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Build a Salmon in the Schools Master Document (Everything You Need to Know)

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Build a Salmon in the Schools Master Document (Everything You Need to Know)

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Build a Salmon in the Schools Program Master Document.pdf

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Salmon Viewing Opportunities Poster 8.5x11"

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Salmon Viewing Opportunities Poster 8.5x11"

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Salmon Viewing Opportunities Poster 11x17"

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Salmon Viewing Opportunities Poster 11x17"

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Salmon Viewing Opportunities Wave Poster 12x18"

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Salmon Viewing Opportunities Wave Poster 12x18"

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salmon viewing wave 12x18 poster 8 Nov 2023

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Salmon Life Cycle Lesson PowerPoint Presentation

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Salmon Life Cycle Lesson PowerPoint Presentation

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Coho salmon fry at a log jam in a Washington river (35 seconds)

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Coho salmon fry at a log jam in a Washington river (35 seconds)

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SPSSEG: South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group

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Tagged juvenile salmonids release (56 seconds)

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Tagged juvenile salmonids release (56 seconds)

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SPSSEG: South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group

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Gastric lavage of juvenile salmonids (35 seconds)

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Gastric lavage of juvenile salmonids (35 seconds)

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SPSSEG: South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group

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Underwater video of Salmon smolts in Puget Sound estuary (48 seconds)

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Underwater video of Salmon smolts in Puget Sound estuary (48 seconds)

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SPSSEG: South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group

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Underwater footage of Salmon smolts in Puget Sound estuary

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Build a Salmon in the Schools Program PDF of Presentation - 2024

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Build a Salmon in the Schools Program PDF of Presentation - 2024

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Large Benthic Macroinvertebrate Key Poster

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Large Benthic Macroinvertebrate Key Poster

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Streamkeepers Healthy Stream Coloring Sheet

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Streamkeepers Healthy Stream Coloring Sheet

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Streamkeepers Aquatic Insects Coloring Sheet

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Streamkeepers Aquatic Insects Coloring Sheet

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Streamkeepers Juvenile Fish Coloring Sheet

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Streamkeepers Juvenile Fish Coloring Sheet

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Harvey Creek Virtual Conservation  Hatchery Tour - Learn all about Pacific Salmon!

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" Run salmon run, beneath the moon and sun. The salmon story circles, run salmon run." Dive into the world of salmon in this lyrically written and beautifully illustrated children's book. The story follows the journey of the Pacific Salmon from stream to sea and back again through all the life stages: egg, alevin, fry, smolt, adult Run Salmon Run complements curriculum objectives for early primary levels in the areas of ecosystem, habitat and life cycle. Additional materials available to support learning in Run Salmon Run include a companion song, music video and iOS interactive App under the same title Follow the journey of the Pacific Salmon from stream to sea and back again through thoughtfully written narrative by award-winning children's songwriters Bobs & LoLo and enjoy vibrant and engaging visuals by illustrator Lori Joy Smith.

Product Details

ISBN-13:

9780993822407

Publisher:

Bobolo Productions Inc.

Publication date:

12/01/2018

Pages:

38

Product dimensions:

8.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.10(d)

Age Range:

4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Bobs & LoLo are five-time JUNO Award nominated singer-songwriters as well as the creators and stars of two upbeat, musical preschool TV and VOD series, Sing, Dance and Play and Action Packed. Robyn Hardy (Bobs) and Lorraine Pond (LoLo) first met at a summer camp on Vancouver Island. Growing up together, they have always shared a love of the natural world and a passion for working with children. Creating Bobs & LoLo has allowed them to combine their diverse academic backgrounds with a mutual love of teaching and the creative arts. Alongside the adoration of the young and the young at heart, Bobs & LoLo have received critical acclaim from the likes of the Parents' Choice Foundation, Western Canadian Music Alliance, the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Lori Joy Smith credits weekly trips to the local children's library with her father for sparking an early love for reading and children's books. As a teenager she lived in Italy and visited some of the most beautiful museums in Europe, which left her wanting nothing more than to make art. Now she puts these two loves together everyday, working as an artist and illustrator. Lori lives on PEI with her husband, 2 daughters and a growing menagerie of pets-3 cats, 2 bunnies, 1 dog and 2 sheep. She loves making art, walking in the forest, watching the stars, drinking coffee, growing flowers and most of all reading with her own girls.

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"Run salmon run, beneath the moon and sun. The salmon story circles, run salmon run." Dive into the world of salmon in this lyrically written and beautifully illustrated children's book. The story follows the journey of the Pacific Salmon from stream to sea and back again...

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Home / Resources for Learners / I Am the Elwha

In stock (can be backordered)

"I am the Elwha, rushing down to the sea. I am the Elwha, wild and free."

Awarded 2021 Riverby Award for Young Readers!

In this lyrical and beautifully illustrated book, the author chronicles the history of the Elwha. Narrated by the powerful voices of plants and animals that inhabit the river ecosystem, the dam builder, a worker, and the river itself, this story celebrates the ongoing rewilding of this special environment and offers a welcome to all of the creatures who are coming home.

At the back of the book are three pages of cultural, scientific, and historical information that discuss the following:

the importance and symbolism of salmon to the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and other Coastal Salish Tribes

facts about the six species of salmon found in the Elwha River (Chinook, Pink, Chum, Sockeye, Coho, and Steelhead)

the history of the Elwha River and its status today

Recommended for grades 3-5.
Background

The Elwha River flows 72 kilometres (45 miles) from its source in the Olympic Mountains to the Strait of Juan de Fuca in the Pacific Northwest. Uniquely, it hosts all six salmon species (Pink, Chinook, Coho, Sockeye, Steelhead, and Chum) as well as several species of trout.

