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Gallery: Mount Baker students explore Bellingham Bay on board the Snow Goose

April 29, 2023 7:22 pm

Students board the Snow Goose from Squalicum Harbor.

Mount Baker High School biology teacher looks out as she leans against the boat. — Mount Baker High School biology teacher looks out at Bellingham Bay while finishing her last field trip of the season aboard the Snow Goose. For nearly a decade, Koon has taken students out on the water. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)

The Snow Goose departs Squalicum Harbor.

Students pull water samples near the mouth of Whatcom Creek.

Mount Baker High School student Gina Escareno pulls a sample of water near the mouth of Padden Creek in Fairhaven.

From left

RJ Rex gives the Mount Baker High School freshmen a quick geography lesson before setting sail.

Captain Dan Linden talks with students about the mechanics of the Snow Goose's engine.

Captain Dan Linden walks along starboard side of the Snow Goose with a smile and a pair of visors on. — Captain Dan Linden walks along starboard side of the Snow Goose. He bought the boat around 16 years ago and has offered field trips to local students since then. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)

Instructor and crew member Rowan Dart shows students waterways and mountains on a 3-D map of Northwest Washington. The curriculum of the field trip focuses on place-based learning to connect students' lessons with their location.

Fred Faulks drives the boat with direction from Captain Dan Linden.

Gwen Pidgeon and other students looking through microscopes of the water sample they collected. — Gwen Pidgeon, right, and other students look through microscopes, finding plankton, worms and eggs in samples of water from the bay. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)

Student Aiden Libby

Avery Simmons pokes at a sample of water as other students surround the tray to take a closer look. — Avery Simmons, center, pokes at a sample of water, looking for any visible specimens before transferring it to a Petri dish to look at under a microscope. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)

Each year, approximately 1,300 students in Whatcom County explore Bellingham Bay and its ecosystem on board the Snow Goose.