2021 20,000 Leagues Under the PSRC
Thursdays at noon in July
Fee: $10 per session; $45 for all five
PSRC 20,000 Leagues Under the PSRC Series is sponsored by Lawrenceville Optician.
Take to the seas in July with PSRC. This program will focus on maritime history and ocean life. We will visit historic ships of the U.S. on both coasts, learn about the swashbuckling woman whom many consider to be the most successful pirate in history, and spend a session learning about North American whales. July is the perfect month to dip your toes into PSRC’s virtual waters!
Thursday, July 1 at noon
Historic Ships — Baltimore, MD
Historic ships in Baltimore is the steward of historic vessels spanning more than 150 years of American maritime heritage. They preserve and maintain vessels from the US Navy, including the USS Constellation and USS Torsk, the U.S. Coast Guard, including USCG Cutter 37, and the U.S. Lighthouse Service with Lightship Chesapeake, and Seven Foot Knoll Lighthouse. For a glimpse into the fascinating history of each of these historic ships, join Brian Auer, the operations director at Historic Ships in Baltimore to hear their stories.
Thursday, July 8 at noon
Intrepid — New York, NY
Highlights of the Intrepid Museum: We will be visiting the USS Intrepid, an aircraft carrier in active service from 1943 to 1974. The ship saw action in the Pacific theater of World War II, surviving five kamikaze attacks and a torpedo strike, and was still in active service during the Vietnam War. An educator will take our group on a virtual tour of the Intrepid Museum on the Hudson River in New York City. Welcome Aboard!
Thursday, July 15 at noon
The Whale Museum — Friday Harbor, WA
Cetaceans of the Salish Sea: Join Tracie Merrill, Education Curator at The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor, Washington State, as she gives an introduction to the natural history and species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises found in the inland waters of the Salish Sea, the bodies of waters between Washington State and British Columbia. You may be surprised to know several of these species can also be found along New Jersey’s Atlantic coast! We’ll also listen to the vocalizations of several of these species and learn about the threats facing them.
Thursday, July 22 at noon
USS Hornet — Alameda, CA
The name USS Hornet is legendary in the U.S. Navy with ships of this name making significant contributions in all major conflicts including the Revolutionary War. The seventh Hornet, a World War II-era aircraft carrier commissioned in 1941, launched the Doolittle Raid, the first aerial attack on the Japanese home islands, and was sunk in late 1942; a second carrier named Hornet was launched in 1943 and is the home of the USS Hornet Sea, Air and Space Museum. Take a virtual tour of the Museum with a live USS Hornet educator as your guide.
Thursday, July 29 at noon
Vancouver Maritime Museum — Vancouver, BC
In the patriarchal Confucian society of imperial China, you would probably expect that the massive Guangdong Confederation of Pirates was, at the height of its power, commanded by a man, but this was not the case. It was led by a woman called Ching Shih, who, with a fleet of 1500 vessels supported by 80,000 maritime outlaws, managed not only to totally dominate the South China Sea, but also come out on top in naval engagements against the military forces of the Qing Dynasty and the Portuguese Empire. How did she achieve such greatness? An in depth talk about her life will be given by Dennis Chen, programs supervisor at the Vancouver Maritime Museum and Department of Asian Studies faculty member at Alexander College.