In 1911 two dams were built on the river. The dams blocked the migration routes of the salmon and dramatically altered the entire river ecosystem for 100 years. In 2012 the dams were decommissioned and the world's largest dam removal and habitat restoration project began.

Additional Information
32 Pages | 8.5″ x 11″ | ISBN: 9781771744744 | Hardcover

Authenticity Note: This lyrical story, which chronicles the history of the Elwha River, is written by Lori Peelen. Robert Elofson, Tribal Elder and Harvest Manager in the Natural Resources Department for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribes, approved Lori's work and contributed a few pages of back matter at the end of the work. Lori's story was further approved by Frances Charles, the Tribal Councilwoman for the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, after the entire council read and approved it.

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I Am the Elwha - Outdoor Learning School & Store

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"I am the Elwha, rushing down to the sea. I am the Elwha, wild and free." Awarded 2021 Riverby Award for Young Readers! In this lyrical and beautifully illustrated book, the author chronicles the history of the Elwha.

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Chinook salmon viewing at Tumwater Falls in September

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Chinook salmon viewing at Tumwater Falls in September

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Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls | The Olympia Tumwater Foundation

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Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls provides visitors with 15 acres to enjoy! Enjoy the walking trail, playground, fish ladder, and more!

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Salmon Spawning View Field Trip at McLane Creek in Nov/Dec with South Sound GREEN/Thurston Stream Team

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Salmon Spawning View Field Trip at McLane Creek in Nov/Dec with South Sound GREEN/Thurston Stream Team

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Every year between the end of October and the end of December, the creeks of South Puget Sound are once again teaming with native chum salmon. Visiting a local trail like the McLane Creek Nature Trail or Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail this time of year is a tradition for many of us.

South Sound GREEN, in partnership with Thurston County Stream Team, offers guided tours of McLane Creek Nature Trail every November to show students the beautiful Capitol State Forest environment and to feature the chum salmon returning to the creek to spawn!

Chum at McLane Creek Nature Trail Digital Journal and other digital resources

If you've visited McLane Creek Nature Trail in the past with your students, you may have used Stream Team's field journal as a guide. We worked to adapt this journal to a digital format with interactive activities, videos and lots of information about salmon! Please make a copy of the notebook to interact with, edit, and share the notebook with your class.
McLane Digital Notebook
Watch out recorded salmon dissection!

Watch our McLane Creek Chum Salmon video, with background information and live videos of salmon! Or you can look through our salmon pictures and videos on your own with our chum salmon picture album.

Learn how tires are damaging coho salmon populations in Puget Sound. ( Article) ( Video)

Still looking for more salmon-based lessons? Check out a collection of salmon resources on our Classroom Resources List, as well as these relevant ThurstonTalk Home Science Activities!
Salmon Obstacle Course Bridges for Salmon Salmon Spotting

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Salmon and McLane Creek Nature Trail Resources

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Salmon Spawning Curriculum Overview (4th-5th Grade)Salmon Spawning Curriculum Overview (6th-8th Grade) Every year between the end of October and the end of December, the creeks of South Puget Sound are once again teaming with native chum salmon. Visiting a local trail like the McLane Creek Nature Trail or Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail this time of...

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Salmon Spawning Viewing Field Trip at Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail in November with SPSSEG

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Salmon Spawning Viewing Field Trip at Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail in November with SPSSEG

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Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail (KCST) will be open this year from November 4th to December 3rd. The Trail is open to the public on weekends from 10am to 4pm. The Trail is open for school field trips on weekdays. Only buses and scheduled/school field trips are authorized beyond the gate on weekdays. All others can still access the trail by parking on Old Olympic Hwy and walking 0.5 miles to the trailhead. Public visitors are authorized to drive beyond the gate and park at the trailhead 10am-4pm on weekends in November. Please see information below for full details.

Our annual Salmon Celebration is back and will be held on Saturday, November 18th at KCST from 10am-1pm. More details to come.

Docent Training (see details at bottom of page) will be on Saturday, October 28th.

2023 #s: What's the Latest Chum Count from Kennedy Creek?

10/10: 0 live, 0 dead

10/18: 6 live, 0 dead

10/27: 1,223 live, 2 dead

11/01: 1,366 live, 9 dead

11/09: 8,678 live, 27 dead

11/16: 9,032 live, 485 dead

NOTE: Weekly fish count data come from WDFW. Total run-size is released by WDFW in summer of the following year. Chum live for 5-14 days after spawning, so weekly counts do not equal total run size.

Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail - Quick Details:

WHAT: View spawning chum salmon in their natural environment. About 24,000 adult chum salmon return to Kennedy Creek each year to spawn. Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail (KCST) features several viewing stations and options to walk 0.1 to 0.5 miles on our well-maintained (but unpaved) trail, educational signs, and trained volunteers available to answer questions.

W Old Olympic Hwy, Olympia, WA 98502 (halfway between Shelton and Olympia between mileposts 356 and 357). Here is the WHERE: pinned Google Maps location.

WHEN (public): 10am-4pm on weekends in November (2023 public viewing will run Nov 4-Dec 3). Dates vary slightly each year based on when the fish are expected to arrive, but the peak of the run is typically in mid-November.

WHEN (guided school field trips): weekdays in November (2023 field trips will run Nov 6-Dec 1). See full information below for how to schedule your group's tour.

