Above: Laurie participates in a discussion about the Salmon “4-H’s” (Habitat, Hatcheries, Harvest, Hydropower) at a training this summer along with Rick Martinson.
Laurie McDowell wears many hats in our Salmon Watch program– initially as a teacher, now as a volunteer educator, trainer and steering committee member.
She first became involved in Salmon Watch in the mid 1990’s as a 6th grader teacher at Kellogg Middle School. Her fellow colleagues registered for the program and she too wanted to involve her students in the experience.
She says the multi-faceted program was an excellent way to incorporate valuable lessons while meeting education benchmarks.
“From a teacher’s point of view, having the curriculum aligned with educational standards already in place was wonderful. I was able to manipulate the lessons to fit my classroom learning objectives. Then the culminating experience of going out on the field trip and seeing why these things were occurring worked to tie everything together.”
In addition to the learning that took place, Laurie found it was a great common experience that not only students but also many parents were able to relate back to for the rest of the year.
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After a dedicated teaching career, Laurie retired at the end of the 2013-14 school year. Without skipping a beat, she was out on Salmon Watch field trips in the fall, but this time as a volunteer educator!
Instructing trainees in macroinvertebrate identification
When asked why she has continued on with the program in a volunteer capacity, she says, “It is so important for me to know that this next generation of people knows how important our natural resources are, and that they are accessible to everyone. Especially when they become of voting age and have the ability to affect policy decisions, they know the importance of our resources not only for themselves but for future generations.”
Laurie also serves as a lead trainer for new volunteer educators and teachers, as well as teaching on a multitude of fall field trips. Her enthusiasm, knowledge, and ability to relate with students do not go unnoticed.
Laurie LePore, 10-12th grade science teacher at Riverdale High School said in regards to her field trip this past October, “The pro of the day was Laurie McDowell, macroinvertebrate sampling instructor. She was kind, gentle and patient with my students. They got a lot out of the time spent at her station.”
In addition to her commitment to Salmon Watch, Laurie is a dedicated volunteer with Outdoor School for All campaign, an effort to establish week-long Outdoor School programs across the entire state.
We are so grateful for Laurie’s time, contributions and support of our program! She is one of many talented individuals that make Salmon Watch possible.
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