What do physics geniuses, Archimedes and Sir Isaac Newton have to do with keeping you safe while boating? Join our outdoor adventure team as they decode the fun and sometimes quirky science that helps you and them stay safely afloat. With the help of Archimedes and Newton, our boater safety certification candidates explore the concepts of buoyancy, gravity, calculating force, refraction, color theory, Newton’s Three Laws of Motion, Archimedes Principle, boater safety rules, and accident prevention.

 

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Getting your boating safety certification is necessary for anyone who wants to be a safe and responsible boater. Getting your certification isn’t something that’s limited to just youth boaters getting started – it is for adults that are just getting into boating too. Classes are available online or in person. Join our youth hosts as they meet with the US Coast Guard Auxiliary near Lake Michigan and discover the important lessons in the basics of boating safety and getting boating safety certified.

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Savvy Seagull welcomes Barnacle Bob, Party Boat Dude, and Wannabe Certified as guests on “Save That Life,” the game show where contestants win priceless lessons that could help save a life on the water. The entertaining characters come straight from Wannabe’s dreams and imagination as he prepares for his upcoming boating safety certification exam, while viewers learn valuable lessons in boating safety rules and regulations along with him.

Learn important boating and watercraft safety lessons along with the characters in this fun quiz show format. Savvy Seagull makes sure you’ll remember the US Coast Guard’s important rules and tips you’ll need for passing a boating safety certification exam to receive a boating license!

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How does data influence the overall management of an entire species? It’s simple. Data collected by tribal, state and federal agencies shows the story of what is happening to walleye populations over time, and by analyzing data on their age, sex, condition and size, experts can learn a lot about what is causing the population to decline. This data helps the experts create a thorough management plan to restore and maintain a sustainable population of walleye in their native lakes. It also allows state officials to set proper harvest quotas for state anglers and tribal fishers that prevent too many fish from being taken from the lakes. Learn more about how data plays a role in conservation and sustainability in this educational video!

What are fish hatcheries and how do they help restore declining fish populations? Join our Adventure Team member, Zach, as he tours a tribal fish hatchery in northern Wisconsin to learn about the step-by-step process of fish hatchery management, from egg collection to eventual release into lakes. This process is considered a temporary solution that helps restore populations of species like the walleye in their native lake ecosystems, but the ultimate goal is to have these species reproduce a sustainable population on their own. Learn more about the hatchery process, fish life cycles and ecosystem sustainability in this educational video!

Dive into this "tail" of walleye conservation, as our Into the Outdoors Adventure Team member, Zach, discovers the significance of this species culturally and environmentally. Zach talks with environmental experts, tribal members and state representatives to learn more about the threats walleyes are facing in today's changing climate.

On this journey, viewers will learn about the impacts of altered habitats, recreational fishing impacts, and the actions all stakeholders are taking to mitigate those impacts. Through collaboration efforts, tribal, state and federal agencies are working together to restore and support walleye populations in Wisconsin lakes.

So join us to learn how you can be part of the solution.

If your phone died, how would you navigate to your destination? We can't always rely on phones and GPS to help us get to where we are going, that's why it is important to know how to use a compass, especially when out on open water. Dive in with us as we learn the science of magnetism, the difference between True North and Magnetic North, as well as how to use a compass in a real life scenario!

To be a responsible boater, you need to consider all aspects of your impact on the water, whether it’s in relation to another boater or to the environment itself. You may not realize it, but boaters, and other water recreation activities, have an impact on aquatic ecosystems. From nonpoint source pollution to shoreline erosion caused by wakes, our educational guides explain many ways in which boats have a negative impact on the waterways. As responsible boaters, it is important to keep these ecosystems healthy for future generations to enjoy, so join us in learning how boaters can take a variety of actions to minimize their negative environmental impact while boating.

Boating safety courses are essential for teaching new boaters about the rules of the waterway and how to safely operate a boat, but there are some "unspoken rules" that all members of the boating community should know. From environmental responsibility to helping out your fellow boaters in need, responsible boating involves a lot more than just safety. Boating etiquette is something that is often learned through experience rather than in a classroom, so tag along with Captain Doug and his granddaughter as they head out on the Lake of the Ozarks to learn about proper boating etiquette.

For hundreds of years, people have used waterways as a means of transportation. As our vessels grew from small canoes to large barges and other industrial traffic, we altered the rivers to better suit our needs. This evolution of transportation has changed riverway structure and aquatic ecosystems, but how? In this classroom video, we take a deeper look at how rivers, wildlife and the environment are impacted by the rise of waterway navigation.