Lake Hopatcong Foundation's Floating Classroom open to public

Published on June 19, 2018

Hands-on experiments aboard "Study Hull" educate next generation

The Lake Hopatcong Foundation this spring christened its new Floating Classroom, dubbed Study Hull, and has since educated nearly 800 local students aboard the vessel, a 40-foot pontoon boat.

As the school year comes to an end, the lessons on Lake Hopatcong will continue: the foundation will run the Floating Classroom the 90-minute trips every Monday from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. between July 9 and August 27, with the public invited to take a ride, conduct experiments, and learn about the Lake Hopatcong watershed.

We at the Lake Hopatcong Foundation spend a lot of our time working to protect the lake environment, said LHF president Jessica K. Murphy. But the best thing we can do for the future of Lake Hopatcong is educate the next generation and the public about how to take care of it. And what better way to conduct those lessons than on the lake itself?

T(JPG, 148KB)he Monday excursions will depart from Hopatcong State Park (260 Lakeside Boulevard, Landing, NJ) and include experiments such as water clarity testing with secchi disks and collecting and studying phytoplankton from lake water samples. Activities will be geared toward guests who are at least 10 years old, but younger guests are welcome to come aboard and join the cruise.

The trip fees are $18 for adults, $12 for children up to 17 years old, and $16 for seniors ages 65 and up. Guests are reminded that the fee is in addition to the cost of entering Hopatcong State Park, which is $6 for New Jersey residents and $10 for out-of-state residents per carload on weekdays in the summer. After disembarking from the floating classroom, visitors are welcome to enjoy the other amenities at Hopatcong State Park.

(JPG, 397KB)Reservations can be made at the Lake Hopatcong Foundation website, lakehopatcongfoundation.org/floatingclassroom, or by calling the office at 973-663-2500.

The Lake Hopatcong Foundation is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the mission of which is to improve Lake Hopatcong for all, now and in the years to come. Find out more at www.lakehopatcongfoundation.org.