HOW: Access to KCST is FREE for everyone. The gate is only open to the public on the dates listed on this page. Parking is extremely limited, so plan to carpool. If the parking lot is full, you may park on the logging road as long as you don't block the road.

NOTE: No Dogs Allowed on Trail for 2 reasons: 1) salmon carry a microorganism that is deadly to dogs and 2) this is a Natural Resource Conservation Area and the goal is to protect sensitive habitat and species.

QUESTIONS: email *protected email*

Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail - Full Details:

The Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail (KCST) is our region's premiere salmon-viewing experience. KCST has been open since 2000. KCST is open to the public annually on weekends in November. Field trips for school groups can be scheduled for weekdays in November. Visitors learn more about the salmon life cycle and observe chum salmon spawning and courting behaviors. Thanks to our volunteer docents, no questions go unanswered and all visitors get a rich Pacific Northwest experience.

In any given year, the spawning chum salmon population here can reach as high as 80,000 fish. Normally, the range is between 20,000 and 30,000 spawners. These spawning adults can produce approximately 30 million to 60 million eggs annually; not all eggs will survive to become fry or adults. Each female lays about 3,000 eggs, but only 2-3 individuals will survive and return to the natal stream where they were hatched to create the next generation of salmon.

KCST is located on the ancestral grounds of the Squaxin Island Tribe. Long before the trail we know as The Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail existed, another trail passed this way. It began in the Sawamish/T'Peeksin village, which stood near the mouth of Kennedy Creek. The villagers, ancestors of today's Squaxin Island Tribe, knew the creek as the "Place of the Singing Fish", called that for the multitudes of frogs that would sing along the creek on spring nights. The trail was used for gathering food, basket-making materials and hunting. The trail stretched from Totten Inlet to Summit Lake, and was part of a trail network that connected the villages of the south Puget Sound and the Pacific Coast to one another.

Millions of salmon returned to the streams each year, providing one of the most essential food sources for the people of this village, and other Puget Sound tribes. In The Place of the Singing Fish, chum were the main salmon species to spawn the creek, just as they are today. The Sawamish/T'Peeksin people built rock weirs at the mouth of the creek to catch the fish, which were then preserved by smoking. The abundant oil in the chum was utilized as a lubricant to move large logs used to build canoes and houses. The Sawamish/T'Peeksin people viewed the salmon as kin. Today's Squaxin Island Tribe continues the traditions of their ancestors each year during the First Salmon Ceremony.

Over-fishing and habitat degradation throughout the 20th Century turned the once abundant Kennedy Creek into a small chum run that averaged 1,000 fish and spent the majority of the summer as an ATV track. In 1998, things changed for the better when the Squaxin Island Tribe began closely monitoring fishing in Totten Inlet. At the same time the Taylor family (of Taylor Shellfish) signed a 20-year lease with the Kennedy Creek Management Committee and the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group (SPSSEG) to restore the creek as a chum spawning ground and to develop an interpretive trail for public use. Today the trail acts as an interactive learning site to view the incredible annual spawning event of the returning chum salmon. Returns now average 18,000-30,000 fish. In 2019, Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) purchased over 600 acres of land containing prime chum spawning habitat from Green Diamond Resource Company to preserve and protect vital habitat in the watershed and restore ecosystem processes. In 2020, DNR purchased the land that contains the Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail from Taylor Shellfish. The Kennedy Creek estuary is part of a 200-acre Natural Area Preserve managed by DNR since 1999. Above the estuary, the corridor all along Kennedy Creek (about 1500 acres) was designated as a Natural Resource Conservation Area by DNR in 2016. The land within this NRCA is a mix of private and state landowners.

Access to KCST is FREE for everyone. The Trail is supported directly by visitor donations, the annual fall "Chum, Chowder & Chocolate" fundraiser and small local grants. The land is owned by Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR), who graciously partner with us to bring this unique salmon viewing opportunity to the community.
Please see below for open dates and times.
NOTE: DOGS are NOT allowed on the trail. Salmon carry a microorganism that is DEADLY to dogs. Please review our for more information. Additionally, the gate remains locked during the off season.

For the 2023 season, KCST will be open November 4 to December 3.

The gate will be open to the public on weekends and open by appointment for scheduled field trips during weekdays.

Chum salmon usually begin returning to Kennedy Creek in late October. Spawning can be observed until mid-December in most years. The peak viewing is usually in mid-November.
What days will the gate be open to the public?
The Trail is open to the public on weekends Nov 4-Dec 3. The gate will be open from 10am-4pm for public parking at the trailhead on the following dates:
The Trail will be closed on Thanksgiving (November 23, 2023)
Please note that on weekdays, only scheduled field trip groups are authorized to drive through the gate to the parking area. This is so that we can accommodate buses and school children visiting KCST. You are welcome to park on Old Olympic Hwy and walk up the road on weekdays though.

We offer FREE guided tour field trips for youth and adult groups Monday-Friday 9am-4pm during the spawning season. In 2023, we are scheduling field trips between Nov 6-Dec 3.

Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail gives students an opportunity to watch spawning Chum salmon in their natural habitat. It provides an ideal field trip opportunity for your students and is designed for group learning. Visitors learn about salmon and environmental stewardship through a series of interpretive signs along the trail. It is an excellent way to give kids a real-world connection to concepts they are learning in the classroom. We often have salmon carcasses available at tables in the parking lot for students to participate in adult-led hands-on dissections (gloves provided) if you would like to budget an extra 20-minutes or so.

