One of the most powerful tools that we have to spark change in our society is education. This year alone Skagit Fisheries will work with over 14 schools and hundreds of students to educate them about our watershed and ways to protect it. One important objective that we want to achieve through working with these students is to foster a sense of stewardship within them as they grow, learn and encounter problems unique to them and their generation.

However, the focus of our education programs is not solely on salmon. It’s more about giving them a holistic perspective of aquatic life and showing them what a healthy ecosystem should look like in the Skagit and Samish watersheds. One of the best examples of this holistic approach is our education about clean water and what good water quality looks like.

Streamside chemistry to measure dissolved oxygen in local streams

Clean water is essential not only for salmon but for organisms like oysters. Our classroom lesson and field trip both have a large focus on water quality and clean water. In the classroom, we discuss with students why clean water is important to all organisms, especially aquatic animals like shellfish (and salmon). Moreover, our classroom visits discuss how pollution in our watersheds can make the shellfish we eat toxic for us and shut down local swimming spots in fear of people getting sick. On field trips, we are able to physically show students what good water quality looks like through both our chemistry station, where students are led through a variety of different experiments related to water quality, and our habitat assessment station, where students are asked to analyze the habitat surrounding a stream and assess whether or not it is a good place for aquatic animals to live.

SFEG and other community partners teaching about salmon, shellfish, and water quality at Oyster Creek Salmon Sightings each November

We have also had the opportunity to educate not only students about water quality but the local community as well. Skagit Fisheries has held Salmon Sighting events at Oyster Creek, which flows next to Taylor Shellfish Farms, for the past several years. This event is the perfect opportunity to talk about the importance of healthy waters for both salmon and oysters as it allows us to talk about fecal coliform testing and why places like Taylor Shellfish Farms will shut down if the fecal coliform in the water is too high.

It’s important to us at Skagit Fisheries to instill a sense of pride in our community with students, both young and old, about our watershed and furthermore the ecosystems both in and around the Skagit and Samish. We hope to continue this work for many generations to come.