Salmon in the Schools 2025

Lake Forest Park, WA

Kim Josund
Lake Forest Park Stewardship Foundation
www.lfpsf.org

In continuation of a long tradition, local schools receive Coho (aka Silver) salmon eggs from a local hatchery in January and place them in a specially set-up fish tank. Led by amazing school staff (librarians or teachers), students are taught how to care for the eggs and young salmon. Over the next few months, the kids learn about the lifecycle and habitat needs of salmon, the importance of water quality, and what people can do to help improve the environment for salmon and other species. And then, when the salmon fry are big enough (still only about 1.5 inches long), they are released into local streams, with the hope that they will imprint on the local stream and some day return here to spawn.

It was a marathon at Brookside Elementary on April 16th with an enthusiastic new teacher leading the whole school release from 9am-12noon. Stewardship Foundation volunteers and some parents stepped up to help. The older grades were matched with younger buddies to release the baby salmon into Hillside Creek at the corner of the school’s back parking lot. The kids were very excited to see the resident pair of mallard ducks dabbling nearby as they gently released the tiny fish into the creek. Many gave their fish creative names, from “Swimmy” to “Jiminy Fish” – one group even named theirs “Dinner” – and sent them off with best wishes to stay safe and come back home some day.

Stewardship Foundation volunteers were ready for the next release at Grace Cole Nature Park on Friday April 18th. Three busloads totaling about 90 kids from Briarcrest Elementary came to the park from 9am-11am. The kids were thrilled to visit the park and release salmon after not having a school salmon tank for a few years. There was a lot of energy and excited voices as they explored the board walk and beyond, learning about the habitat and resident beavers.

Photo by Kim Josund. Pictured from left to right Kim Josund, Jim Mead, Jean Reid, Jeff Jensen, Frank Kleyn

After school that same day, Stewardship volunteers hosted another big group of kids and families from Lake Forest Park Elementary. Having parents and siblings along adds another dimension of learning and appreciation for the park, and for the idea of returning and “visiting” their baby salmon in the ponds there. As always, it was a fun and inspiring experience!

Salmon in the Schools will come to a close for 2025 with the Ridgecrest Elementary release this Saturday at Grace Cole Nature Park.