The steel-hulled schooner Appledore IV is a very busy floating classroom in the spring and fall, delivering educational programs for K—12th grade students. But the fun doesn’t end when school lets out for the summer. “Our core program is SCIENCE UNDER SAIL, an award-winning environmental education experience for K—12th grade students,” explained BaySail’s Shirley Roberts. “Most people in the region are aware of our educational programs, but a lot of people don’t realize we offer a variety of opportunities for individuals and families to come aboard the Appledore IV and create their own tall ship adventure right in the heart of the Great Lakes.” Individuals and families can enjoy a narrated cruise on Legends of the Saginaw trips offered most weekends from June to September. Popular BBQ and Dinner Sails feature an evening of sailing and a catered meal aboard the ship on select dates July through August. Once a month from June through August, Family Ecology trips provide interactive experiences for grandparents, parents and children to learn about our ecosystem and the Saginaw Bay Watershed, while Plein Air Art Discovery Programs will feature artist educators guiding participants to integrate art and nature by capturing the images they see along the banks of the Saginaw River. On two very special occasions, BaySail will offer an opportunity to sail under the night sky with a live program presented onboard by Delta College Planetarium & Learning Center astronomers. The Moonlight Sail explores the phases of the moon and moon legends (July 12) and the Stargazer Sail focuses on constellations, star legends and celestial navigation (August 23). For those seeking a bit more adventure, BaySail offers Windward Bound, a sail training program for trainees aged 12 to 18 who learn teamwork and self-reliance while voyaging on Lake Huron for three to five days. A new Windward Bound Scouts program is a three-day program that combines sailing to and from Tawas Bay with two nights of camping and exploring parks along the shore of Lake Huron. Appledore IV will also deliver educational programs this summer from the Port of Detroit and from the Great Lakes Science Center in Cleveland. It will participate in Detroit River Days and sail from East Tawas for two weekends in July. For more information, please visit baysailbaycity.org
Posted on: Sat, 07 Jun 2014 13:00:01 +0000