Inland Seas Schoolship

The Inland Seas Education Association has been in Suttons Bay for 25 years.

The mission of this organization is:

Inland Seas Education Association (ISEA) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help people of all ages experience the science and spirit of the Great Lakes through hands-on, experiential learning activities aboard a traditionally-rigged tall ship schooner. The knowledge gained through these experiences will provide the education, understanding, and commitment needed for the long-term stewardship of the Great Lakes. 

The Schoolship at full sail (photo courtesy of ISEA Facebook Page)

This year, the Schoolship took its 100,000th student out on the water! 

WOW!

Kids help haul sails

Pulling up the trawl net

I had time this month to get out on the Schoolship and watch the students learn about the lake.




While on a Schoolship cruise, the students help cast and haul an otter trawl net that gathers fish and other creatures from the lake. They also help hoist the sails. They take the temperature of the lake at the surface and at the bottom. Then, they pull up lake sediment.

Students explore lake life

The students rotate through stations that allow them to fully explore the lake as the ship sails Suttons Bay.

Red worms live in the lake sediment

A crayfish stands on a round goby

Students study microscopic life in the lake: zooplankton and phytoplankton

ISEA's Schoolship is a wonderful way for students to connect with these vital, fresh waters.