This past Tuesday, Salmon Watch staff, board members, teachers, volunteer educators, and supporters gathered at Widmer Brothers Brewing in North Portland for a delightful evening of drinks, hors d’oeuvres, networking, and socializing. The room was packed and echoed with conversation about environmental education, ecology, and personal experiences from the recently concluded 2016 Salmon Watch field trip season.
Attendees watched a slide show of photos from this year’s field trips, perused information about the program, read thank you cards from grateful Salmon Watch students, and listened to fellow participants share stories and takeaways from their trips. Special guests included Stasia Honhold, Project YESS coordinator, and members of Project YESS/Youth Ecology Corps who volunteered this year.
YEC crew members spoke about their growth over the course of the program, from being intimidated by the prospect of teaching students not much younger than them about salmon and science, to confidence and excitement about sharing their newfound knowledge, to feelings of accomplishment as they watched younger students engage with the activities and gain new appreciation for the ecosystems and natural processes that they are embedded in and part of. Two of the YEC crew members are graduating this year and going on to careers in natural resources.
The evening was topped off with a musical performance by YEC crew member, Shae Bedford. Shae performed a song she had written herself based on inspiration from her Salmon Watch experiences. You can listen to Shae’s song here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JEye6OwWdo&feature=youtu.be
World Salmon Council plans to host another similar event in the Columbia Gorge next year, and a larger fundraising event in the Spring. If you missed this fun event, we encourage you to join us next year!
Stay warm and happy holidays!
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