Environmental Education Topic for October: Salmon Return!
Many of our Club kids participated in the Salmon Homecoming Celebration and are currently discussing salmon migration in their classrooms. We can enrich their learning through salmon themed conversation, investigation, and activities during Club time.
Conversation:
"I might be a migrating sockeye salmon for Halloween. Their flesh begins to peel off and decay when they are still alive! Kinda looks like a zombie. Eww cool! And they grow big hooked snouts and long sharp canine teeth! What are you going to be?" or "Wow! You sure can jump as high as a salmon trying to get upstream!"
The kids might think you are a little weird... but weird cool! Right?
"I might be a migrating sockeye salmon for Halloween. Their flesh begins to peel off and decay when they are still alive! Kinda looks like a zombie. Eww cool! And they grow big hooked snouts and long sharp canine teeth! What are you going to be?" or "Wow! You sure can jump as high as a salmon trying to get upstream!"
The kids might think you are a little weird... but weird cool! Right?
Investigation:
Do your Club kids garden? Compost helps fertilize our Club gardens, but some people may use chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides on their home gardens. These chemicals can wash into ground water and into our lakes and streams, harming aquatic life. How can we educate our community about salmon safe gardening practices? Make brochures? Hold a garden open house? Help the kids come up with an empowering project.
Do your Club kids garden? Compost helps fertilize our Club gardens, but some people may use chemical fertilizers, herbicides, and pesticides on their home gardens. These chemicals can wash into ground water and into our lakes and streams, harming aquatic life. How can we educate our community about salmon safe gardening practices? Make brochures? Hold a garden open house? Help the kids come up with an empowering project.
Or perhaps your kids are into recycling and reusing. How many plastic bags did you see on the ground today? How many do you use a day? You can collect/request canvas shopping bags for kids to paint and give to families. Less plastic shopping bags equals less trash in the waterways.
Activities:
You can contact Seattle Public Utilities to request materials to stencil storm drains and pick up trash. The Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery (FISH) can provide salmon and water pollution presentations for your Club. And you can always play Bears Vs. Salmon tag! See below for more activities, printable worksheets, stories, and resources.
You can contact Seattle Public Utilities to request materials to stencil storm drains and pick up trash. The Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery (FISH) can provide salmon and water pollution presentations for your Club. And you can always play Bears Vs. Salmon tag! See below for more activities, printable worksheets, stories, and resources.
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| Enviroscape lesson with Celina from FISH |
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| Wallingford kids stencil storm drains |
Some Salmon Facts:
- Four main species of salmon migrate to the Cedar River to spawn: chinook, sockeye, coho, and steelhead. Cutthroat trout are year-long residents of our local fresh waters.
- The Cedar River (which runs into Lake Washington) is home to the largest sockeye run in the lower 48.
- Salmon are born in the fresh water of streams and rivers. They remain in freshwater for months or years before moving to an estuary where fresh and saltwater meet. The salmon then swim to the ocean spending one to five years, depending on the species, before migrating home to spawn and die.
- Not all salmon return to their home stream at the same time of year. There are different runs of salmon that return from the sea at various times and seasons. Cedar river sockeye spawn (deposit and fertilize eggs) from September through January.
- Salmon are part of local Native American spiritual and cultural identity.
- Salmon populations are threatened by human impacts including pollution, dams, habitat destruction, and loss of spawning grounds.
Some Wild and Crazy Salmon Facts:
- Chinook, or king salmon, can live up to nine years and grow to over 100 pounds.
- When male salmon return to spawn they grown long hooked snouts and sharp canine-like teeth.
- Some salmon migrate over 1000 miles up river to spawn.
Activities and Resources:
