The redds are made; the eggs are laid. The students are filled with new knowledge and excitement about salmon and their role in Pacific Northwest ecosystems!
This 2016-17 field trip season, Salmon Watch provided hands-on, outdoor learning experiences on 51 field trips at 8 beautiful stream sites to over 1500 students from 26 different schools. Salmon Watch field trips ranged from the Nestucca River in Yamhill County up to the North Fork of the Lewis River in SW Washington, and from the Little White Salmon River in the mid-Columbia Gorge to Cedar Creek in the Tillamook State Forest.
In total, 95 dedicated and knowledgeable volunteers, including retired teachers, public agency scientists, and people from a wide variety of academic and professional backgrounds, contributed over 1000 volunteer hours. They caught macros, dissected salmon, measured pH, guided riparian hikes, and opened young minds to the importance of healthy ecosystems. All in all, they taught 204 field trip stations! And 38 amazing teachers, often braving rain and cold, brought their students outside to get to know the incredible natural areas right in their backyards, and gain an appreciation for how we depend on these ecosystems day in and day out.
Here’s what some of our volunteer educators said about their experiences this year and how they feel about Salmon Watch:
“Making environmental education a part of my Forest’s fisheries program gets harder as the years go by and there is less funding and more time pressures, so being able to reach so many kids to teach them about salmon is only possible because Salmon Watch does all the hard work of coordination, purchasing teaching materials, etc. I really love this program and am happy to help out.” – Stephanie Caballero, fisheries biologist with the US Forest Service
“Salmon Watch is growing advocates for sustainable natural resource management. These students get excited about salmon, rivers and the outdoors through the Salmon Watch activities.” – Deb Hanson, freelance writer
“I believe in hands-on, outdoor education, especially in relation to developing understanding and empathy for the natural world. It is very critical to learning for the whole person, and for our society and its challenges. Salmon Watch is helping students to learn about the natural world and web of life that provides the foundation for our society and all the resources that we rely on.” – Karen Lamson, Wasco County Soil & Water Conservation District
This season, Salmon Watch also expanded our High School Leaders program, which gives outstanding high school students the opportunity to serve as volunteer educators, advancing their own knowledge and leadership experience by teaching their peers. Last year, Maria Fuentes was the premier participant in the pilot program. This year, two more High School Leaders joined the program: Nick Flake and Jake Bunker. Salmon Watch will continue to expand this new program in the new year and provide even more opportunities for motivated students to practice career skills and grow in their understanding and appreciation for the natural world.
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This was also the third year of our partnership with Project YESS/Youth Ecology Corps, a job skills training program for students at Mt. Hood Community College that engages youth in conservation work and environmental education and service. This year, 8 Youth Ecology Corps crew members taught 3 field trips with Walt Morey Middle School. “I think [Salmon Watch is] doing something wonderful by teaching future generations about a keystone species that many other critters are dependent on. It’s sparking kids interest in the natural world and bringing them to the outdoors when maybe they don’t usually have the opportunity,” said Jyliann Calhoun, YEC crew member. “If it even gets a few children interested in fish or the natural world, I think it’s extremely valuable.”
Salmon Watch will continue our work into 2017, coordinating service learning projects with middle and high schools, connecting students with area environmental professionals and opportunities to learn about various career paths in STEM fields and more, and preparing for an awesome 2017-18 field trip season! We’d love for YOU to volunteer with us, whether you’ve been involved in Salmon Watch for years, or you’re just learning about us for the first time. The more support we gain from those who care about our local watersheds and ecosystems, the greater positive impact we can have on future generations. We hope you’ll join us!
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