The Get Into Your Sanctuary program started as an opportunistic venture when APS approached the center about a program for third graders.

“I think they were looking to fill a niche with the third-grade program and also a niche with Michigan history,” Resource Protection Coordinator Stephanie Gandulla said about the program. “And so we fall right into that.”

The program was put together by Daniel Moffatt, the Marine Sanctuary’s stewardship and education specialist, and saw 10 Alpena third-grade classes come to the Heritage Center for three consecutive weeks to learn about different aspects of the operation that is done at the Sanctuary.

“The students came for three consecutive weeks,” Moffatt said, “The first session we talked about history and humans in the Great Lakes, (the) second session was all about the shipwreck sanctuary and maritime archeology, and (the) third section we talked about marine technology.”

News Photo by Temi Fadayomi Alpena Public Schools third-grade students look at a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) feed from a monitor.

The last meeting the kids had saw them take a boat ride to explore the Marine Sanctuary where they got to see the shipwrecks up close.

Last Wednesday, the first two classes stepped onto the Lady Michigan to head out to explore the Marine Sanctuary. There were two classes totaling 43 students. The kids congregated in front of the ship where Moffatt introduced the crew and volunteers, as well as laying the ground rules for boat safety that the kids needed to follow.

It was cloudy that day with some winds, but the crew of the Lady Michigan determined that it was still safe to head out, so the trip continued.

Bad weather is something that was accounted for by the team that put this all together, the captain of the ship has the final say on whether they head out or not, and in the event that they do have to cancel there is a makeup day already set up the classes would go on instead.

“What we did was put two days on the calendar,” Moffatt said. “If it would have been canceled due to weather, which is a decision made by the Lady Michigan captain, they already had a weather date later this month.”

News Photo by Temi Fadayomi Alpena Public Schools third-grade students look at shipwrecks through the glass floor of the Lady Michigan.

While they made their way to the sanctuary proper, Moffatt quizzed the children on information that they covered in their past meetings as well as giving the kids fun facts about the Great Lakes.

Once the ship finally reached the sanctuary, the kids were able to look at the shipwrecks from the glass bottom of the ship while Moffatt regaled the children with more trivia as the ship made its way back.

The next day followed the same structure as Wednesday however due to an improvement in the weather the students got to see a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to inspect the shipwrecks while also getting to look at the ships from the bottom of the ship.

“It was amazing,” a Besser Elementary student said about the trip. “I had so much fun.”

News Photo by Temi Fadayomi Alpena Public Schools third-grade students look at shipwrecks through the glass floor of the Lady Michigan.

News Photo by Temi Fadayomi Alpena Public Schools third-grade students are pictured with the Lady Michigan and its crew.