World Salmon Council
$39,500  East Cascades   Willamette Valley   West Cascades 

Salmon Watch provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary education focused on salmon through classroom instruction, in-stream study, and community service projects. Committed to equity and inclusion, World Salmon Council annually provides up to 40 classroom’s field trips at no cost and provides culturally-relevant learning experiences. WSC uses an equity filter to review all teacher applications for Salmon Watch field trips to ensure we are prioritizing schools and students that have historically been underserved. Salmon Watch’s field trips not only provide active, hands-on education, but also enable students to explore their natural heritage and develop a sense of resource stewardship through learning about salmon ecosystems. Salmon Watch’s science-based field stations teach students about salmon biology, macroinvertebrate identification, water quality testing, and the riparian ecosystems. Field stations are led by volunteer educators and Student Educators. Volunteer educators include experts in the field of salmon biology, conservation, habitat restoration, community involvement and many other relevant areas of expertise. WSC provides Student Educator positions to culturally relevant high school mentors from the communities we serve. We prioritize partnerships with organizations working with BIPOC youth. By working with culturally-relevant Student Educators to learn about salmon and their ecosystems, Salmon Watch students are empowered to pursue careers in natural resource fields that will help improve salmon habitat and watershed habitat throughout the Columbia River Basin. After the field trip, Salmon Watch classrooms complete a field-based service learning project in their local community. Salmon Watch classrooms complete a wide array of creative, hands-on projects, which inspire students to apply their new knowledge in a real-world action that gives back to their community.

Project Report