also offers a variety of specialty sailing experiences for both families and adults. These programs feature a four-hour Gull Island Birding Cruise on June 14th, where passengers will observe and learn about the gull and cormorant colonies on Gull Island, as well as get a close-up look at the ruins of the Ustick Cottage.
On July 7th, our Maritime History Sail will feature local historians discussing the rich maritime history of the coastal villages of Suttons Bay, Omena, and Peshawbestown as we sail on Grand Traverse Bay. You will enjoy dinner prepared by our ship's cook.
 A day-long sail to Power Island is scheduled for July 13th, where you will learn about the history, geology, and ecology of the Grand Traverse Bay region. This sail also includes a guided hike on Power Island.
The popular Astronomy Under Sail excursions with astronomer Dick Cookman are scheduled for the evenings of August 9th and 10th. Sailing eastward away from the shore, this adults-only adventure affords a clear view of the night sky and the constellations that have guided ships for centuries.
Click here for a complete 2010 summer sailing schedule. |
Great Lakes Seminar Series: "The Norwood Project: Underwater Adventure into the Past"
January 13, 2010
 ISEA's 2009-2010 Great Lakes Seminar Series continues on January 13th at 7:00pm at the Inland Seas Education Center. Luke Clyburn, president of the Noble Odyssey Foundation, will discuss a short video with amazing footage and commentary about the ancient submerged river channel near the mouth of Grand Traverse Bay. The seminar is free and open to the public.
The Noble Odyssey Foundation (NOF) research team is a group of scientists from local universities and museums and divers that undertake submarine and coastal research projects under the direction of Captain Luke Clyburn, who also serves as the Director of the NOF. In 2004, John Zawiskie of Cranbrook Institute of Science and Scripps University marine biologist Dr. Elliot Smith directed the underwater mapping of the geology of the sill at the mouth of Grand Traverse Bay. This led to the creation of the first geologic map of the bottom sediments and bedrock in that part of the lake basin and documentation of a drowned river channel cut through lake bottom clay at depths of up to 150 feet. This is a relict channel from the low stand period that formed when the current lake floor was a land area, sometime between 10,000 and 7,500 years ago.
Click here for more information about this and other upcoming seminars. |
International Study Board Finds the St. Clair River is Stable
Since 2007, a binational team of experts, with extensive public input, has been investigating whether there are on-going changes in the St. Clair River that might be affecting water levels in the upper Great Lakes (Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior). In a report released earlier this month, the International Upper Great Lakes Study Board found there has been no significant erosion in the St. Clair River channel since 2000, there has been an increase in the river's conveyance capacity, and that climate is the main driver of lake level relationships. For more information on the findings of this study, check out the summary report provided by the International Upper Great Lakes Study Board. |
Make a New Year's Resolution:
Remember Inland Seas in your will...
You Can Create a Legacy of Stewardship of the Great Lakes
Protecting the Great Lakes will remain a critical task for many years to
come, and you can help sustain Inland Seas' important role in the
preservation of our lakes. A future gift that is thoughtfully planned
balances what you wish to accomplish for yourself, your family, and your
desire to help Inland Seas educate the kids who will preserve the Great Lakes for future generations.
With proper gift planning, you may be able to make generous gifts that you
thought were not possible. Determining what type of gift is right for you is
as important as making the gift itself.
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For more information please contact ISEA's Development
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Asian Carp
Want to know more about the increasing threat of Asian carp entering the Great Lakes? Check out this Great Lakes United website dedicated to the most up-to-date information regarding the ongoing struggle.
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