Our forty-foot, covered catamaran pontoon boat, with seating for 40 passengers plus crew, enhances our environmental school field trip program and provides opportunities for hands-on learning to the public. Serving as an interactive learning center on New Jersey's largest lake, the boat is equipped to facilitate a variety of educational activities and experiments focused on water ecology. This unique floating classroom allows participants to engage directly with the lake's ecosystem, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of aquatic environments.
The Lake Hopatcong Foundation Floating Classroom embarks on a series of public learning cruises each summer. Excursions depart from Hopatcong State Park in Landing, NJ.
On board, guests enjoy a hands-on adventure, learning all about Lake Hopatcong, while taking part in experiments such as water clarity testing with Secchi disks, and collecting and studying plankton from lake water samples. Activities are geared toward guests who are at least 10 years old, but younger guests are welcome to come aboard and join the cruise.
Our 2024 summer season has come to a close. Look for tickets for public eco cruise tickets for 2025 in June!
The Floating Classroom serves as one component of our educational field trip program. In addition to the hands-on, educational experience in the floating classroom, students perform macroinvertebrate sampling in the Musconetcong River, take a discovery nature hike, and participate in an interactive EnviroScape watershed model demonstration.
The purchase of the floating classroom was made possible thanks to support from USA TODAY Network’s “A Community Thrives” program, the James P Verhalen Family Foundation, and the Szigethy family.