Trail visits typically take about 1.5 hours. If you would like more time, please contact us to see what options are available. Typically, we request that you don't arrive more than 15 minutes early because our parking lot is very small and there may not be room for your group until earlier groups have departed.

We ask that your group (school classes, homeschool groups, scouts, senior centers, etc.) have at least 8 participants to schedule a tour. For groups of over 25, we will schedule more than one docent/staff, which is why we ask that you sign up each group of 25 as their own reservation. A parent to student ratio of 1:10 is recommended for your visit to the trail.

Visits to KCST are free, however schools are responsible for their own bus transportation costs unless otherwise arranged. We occasionally have limited funds to assist high-poverty schools with transportation reimbursement.

Sign-ups open on September 1st at 9am. Please use the Google Appointment Scheduler below to sign up for Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail school tours.

Time slots fill up VERY quickly. Limited parking as well as volunteer and staff capacity means that we cannot accommodate everyone who wants to visit unfortunately. We encourage you to sign up early. Due to the popularity, we also cannot accommodate most change requests and cancellations due to weather may not be able to be rescheduled.
Field Trip Scheduling Notes:

Please do not register more than 1 class (max 25 students) per time slot. We do not have the staff or parking capacity to accommodate more visitors than what we are offering here.

If you have multiple classes you are taking for field trips and would like them all to arrive at the same time, please register for consecutive time slots with your earliest slot your desired arrival time. For example, if you have 3 classes and would like all classes to start their tours at 10am, please select the 10:00am, 10:30am, and 11:00am slots for that day and write in the NOTES that you will all be arriving at 10:00am. If there are not enough consecutive arrival slots for all of your classes, that means we do not have the ability to host your group that day so please select a different day or consider splitting your students into 2 groups. Half could visit the Squaxin Museum while the other half are at KCST then switch. For example, you could have 2 classes in the morning (register for the 10am and 10:30am slots) and 2 classes later (register for the 12:00pm and 12:30pm slots) or whatever split works for your bus schedule.

Each tour lasts 1.5 hours. Please plan to arrive during the 15 minute time slot you are signing up for. So if your appointment is for 9:00-9:15am, that is your arrival time, then your tour would last 1 to 1.5 hours, with a departure time of 10:30-10:45am.

The peak of the spawning season typically occurs in mid-November, but environmental factors greatly influence the timing and abundance of salmon. In most years, the first fish start arriving in the creek in late October and by mid-December the fish have all spawned and died. If there is a dry October, this timing may be delayed by a week or two.

As parking at the trail is limited, please make arrangements for your chaperones to carpool/ride the bus as much as possible.

Please review the information on our website prior to arrival for a better idea of what to expect, lesson resources, etc.: https://spsseg.org/kennedy-creek-salmon-trail

We encourage KCST visitors to also visit the Squaxin Island Tribe's Museum. It is only a few miles away and an excellent opportunity to link salmon and Since Time Immemorial curriculum with the history and culture of the indigenous people of the land that have stewarded Kennedy Creek for thousands of years. We hope to secure funding to help pay for students to include a visit to the Museum as part of their Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail field experience. If you have multiple buses taking students to KCST, I would highly recommend that you arrange for 1 bus to visit KCST while the other bus visits the Museum then swap activities so as not to overwhelm either one of the sites.

Bus funding: we have applied for grants for the 2023 season and are waiting to hear back on whether we will be able to cover bus expenses for Title 1 schools and possibly even all public/tribal schools that visit us this year. Stay tuned for an update when we hear back in late September.

A Google Appointment Scheduler calendar will be added here for tour sign-ups starting September 1st at 9am. We will only be accepting field trip reservations through the Scheduler this year, not via email like in years past. Of course, please feel free to email if you have questions or difficulties.

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UPDATE 11/3/2023: We are fully booked for field trips for this season and no longer accepting reservations. Please visit on a public-access weekend day or check back next September to sign up for KCST 2024. Thank you!
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From south (i.e. Olympia): Go north on 101. At Milepost 357, turn left onto Old Olympic Highway. Continue on Old Olympic Highway until you see the Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail Signs on your left. Go up forest road 2700 for .75 miles. Turn right into the Trail parking lot.

From north (i.e. Shelton): Go south on 101. At Milepost 356, turn right onto Old Olympic Highway. Continue on Old Olympic Highway until you see the Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail signs on your right. Go up forest road 2700 for .75 miles. Turn right into the Trail parking lot.

Unfortunately, there currently are no Public Transportation routes that service KCST.

DO NOT drive through the gate except for weekends/open to the public days in November OR if you are here for a scheduled tour. The gate must remain closed and locked at all other times and we don't want you to get locked in.

Amenities

There are no permanent facilities at KCST. During the salmon viewing season (late October-early December), we bring in portable toilets (one regular and one ADA-accessible) as well as a hand-washing station. There is no potable water. There is no garbage service here-please "Pack it in, pack it out." We often have 3-4 picnic tables available for visitor use, but they are uncovered.

Parking is very limited. Please carpool if possible.

