By Rials Christensen, Education Manager
As I reflect on my first few months as Education Manager at the Western Flyer Foundation, I am still struck by my first meeting of the eponymous vessel when it stopped in San Diego (where I had been living) at the beginning of its journey south to the Gulf of California. I hadn’t officially started working yet, and I found the Flyer’s atmosphere of anxious excitement on the eve of its grand voyage quite relatable. In the long line of people queued for a tour, I met “Ed-heads”, wooden-boat aficionados, sailors, scientists, and numerous people for whom the “Log of the Sea of Cortez” had an indelible impact.
From this first meeting, I saw the powerful way this vessel and its story inspire a tangible, giddy excitement in people, myself included. In the Tijuana airport on my way to join the Baja expedition, the gate agent, holding my passport, asked me why I was traveling to Mexico. I launched into an excited explanation of an 88-year-old purse seiner (a type of sardine fishing vessel, I explained) resurrected and outfitted with modern research implements, returning to Baja. This patient woman let me get to ‘Steinbeck’ before clarifying, “So, for work or vacation?”. Therein is the Flyer’s magic–it compels you to share its story.
As a scientist and an educator, I believe that story is a powerful tool for science and connection —between disciplines, between people, and between past and present. The shared wonder and excitement I’ve since seen in countless students, teachers, and community members from the Baja coast to Monterey Bay is our mission manifest. Over the last several months, we have welcomed nearly 500 students aboard the Western Flyer through our Docked and At-Sea programs. I’ve seen how students flourish when given the opportunity to be active contributors, to not only learn how to do something, but to feel connected to why it matters. We use the ship’s research capabilities not to shape every student into a marine scientist, but to empower them to engage with science confidently and see how it is deepened by the perspectives of the arts and humanities. We strive to show that science is not a siloed practice, but a shared journey of discovery that starts with being curious about the world around us.
We are building a real community around the Flyer. We are partnering with local groups, like Save our Shores and the Center for Land-Based Learning, to deliver programs that support their important work. After the resounding success of our weeklong summer MentorShip program, we are developing more multi-day programs that will allow a small cohort to work closely together while delving deeper into focused topics with guest experts and artists. We are continuing our collaboration with organizations in Baja, and are working to develop a student exchange between Monterey Bay and the Baja Peninsula. In true Steinbeck and Ricketts fashion, we are building a lasting legacy through connection– between people and with the world around us.
I am tremendously excited to be a part of the Western Flyer team (as the gate agent in Tijuana could attest). There’s a lot to come, and I look forward to sharing it.
