Science in our own back yard. I strive to keep science connected to our local community because students need to know there are many opportunities so close to home. Students visiting the Quinault Fish Hatchery were learning about natural and artificial spawning process and why hatcheries are so important for maintaining salmon populations.
The HS science class is learning about the importance of Salmon for indigenous culture and communities and why salmon restoration is crucial to our own local community. We have been making connections with Daniel Spencer (USFWS) who allowed us the use of his stream table and provided supplies to demonstrate a model of the recent Salmon restoration project on highway 101 this past summer/fall. Having the stream table enabled students to understanding how our watershed and river systems work. Students constructed engineered log jams and riparian zones to better understand why they are crucial for healthy rivers and salmon habitat.
Spencer (USFWS) also visited our class and lead a Salmon dissection in which students identified exterior and interior anatomy of salmon and their functions throughout their lifecycle.
Thanks to the Quinault National Fish Hatchery for providing the HS science class with salmonid eggs to be raised in our classroom and released into the river when they reach the fry stage.