The majority of the Trail is compacted gravel and mostly level, except for one gravel bar access that is downhill a bark-surface trail. This is not an urban environment and due to its location within a floodplain in a Natural Resource Conservation Area, there are no plans to pave it. Please see the map above for the routes that we consider ADA-accessible and which section is not.
Junior Biologist Workbook for Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail
If you'd like your students or kids to complete this workbook and earn a Junior Biologist sticker, please print it out ahead of time and bring with you. We hope to update this workbook this next year so stay tuned for a new version to match our new signs! Ask a docent for the stickers.
Pre-Visit Handouts to Review

Land Acknowledgement of the Squaxin Island Tribe

Spawning Behavior Handout

Spawning Behavior Handout (Spanish)

Pre-Visit Lessons/Resources Post-Visit Lessons/Resources Equipment/Games/Resources Teachers Can Borrow

Salmon puzzle

Stream simulation table

Battery-powered microscopes and stream bug ID kits (we can also lend you macroinvertebrate collection equipment)

Silicone fish for Gyotaku printing (ink and rice paper not included)

The Trail is a community supported and volunteer based program. Each year over 50 volunteer docents donate approximately 600 hours specifically to the program. The Trail is open to the general public every weekend day in November as well as Veteran's day and the day after Thanksgiving. During the week, the Trail is reserved for school groups and classroom visits. Classes range from preschool through college.

SPSSEG searches continually for diverse and stable funding to keep this program thriving. We write grants, host fundraisers, and ask our supporters to help fund the Trail. In past years, KCST has been supported by grants from the Squaxin Island Tribe, the Dawkins Charitable Trust, the Boydston Foundation, the Community Foundation of South Puget Sound, the Jem Foundation, and donations from generous individuals.

SPSSEG uses these funds to help coordinate teachers and school field trips, organize and support over 50 volunteers docents, and maintain the Trail. A $75 donation will support 10 student visits. All donations are tax deductible.

Please help keep the Trail alive and at its educational best!
Donate and Become a Kennedy Creek Chum today! *** 2023 UPDATE: Docent Training will be held on Saturday, October 28th from 9am-1pm. RSVP required (email *protected email*)***
Docents are integral to Kennedy Creek and as one long-time docent put it "you don't know what a good time is until you've poked a salmon carcass with a bunch of curious 4th graders."

All the information you'll need as a trail guide is covered during your training and is found in the docent notebooks we provide you with. All you need to bring is your enthusiasm and a good rain jacket!
What does it take to be a Docent?
Out Volunteer Docents come from all backgrounds. You don't have to be a fish scientist to talk about salmon! If you are interested in getting outside, facilitating awesome outdoor learning and fostering a love of conservation, restoration and healthy ecosystems in our youth, then YOU are ready to be a Volunteer Docent at Kennedy Creek.
What do Docents do?
Docents are integral to keeping the Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail running. We have both weekday and weekend opportunities. Weekday volunteers lead 1.5 hours tours to school groups where they answer questions about the salmon life cycle, habitat, and spawning. Weekend volunteers interact with public visitors by answering questions at viewing stations, sharing learning resources, and pointing out the best viewing opportunities.
How do I become a Docent?
If you would like to volunteer as a Docent this year, please RSVP to Megan Brady, KCST Coordinator at (360) 701-6907 or by email at *protected email* to get on our docent email list. Attending Docent Training is optional for returning docents, but it is required for new docents.
Docent Training is scheduled for October 28, 2023 from 9am-1pm. RSVP required. What is covered at Training?

Volunteer registrations & background checks

The salmon life cycle

The history of KCST

Salmon anatomy

Healthy habitats and why they matter to salmon

Guiding like a pro

And more!

What should I bring to Training?

Layers (It's fall in the PNW!)

A camp chair

A pen or pencil in case you want to take notes

Your enthusiasm!!

What does SPSSEG provide at Training?

Hot water and cocoa/cider/tea packets

BBQ lunch

Canopies

Docent Information Binders

Docent swag 🙂

Already a Docent?

Docent contacts, training materials and season schedule can be found on the

Docent webpage (please have your password ready!)

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Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail (KCST) will be open this year from November 4th to December 3rd. The Trail is open to the public on weekends from 10am to 4pm. The Trail is open for school field trips on weekdays. Only buses and scheduled/school field trips are authorized beyond the gate on weekdays.

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Salmon Carcass Tossing with Nisqually River Education Project

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Salmon Carcass Tossing with Nisqually River Education Project

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Salmon Carcass Tossing! Ew, right?! Why on Earth would we do that?! Three words: marine derived nutrients. Let's break down what that is. First, marine means "from the sea." Second, derived means "comes from." Lastly, nutrients means "the compounds used by life to live and grow!"

Our salmon carcass tossing trip plays an important role in moving those marine derived nutrients to the forest. When hatchery salmon return from the ocean they are harvested for eggs and milt to start a new generation of salmon. It's our task to take the carcass of the harvested salmon and return it to historic nesting grounds! This transports all those essential nutrients that the salmon absorb while out at sea to the rivers where the next generation grows!

Get Involved

Each winter our team takes classes in the Nisqually Watershed on Salmon Carcass Tossing field trips! Want to arrange a field trip for your class? Contact davy@nisquallyriver.org

Pre-Trip Presentation

Here's our Salmon Tossing pre-field trip Salmon Nutrient Enhancement Presentation and the accompanying worksheet.

More Resources
For more classroom resources related to Salmon Tossing and the salmon lifecycle, click here!

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Salmon Carcass Tossing! Ew, right?! Why on Earth would we do that?! Three words: marine derived nutrients. Let's break down what that is. First, marine means "from the sea." Second, derived means "comes from." Lastly, nutrients means "the compounds used by life to live and grow!"

