Reflections from the Field

Eliana Spain – Washington Conservation Corps Education & Outreach Associate

This month, we delivered salmon eggs to eight elementary schools across Jefferson and Clallam Counties. After looking at empty tanks throughout December, the students were eagerly awaiting the arrival of the eggs. At Franklin Elementary School, the students skipped down the hall, excitedly proclaiming to anyone who would listen “the salmon are here!” By the time I got to the tank, I had an entourage of children waiting for a chance to hold the container of eggs.

The eggs in the Port Angeles schools have hatched into alevin with high survival rates. In Roosevelt Elementary, two chairs were pushed up to the tank so the students could sit at eye level with the gravel, where the tiny fish hid themselves along the edge of the glass. Teachers have monitored the tanks closely, regularly testing the PH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels. The students are eager to help with collecting water and dropping the solution into test tubes.

Each school will receive three lessons on salmon, in addition to a field trip where each student will have the opportunity to release a salmon into their local stream. At this point, every school has received the first lesson on the salmon lifecycle. As I left the last lesson in the last school, a fourth grader told me “I am so excited for the next lesson!” I felt their excitement: for the salmon, for learning, and for the world around us. The next generation of stewards is a passionate bunch!

This article is part of our January 2025 newsletter. View the full newsletter here: https://conta.cc/4jEs88T