By Nathan Zabel
NSEA Education Program Manager

This Spring, thanks to funding through Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) , NSEA was able to provide supplies, curricula, and staff support to install freshwater aquariums in Acme, Kendall, and Eagleridge Elementary Schools in conjunction with the Students for Salmon Program (SFS).  This exciting addition to SFS intimately links students to the salmon lifecycle through raising salmon from eggs to fry in their classrooms.

Earlier this year, Chum salmon eggs from the Kendall Creek Hatchery were delivered to each school and carefully placed into an aquarium. Students witnessed the stages of the salmon lifecycle unfold before their eyes daily and they learned about the water conditions salmon need to thrive and were responsible for testing the aquarium water to ensure it was ideal for salmon.

The program culminated with students releasing the salmon fry after months of watching them grow up and caring for them during their SFS field trip, where they determined how healthy their local creek is for salmon and participated in a stewardship project to set their salmon up for success. Altogether students released over 500 salmon fry into Cedar Creek, Kendall Creek, and Landingstrip Creek.

 Each student named their fish, made a wish or poem for their fish, and chose one action they can take in their lives to help salmon. One student wrote, “I hope you will make it all the way. I’ve been watching you day by day and now it’s time to let you go away. I hope I’ll see you again.” Many of the students were sad to say goodbye to their fish after seeing them grow up, but were excited about seeing them in the wild, starting their journey to the ocean.

 This opportunity directly connected students with the salmon lifecycle and showed students how the choices they make in their lives affect salmon and how responsible stewardship can save salmon like the ones they said goodbye to as they released them into their local waterways. We are excited to announce that funding will continue for next school year and are looking forward to expanding this opportunity even further, broadening the impact students are making on salmon recovery in Whatcom County.