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Water Quality Monitoring with Nisqually River Education Project

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Water Quality Monitoring with Nisqually River Education Project

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The Nisqually River Education Project can provide your classroom with the training, supplies and bus funding for two trips (mid-October and mid-February) to a local waterway to conduct a suite of chemical and physical tests of the water. Students will use their findings to determine if the waterway could support salmon. In March, you can send a handful of student delegates to our annual GREEN Congress to report their findings to their peers at Evergreen's campus during a day of workshops and fun!

Not sure where to begin? Check out our introductory video below to find out more about water quality monitoring and how to get started!
Check out our online Water Quality Monitoring Portal and its accompanying journal and how-to video here!
Here is a link to our newest Water Quality Monitoring Manual. If you are looking for a particular page from our old manual, you can find it here: Water Quality Manual (old version).
The Safety Data Sheets for each chemical in our kits can be found here.
In addition to the resources outlined in the manual, we have several others that will help you and your students feel confident on testing day:

Here is a great PowerPoint presentation to introduce your students to water quality testing, and the 8 water quality tests they will do.

Watch our staff do each of the 5 main water quality tests (Temperature, pH, Dissolved Oxygen, Nitrates, and Turbidity) in this video.

All of our virtual water quality monitoring resources are excellent pre-trip learning options. The portal contains many helpful videos and games to ensure students grasp the basics of water quality monitoring.

Check out our new map that shows each water quality site and all of the data ever collected there! Also, here's the last couple of years' data. These can be useful for comparisons, making predictions about your monitoring, and identifying trends.
All of our favorite resources to prepare for, conduct and reflect on your water quality monitoring day are here in one spot!

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Water Quality Monitoring – Nisqually River Education Project

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The Nisqually River Education Project can provide your classroom with the training, supplies and bus funding for two trips (mid-October and mid-February) to a local waterway to conduct a suite of chemical and physical tests of the water. Students will use their findings to determine if the waterway could support salmon. In March, you can send a handful of student delegates to our annual GREEN Congress to report their findings to their peers at Evergreen’s campus during a day of workshops and fun!

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Water Quality Monitoring with South Sound GREEN

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Water Quality Monitoring with South Sound GREEN

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Within our popular Water Quality Monitoring program, Thurston County students and their teachers monitor water quality in their local streams or river twice annually, once in October and once in February. They use kits to test for dissolved oxygen, pH, nitrates and turbidity. Students measure both the air and water temperature and many classes collect sterile samples for bacterial analysis. Students at local high school filter these samples, incubate them and count the fecal coliform colonies after 24 hours. These water quality parameters are important for aquatic organisms and/or have implications for human health.

New to GREEN? Want to see what it's all about? Check out this video by local filmmaker Kathy Strauss!

Resources for chemical water quality monitoring are listed below. Click here for more information on biological water quality monitoring using benthic macroinvertebrates (stream bugs).

Water Quality Resources

Water Quality Monitoring Curriculum Overview (6th-8th Grade)
*Curriculum overviews for other grade bands coming soon!*

Our Water Quality Manual has been updated for the 2023-2024 school year. Inside you will find a bit of history for each water quality testing program, some background information about each of the tests, updated instruction and data sheets, and additional activities to assist you on monitoring day!

WQ Presentation- SS GREEN Watersheds : This slide show highlights South Sound GREEN's watersheds, how water is affected by point and non-point source pollution, and some details about the specific parameters we use to measure water quality.

To adapt to a virtual learning environment, we created a Water Quality Monitoring Story Map for students to experience water quality testing from home with historical data dating back to the 1990s. This includes overviews of all of the Water Quality Parameters we test for, as well as instructional videos on how to do each of the WQ tests. Watch our Story Map Overview to understand how to best use the resource!

Check out our Interactive Field Notebook (special thanks to Julia Fregonara and the Nisqually River Education Project!)
Watershed Explorers - Student Data Sheet
Water Quality Monitoring Videos

In 2020 we worked with our friends at the Nisqually River Education Project to create a series of videos to introduce students to Water Quality Monitoring. You can find all four videos (Watershed Overview, Introduction to Water Quality, Water Quality Parameters, and Influences on Water Quality) in this shared Google Drive folder.

Click on any of the links below for video instructions for each of the following tests:

Optimal Water Quality Standards

Click here to download a document about the Optimal Water Quality Standards students keep in mind when collecting data at their adopted sites.

Material Safety Data Sheets

Water Quality Data

Students in the South Sound GREEN program have collected data on South Sound streams since the mid-1990's. Please see below for current and past data. Please send 2022-2023 data directly to Sam Nadell at snadell@thurstoncd.com.
Blank Master Data Sheet

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If you are interested in participating for the first time, please reach out to Sam Nadell at snadell@thurstoncd.com** Within our popular Water Quality Monitoring program, Thurston County students and their teachers monitor water quality in their local streams or river twice annually, once in October and once in February.

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My steelhead can beat your steelhead - that's why I'm picking the best fish to #SurviveTheSound. Who do you think will make it to the Pacific? Sponsor a fish, save a species.

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Since Time Immemorial - Elementary Curriculum

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Since Time Immemorial - Elementary Curriculum

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In 2015, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 5433 modifying the original 2005 legislation, now requiring the Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State or other tribally-developed curriculum be taught in all schools. The use of the Since Time Immemorial curriculum has been endorsed by all 29 federally recognized tribes.

The resources below support the integration of tribal history lessons with your existing elementary curriculum.

