Floating laboratory.

The Snow Goose spends the fall and spring in her home port of Bellingham Washington, where it holds a prominent place in the educational community. Though organizations such as The North Cascades Institute and Huxley College of Environmental Studies frequently charter our 65-foot trawler for workshops and seminars, the Snow Goose is mostly known for the marine science field trips that run September through May on Bellingham Bay.

During these excursions, the boat visits four locations: The Whatcom Waterway, Post Point, the mouth of Padden Creek and the Nooksack River Delta. Students get a hands-on cooperative learning experience as they rotate through four activity stations, to accumulate data and determine whether or not Bellingham Bay is ecologically sound. They get the rare opportunity to collect and identify various species of plankton, as well as measure dissolved oxygen, salinity and turbidity through use of marine biology equipment. The various elements of the watershed are demonstrated through a series of group activities while up in the pilothouse students take turns at the helm and learn how to use the GPS.

Every school group that comes aboard our 'floating classroom' gets a twenty minute tour of the Whatcom waterway where we discuss its ecology, natural history, and the environmental impact of the working waterfront, while keeping a lookout for marine mammals and various sea birds indigenous to the area.

It is our hope that through these excursions we will encourage students to observe the connection between the land and sea, and their role as stewards of the watershed.

If you are interested in our education programs, or would like charter information, please contact us.

Interested in donating?

The Marine Science Education program aboard the Snow Goose services over 1200 students annually. With support from NOAA, Nooksack Enchancement Association, private donors, public school funds, and Alaska revenue we are able to cover many costs. However, we are always seeking funds to grow and expand the program. Any donation provided goes directly towards involving more classrooms, student scholarships, and/or student research equipment. If you would like to support our program and vision of stewardship, please contact the Snow Goose and we will respond immediately.