The Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement not only conducts essential salmon research and ecosystem restoration projects - we foster the next generation of environmental stewards to ensure that this work continues for years to come. By instilling environmental stewardship and creating a relationship between today's youth and the natural world, we develop positive attitudes towards the environment, an understanding of our local ecosystem, as well as provide skills and knowledge for future environmentally related careers. Our K-12 education programs are free and accessible to all students, giving kids access to valuable STEM programming. These programs bring students outside into nature, sometimes providing the only field trip opportunities for students during their school year.
One of our environmental education programs is Salmon in the Classroom, one of the most valuable environmental education programs we have to offer young kids in the Pacific Northwest, as it allows students to witness first-hand the salmon lifecycle as well as get outdoors to explore salmon habitat. For this program, our group installs aquariums and brings salmon eggs to classrooms, where students observe young salmon grow while being taught lessons about the salmon lifecycle, their local ecosystem, the connection between salmon and our community, biology, salmon anatomy, the significance of salmon to local tribes, and beyond. At the end of the program, students bring their classroom’s salmon fry to local rivers for a culminating release day event. This event brings students outside to connect what they have learned in the classroom to the natural world, and often includes visits to local hatcheries, presentations by tribal members and community partners, learning about macroinvertebrates, and plant identification forays.
Both teachers and students benefit from this program! Many teachers report that this program has increased their job satisfaction, fostered a better relationship between them and their students, and look forward to participating in the Salmon in the Classroom program every year.
3rd grade teacher testimonial from Hood Canal School District:
"I have gained confidence in expanding my classroom learning outside the classroom and engaging my students in real world science. My students are also exposed to careers in science through our partnerships with the hatcheries and the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group. I love greeting the fish when I come into my classroom each day and watching them grow. I also deeply enjoy partnering with the 3rd grade teachers and students to learn about salmon!"