Primary Elementary K-3

Pathway 1: Stories and Histories of Our Place
Pathway 2: Honoring the Salmon
Pathway 3: Giving Thanks: A Native American Cultural Tradition

Washington State History-4th Grade

Unit 1: Exploring the Pacific Northwest Prior to Statehood: Tribal Homelands
Unit 2: Living in Washington: Celilo Falls
Unit 3: Being Citizens of Washington: Salmon Recovery and the Boldt Decision

U.S. History-5th Grade

Unit 1: Encounter, Colonization, and Devastation: Tribal Homelands
Unit 2: Independence: Revolution and the U.S. Constitution in Indian Country
Unit 3: Legacy for Us Today: Elwha

Ancient Civilization History & World History Resources

The following resources help you integrate tribal history with your Ancient Civilization History and World History courses.

Ancient Civilization History and World History Resources

Essential Questions

1. How does physical geography affect the distribution, culture, and economic life of local tribes?

2. What is the legal status of tribes who "negotiated" or who did not "negotiate" settlement for compensation for the loss of their sovereign homelands?

3. What were the political, economic, and cultural forces consequential to the treaties that led to the movement of tribes from long-established homelands to reservations?

4. What are ways in which Tribes respond to the threats and outside pressure to extinguish their cultures and independence?

5. What do local Tribes do to meet the challenges of reservation life; and as sovereign nations, what do local Tribes do to meet the economic and cultural needs of their Tribal communities?

Elementary Outcomes

By the time Washington state students leave elementary school, they will:

Understand that over 500 independent tribal nations exist within the United States today and that they interact with the United States, as well as each other, on a government-to-government basis;

Understand tribal sovereignty is "a way that tribes govern themselves in order to keep and support their ways of life";

Understand that tribal sovereignty predates treaty times;

Understand how the treaties that tribal nations entered into with the United States government limited their sovereignty; and

Identify the names and locations of tribes in their area.

Alignment with Washington State Learning Standards

*Refer to unit overview page for standards alignment of specific Since Time Immemorial lessons.

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In 2015, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 5433 modifying the original 2005 legislation, now requiring the Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State or other tribally-developed curriculum be taught in all schools. The use of the Since Time Immemorial curriculum has been endorsed by all 29 federally recognized tribes.

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Egg Arrival Video - Chambers Prairie - 2023

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Egg Arrival Video - Chambers Prairie - 2023

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SPSSEG: South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group

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2023 Chum Salmon Egg Delivery for Salmon in the Schools at Chambers Prairie Elementary

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SPSSEG: South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group

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Pioneer Elementary Salmon Egg Arrival 2024 - Salmon in the Schools

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Fish Release Video - Chambers Prairie - 2021

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Fish Release Video - Chambers Prairie - 2021

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SPSSEG: South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group

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Chambers Prairie Fish Release: Salmon in the Schools

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Carol Reed-Jones lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, son, dog, and cat. She enjoys hiking, camping, backpacking, and watching Douglas squirrels from her living room window. She strongly believes in living in ways that preserve the earth and all life. In addition to her writing, Carol teaches music, directs an early music vocal group, and is completing her Master's thesis in music history. Carol has written two books for Dawn Publications, the Ben Franklin Award-winning The Tree in the Ancient Forest and the beautiful new Salmon Stream, which follows the life cycle of salmon in cumulative verse.

Michael Maydak is a professional artist who is passionate about nature-especially the riparian environments that he loves so much as a fly fisherman. He and his son, Wolf, often go fishing together. Mike is an art graduate of San Jose University and has been a professional artist since 1976, with his studio at his home in Cool, California. This is the fifth book he has illustrated for Dawn Publications.

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A poetic yet scientifically accurate description of the life cycle of a salmon. This book will inspire children in classrooms and at home to appreciate the world around us!Fast-paced prose and brilliant illustrations follow the salmon from their form as eggs in a stream to...

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Table of Contents

Introduction: Swimming with Salmon 1

1 Meet the Salmon

Salmon Country 6

Name-Dropping 8

The Best of Both Worlds 10

2 The Cycle of Life

Through the Ages 13

The Ones That Get Away 20

3 At the Heart of Ecosystems

Salmon Lands 23

Salmon Oceans 25

Aquatic Canaries 26

4 Atlantic Salmon, The Leaping Fish

The King of Fish 29

The Human Machine 31

Across the Ocean 33

Wild Atlantic Salmon Today 35

5 Pacific Salmon, The Hook-Nosed Fish

The Place with Six Salmon 38

Becoming Salmon People 38

Explorers and Settlers Travel West 42

Canneries 43

Wild Pacific Salmon Today 44

6 Fish Out of Water

Set the Nets 50

Harvest in the Atlantic Ocean 51

Harvest in the Pacific Ocean 52

All Mixed Up 53

Indigenous Fishing Rights 56

Fishing for Fun 58

7 Rivers in Runs

A Shady Deal 62

Reviving Rivers 64

The Dammed 66

Taking Dams Down 68

8 Life Under The Ocean Wave

In Hot Water 71

Running Out of Gas 74

When Life Gives You Lemons 75

Opening New Doors 76

9 Meddling with Nature

A Bright Idea? 79

To Hatch 82

... Or Not to Hatch 83

Salmon in Schools 85

10 Caged Creatures

Farming Fish 87

The Tip of the Iceberg 88

Feeding Carnivores 89

Jailbreak 90

Having Lice Isn't Nice 92

Sick Salmon 93

Changing Places 94

Conclusion: A Future for Salmon? 97

Glossary 100

Resources 102

Acknowledgments 103

Index 104

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Salmon: Swimming for Survival introduces us to the dramatic life story of salmon. These fish hatch in streams, swim extreme distances out to sea, and then migrate home to where they were born to produce the next generation. But today their habitats and very...

