Indigenous Peoples from the Ryukyu Islands in the western Pacific Ocean have a rich musical tradition dating from the 15^th century. Some of these songs may record historical environmental conditions that can help educators teach geo- and climate science. Here, geoscientists and Ryukyuan cultural practitioners worked together to interpret 18^th-century sailing songs that likely hold environmental conditions of long ocean voyages. We found that the songs document the wind patterns, ocean currents, typhoons, and volcanic eruptions experienced by historical Ryukyuan sailors. By incorporating these ~300-year-old observations into science lessons, educators can highlight how our ancestors prepared for natural disasters, managed natural resources, and demonstrated scientific thinking. Such lessons are relevant today in the face of climate change and associated geohazards. Overseas Ryukyuan communities, such as those in Hawaiʻi, are culturally active audiences for these lessons that use Indigenous Knowledge as a reputable source of scientific information. This engagement can both teach environmental science to a general audience and strengthen the connection between an immigrant Ryukyuan community and their homeland. Therefore, Ryukyuan cultural practitioners are key players in science engagement between researchers, musicians, and Indigenous communities.