FLOATING CLASSROOM
The Appledore V Docks in Harbor Beach
by Janis Stein

BaySail's Appledore V sailed into Harbor Beach last week, providing an educational science class for several students within the Huron Intermediate School District. A topsail schooner, the Appledore V typically resides next to her sister ship, Appledore IV, at the north end of Wenonah Park in downtown Bay City.

According to Scott Whipple, HISD Science Consultant, Sensient Flavors, Inc. allowed the 65-foot sailboat to utilize their dock; without Sensient's generosity, the event may not have been possible.

"This was a good opportunity for the students of Huron County, and we were happy to accommodate them," said James Tenbusch, Plant Manager at Sensient Flavors, Inc.

"Harbor Beach is the only port in Huron County that could accommodate either of the boats, due to the depth of the harbor. This is the first year BaySail has come to the Thumb; we're hoping to make it an annual event," commented Whipple.

Several Huron County schools participated in this floating field trip, and I joined one group of Ubly Community School eighth graders as they shared in this interactive learning experience.

Captain David Leanza and Jack Rich, BaySail's Program Director, began the trip with a brief safety review, demonstrating how to use the life vests before the students walked up the gangway to board the Appledore V. The eighth graders were split into two groups and equipped with a small clipboard and Appledore Journals, where they would log the information they collected from their discoveries.

As the Appledore V motored out of the harbor, Jack Rich, along with Saginaw Valley State University student, John Janson, instructed and supervised, demonstrating and aiding the students in collecting plankton samples using a plankton net; collecting benthic vegetation samples using a dredge; and collecting water samples using an alpha water bottle, the bottle designed to capture and trap water at a certain depth so no surface water was collected in the process.

After the samples were collected, the students did a bit of sailing. With the hum of the engine no more, up went the jib sail and the staysail - the instructors choosing volunteers to assist them in raising the sails. Passengers aboard the Appledore V, now acclimated to the gentle bobbing of the schooner, delighted in the visual smorgasbord before them: a passing freighter in the distance; the Harbor Beach lighthouse standing out against the blue backdrop of Lake Huron - its resident swallows dipping and diving to and fro; and water fowl including herring gulls, Canada geese and cormorants.

Ubly Community School's eighth grade science and computer teacher, Stewart Kieliszewski, affectionately called Mr. K by his students, stated he wanted the kids to think about pollution and how the things we do every day can affect the environment. Mr. K's students began their lesson in the classroom prior to setting sail.

"BaySail has been great; they provided a CD and binder (as educational aids) prior to the trip," said Mr. K.

Expenses for Ubly students were held to a minimum. The trip was paid for, in part, from grant money received from the Huron County Community Foundation, the grant written by Mr. K. Additional fundraising activities also supported the trip, which was offered to every Ubly eighth grader. Each group aboard was limited to 25 students, plus two chaperones and the crew.

With the Thumb surrounded by water, Lake Huron makes for a unique classroom.

"Many kids live close to the water and have never been on a boat," added Mr. K. The Appledore V brought new experiences to students on many levels.

While the students made observations and worked with their instructors, Captain Leanza and Mindy Doroski, a professional mariner serving as the Appledore's First Mate, managed the sails, ensured the rigging lines were in order and wheeled the schooner, always with a watchful eye on the compass.

Said Jack Rich of the Appledore crew, "When you have a group of people working together who love what they're doing, it's infectious, and the kids pick up on that excitement!"

Other points of interest discussed as the Appledore V sailed included pollution sources; the difference between climate and weather; wind direction; and wind speed. Rich and Janson familiarized the students with an anemometer, which aids in judging wind speed, and also shared a visual demonstration depicting how air pressure works.

Students then went below and watched with interest as Janson placed specimens from their plankton sample under the microscope, the microorganisms displayed on a television screen for all to see. The group's plankton sample contained a copepod, which is zooplankton, as well as some algae. Students also viewed cyanobacteria, phytoplankton and a male and female crustacean, the female easily identified by her egg sac.

Meanwhile on deck, Rich showed the other group of students samples of invasive species, including a round gobie and zebra mussels. According to Rich, there are 160 invasive species in the Great Lakes watershed.

Rich went on to describe a dung beetle, pulling out a canister and informing the students these beetles were rich in the sugar they secreted and, not only were they edible, the dung beetles were actually quite tasty. Offering the chaperones and students a sample to taste - fear-factor style - almost all tried one! For those students still wondering what they ate, these "dung beetles" were actually dates!

As the Appledore V sailed to the harbor, Rich quizzed the students on all they had learned, the students firing back answers with ease.

According to their Web site, it is the mission of BaySail "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."

At the trip's completion, Captain Leanza guided the Appledore V along the Sensient dock, its sails up due to the calm day. Following the captain's lead, the crew worked together like choreographed dancers, securing the boat so its passengers could walk back up the gangway. And for BaySail, it was one more mission accomplished.

For more information about BaySail, please call their office at 989-895-5193 or visit their Web site at baysailbaycity.org.

Editor's Note: I sailed with the 11:15 a.m. group of Ubly Community School eighth graders. These students were respectful of their instructors, interested in their environment and genuinely excited to participate in this phenomenal opportunity aboard the Appledore V. If this group is reflective of all of Ubly's students, Ubly Community School has a great deal to be proud of.