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Salmon Matters: How a Fish Feeds a Forest|Paperback

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Salmon Matters explores how the salmon in the Pacific Northwest are directly tied to the vitality of the forest surrounding the salmon streams. With a look beyond the life cycle, Salmon Matters touches on the connections that allow for the transfer of nitrogen between ocean and terrestrial...

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Salmon Dissection_ Anatomy, Dissection, and matching worksheet Lesson

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Salmon Dissection Guide from Alaska Fish & Game

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Salmon Dissection Guide from Alaska Fish & Game

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Salmon Dissection Instructions from Oregon State University

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Salmon Dissection Instructions from Oregon State University

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Saved by Salmon - Video from Northwest Treaty Tribes

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Saved by Salmon - Video from Northwest Treaty Tribes

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The Salmon Boy - Traditional Native American Storytelling - Video

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The Salmon Boy - Traditional Native American Storytelling - Video

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Friends of NW Hatcheries - Leavenworth, WA

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The Salmon Boy - Traditional Native American Storytelling

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Salmon Species ID Juvenile and Adult Life Stages Poster from Kitsap Salmon Guide

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Salmon Species ID Juvenile and Adult Life Stages Poster from Kitsap Salmon Guide

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Salmon Life Cycle Video from SciShow Kids

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Salmon Life Cycle Video from SciShow Kids

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Salmon Life Cycle Song from the Frizzlives

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Salmon Life Cycle Song from the Frizzlives

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Life Cycle of the Pacific Salmon Animation

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Life Cycle of the Pacific Salmon Animation

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Chum Salmon Spawning Behaviors Video (watch 1:41 to 2:22 for eggs being laid!)

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Chum Salmon Spawning Behaviors Video (watch 1:41 to 2:22 for eggs being laid!)

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SPSSEG: South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group

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Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail Virtual Tour - November 2021

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Kennedy Creek Salmon Trail Virtual Tour - November 2021

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SPSSEG: South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group

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NOAA An Incredible Journey 4th & 5th Grade Curriculum (Spanish) (can also request a mailed physical copy from them)

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NOAA An Incredible Journey 4th & 5th Grade Curriculum (Spanish) (can also request a mailed physical copy from them)

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NOAA An Incredible Journey 4th & 5th Grade Curriculum (can also request mailed physical copy from them)

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NOAA An Incredible Journey 4th & 5th Grade Curriculum (can also request mailed physical copy from them)

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NOAA Salmon Survival Board Game (Spanish) (can also request a mailed physical copy from them)

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NOAA Salmon Survival Board Game (Spanish) (can also request a mailed physical copy from them)

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NOAA An Incredible Journey Book (Spanish)

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NOAA An Incredible Journey Book (Spanish)

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NOAA An Incredible Journey Book (English)

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NOAA An Incredible Journey Book (English)

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State of Salmon 3rd grade Lessons from WDFW (English & Spanish)

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State of Salmon 3rd grade Lessons from WDFW (English & Spanish)

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Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife

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This learning sequence is anchored in the phenomena: Salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest are declining.

Part of the job of Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) is to figure out why salmon populations are declining and create plans for how to help increase fish populations. Throughout this unit, students will engage with the phenomenon of Pacific salmon population decline as they explore salmonid species and discover how WDFW raises healthy fish in hatcheries.

Students will explore salmonid life cycles and discover patterns among life cycles of plants and animals who interact with salmon. Students will then learn what makes healthy habitats for salmon. They will evaluate solutions to the problems of salmon migration above and below dams and examine salmons' role in a healthy river system. Students will embark on a virtual field trip (in person field trips also available) to a WDFW fish hatchery to learn about current practices in hatchery management and identify ways the hatchery meets the habitat needs of fish. Finally, students will be called to work as an engineering team and help develop a tool to support salmon recovery by working as conservation engineers.

*Lesson plans include student sheets and interactive links

This work is developed for licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All logos and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Sections used under fair use doctrine (17 U.S.C. § 107) are marked.

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This learning sequence is anchored in the phenomena: Salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest are declining. Students will explore salmonid life cycles and discover patterns among life cycles of plants and animals who interact with salmon. Students will then learn what makes healthy habitats for salmon.

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The Pacific Salmon and Steelhead Coloring Book

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The Pacific Salmon and Steelhead Coloring Book

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Salmon Life Stage Coloring Sheets (reverse images included to staple and stuff if wanted)

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Salmon Life Stage Coloring Sheets (reverse images included to staple and stuff if wanted)

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Species of Pacific Salmon and Trout Bookmark Lesson Worksheet

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Predict the Hatch Lesson Plan, Worksheet, & Example

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Predict the Hatch Lesson Plan, Worksheet, & Example

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Predict the Hatch Instructions, Example, and Worksheets

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Chum Salmon Life Cycle Lesson Worksheet (goes with the Life Cycle PowerPoint)

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Chum Salmon Life Cycle Lesson Worksheet (goes with the Life Cycle PowerPoint)

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The Life Cycle of a Chum Salmon Lesson Worksheet

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NOAA Salmon Survival Board Game (can also request a mailed physical copy from them)

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NOAA Salmon Survival Board Game (can also request a mailed physical copy from them)

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Stream Habitat Assessment Scavenger Hunt

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Stream Habitat Assessment Scavenger Hunt

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SPSSEG: South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group

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How to Set Up an Aquarium to Raise Fish for Salmon in the Classroom