Inland Seas Boat Building Program Featured in Newspaper Article

ISEA's Boat Building Program for youth was featured in today's Traverse City Record Eagle.  Read the article at http://record-eagle.com/features/x141315872/Young-boat-builders-start-from-scratch

Students and Instructors Set Up the Building Jig in the ISEA Boat Shop

Special thanks to the Collectors Foundation and Easling Construction for support of this project, which does not charge the students any fees for their participation.

Save The Sturgeon - ISEA's Great Lakes Seminar Tonight

Come join us this evening to hear Marty Holtgren, the Senior Inland Fisheries Biologist with the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, speak about the research being done on sturgeon and the stewardship plan that will protect them. A screening of a short documentary will precede Marty's presentation.

You can also check out the five little sturgeon we have in our large aquarium at the Education Center.

This seminar is free and open to the public. The program is at 7pm at the Inland Seas Education Center, Suttons Bay.  Call 231-271-3077 for more information.

In The Boat Shop - Pram Class #1

Today was our first day of pram construction.  The students learned how to use epoxy glue and clamps, and practiced the safety procedures they learned at the orientation sesson.  And at the end of the today's session, they got to feed the fish in the tanks upstairs.

Epoxy coating a transom

Rolling on epoxy

Can't have too many clamps!

Done for the day.  See you next Saturday. 

Canoe #9 Planked Up

The ISEA Boat Shop's 9th strip planked canoe is planked up and being faired by our student boatbuilders.  The 2012 Winter Pram Building Class has just started and will be meeting at the Boat Shop on Saturday mornings.  Stop in and see the progress of the canoe and the prams.

The Great Lakes Bowl - Ann Arbor 2-4-12

ISEA's Tom Kelly assisted with the Great Lakes Science Bowl on Saturday.  High School teams from Michigan competed in very tough competition for a chance to go to the National Ocean Science Bowl. The Great Lakes Science Bowl was held at the S. T. Dana Building, home of the School of Natural Resources and Environment.

The NOSB is a nationwide academic competition among teams of high school students. Regional competitions are held around the U.S. in February and March with the final National Competition held in April. The NOSB tests students' math and science skills as applied to topics on ocean (and Great Lakes) biology, chemistry, geology, physics, technology, history, and economics. Information about NOSB is available online to help students and teachers prepare for the competition: http://www.nosb.org/

The Dexter High School team - Winners of this year's Great Lakes Science Bowl

Green Hills High School Team - 2nd Place at GLSB

ISEA awarded the top two teams (Dexter High School & Greenhills High School of Ann Arbor) trips aboard the schooner Inland Seas to study limnology of the Great Lakes.  All other teams were offered ISEA scholarships through a grant received from the Herbert and Grace Dow Foundation. We hope to have all competing Michigan teams sailing aboard the Schoolship this year!   And congratulations to the winners and all competitors in this years Bowl.

ISEA Team Visits NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary at Alpena

After our visit to the National Weather Service in Gaylord, our road trip continued to the NOAA Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary at Alpena.  Thanks to Jeff Grey, Russ Green and Sarah Waters for giving us a great tour of this fantastic facility.  

How many places can you find a full size 19th century schooner (at least part of one) in a museum?

You can climb aboard, walk on deck and go below.  Careful of that big wave coming over the bow.

Inland Seas Staff Visits NWS Gaylord Radar Station

On February 2nd, the entire ISEA staff made a visit to the National Weather Service Radar Station in Gaylord. Bruce Smith, Meteorologist in Charge, gave us the tour and explained all the capabilities of the station. 
 

When you listen to NWS Weather Radio, it comes from this console.

Justin Arnott, Science & Operations Officer,  working on the next forecast.

NWS Gaylord Station showing doppler radar in background



Bruce Smith demonstrating the forecasting resources available to NWS Staff

Thanks to Bruce Smith and his staff for the great tour.  We were amazed at the technology and the dedication of the NWS staff.  --Tom Kelly