BaySail's info
BaySail's Mission
>> To foster environmental stewardship of the Saginaw Bay Watershed and the Great Lakes ecosystem and to provide personal development opportunities for learners of all ages through ship board and land based educational experiences. <<
Donors
- Alden and Vada Dow Foundation
- Bay Area Community Foundation
- Bay City Morning Rotary
- Bay City Noon Rotary
- The Bay City Times
- Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
- Consumer's Energy Foundation
- Dow Chemical Foundation
- Gougeon Brothers
- General Motors Powertrain
- Kantzler Foundation
- Michigan Sea Grant
- Rollin M. Gerstacker Foundation
- Realtor's Association of Bay County
- Ronald McDonald House Charities
- Russell & Maxine Smith Foundation
- Saginaw Bay Watershed Initiative Network
- Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation
- S.C. Johnson Foundation
- Wienlander Fitzhugh
Science Under Sail K-12
BaySail’s Science Under Sail program, delivered on board the Appledore IV and Appledore V, is a hands-on science program for elementary through high school students. Winter programs (Nov - April) are offered Monday - Friday aboard the Appledore V from our Fort Myers, Florida location. Spring and summer programs are offered aboard both of the ships from four Great Lakes Ports: Bay City, Detroit, Mackinaw City, and Cleveland. Click here for program dates.
The emphasis of our educational sail is water quality, with the primary focus on ecosystem health. While aboard students will be directly involved in analyzing the water, sediment and plankton samples that they collect while underway. During these hands-on exercises, students learn how the interaction of these different elements plays an important role in the overall functioning of their local ecosystem.
During the sail students will also take part in several hands-on activities focused on weather, navigation, and scientific observation.
Of course, in addition to offering an extensive scientific curriculum, the trip provides the students the opportunity to participate in raising the schooner’s sails and taking a turn at the wheel under the watchful eye of the Appledore’s experienced Captain and crew.
All of the onboard activities were developed with the teacher's goals in mind. Michigan programs meet many MEAP objectives and include pre and post sail activities aligned to Michigan Content Standards and Benchmarks for each major discipline – Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies. The program is also aligned with the new Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCE). Florida programs meet many FCAT ojectives and are aligned to the Sunshine State Standards for education. For a comprehensive listing of Science under Sail curriculum links please see our Evaluation Reports.
Participating teachers receive a level specific Educator’s Manual, which is full of water-related activities that can be used in the classroom both before and after the Appledore trip.
| Nautical Science Stations: |
|---|
| Weather - | take readings of humidity, wind velocity etc |
| Navigation - | learn some basic navigation techniques using a nautical chart and instruments |
| Observation - | identify birds, waterfowl, point source and nonpoint source pollution |
| At Anchor: | Students gather samples of lake bottom (benthos), water, and plankton. |
|---|---|
| Sailing: | Students and crew raise the sails and coil the lines. |
| Freshwater/Marine Science Stations: |
|---|
| Benthic - | analyze bottom sample for organisms |
| Water - | analyze water sample for temperature and clarity,and levels of dissolved oxygen, PH, nitrates and nitrites. |
| Plankton - | identify and examine live plankton with microscopes below deck |
Click here for the shipboard itinerary.
