Set your nets to learn about the history of the Western Flyer, one boat with many fish stories to tell -- the most famous being her 1940 expedition to the Sea of Cortez with John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts. Rebecca Mostow, Education Director of the Western Flyer Foundation will share the rich history of this storied vessel.

In 1940, John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts chartered the fishing vessel Western Flyer for a six-week exploration of Mexico's Gulf of California, resulting in the famous publication The Log from the Sea of Cortez (1951). The boat returned to fishing for decades, changed names and owners, disappeared, sank, and was in disrepair when marine geologist John Gregg purchased it in 2015. Inspired by a vision to restore the iconic boat and bring it back into service for research and education, he launched the Western Flyer Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a mission "to stir curiosity by connecting art and science in the spirit of John Steinbeck, Ed Ricketts, and their journey on the Western Flyer." On November 4th, 2023, the Western Flyer returned to Monterey for the first time in 75 years. The vessel is now being outfitted for the next phase of its journey, taking students and researchers on the water to learn, observe, and create. Rebecca Mostow, the Education Director of the Western Flyer Foundation, will talk about the history of the Western Flyer, its incredible restoration, and the organization's programs to inspire the next generation of marine scientists, writers, and artists.