These days in the Pacific Northwest, the Salish Sea is nearly a household name. Many would say that we have Bert Webber to thank for that. Bert advocated for renaming the body of water that runs from the south Puget Sound to the inside passage between Vancouver Island and mainland Canada. He was the previous owner of the Snow Goose and, along with his wife Sue, created the Marine Science Education program that we still operate today.
The Salish Sea from the international space station. Stuart Rankin
Salish Sea
The Salish Sea was named in 2009 in reference to the roots of the indigenous languages spoken by more than 60 sovereign nations for over 5,000 years. Allocating rights to Salish Sea resources between Native tribes and other entities is an ongoing struggle. Giving the Salish Sea a name that encompasses the entire ecosystem will create a pathway for holistic management of water resources across political borders.
Marine Science Education
Place-based science education programs can influence daily choices made by those who live near the Salish Sea. The Snow Goose science program places an emphasis on stewardship of our home and asks students to reflect on the way they travel, the products they use, and their connection to the natural environment. Nearly every student boards the boat with an existing sense of environmentalism.
A plankton net tow in Bellingham Bay during the spring science program.
When the Snow Goose was built over 40 years ago, our society was just beginning to understand the environmental implications of our day-to-day actions. Today, those lessons are hardwired into the brains of most of our students at a young age. This gives us an opportunity to expand on the age-old lessons of recycling and littering and address more complex issues arising today. As environmental educators it is our goal to build on their dedication to environmental stewardship and continue to elevate the level of education year after year.
This post is part one of our Stewardship & Science Series. To raise awareness about environmental issues in the Salish Sea and surrounding waters, we will continue to highlight lessons from our Marine Science Education program.
Snow Goose Alaska 