The Foundation is pleased to report that there are fish tanks full of salmon fry again this year at Brookside, Lake Forest Park and Ridgecrest elementary schools. Dedicated teachers have been guiding the elementary students as they prepared tanks for Coho salmon eggs. The students are raising them into fingerlings before releasing them into Lake Forest Park's streams.
The young stewards are responsible for keeping the tank clean and checking the temperature and pH daily, all the while learning about the fragile ecosystem which sustains the salmon eggs in their natural habitat -- our streams and wetlands. Katie Johnson and her cadre of first-graders are continuing the decade-long tradition at Brookside Elementary, while Diana Bettelli and her third-graders continue the tradition at LFP Elementary. Liz Whitney spearheads the newest program, now in its second year, with her fifth-grade class at Ridgecrest Elementary.
LFPSF Board Member Jean Reid with students at the 2010 release
As some of you may be aware, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife's (DFW's) "Salmon in the Schools" program is slated for budget cuts in the coming year. The Stewardship Foundation has approved, if needed, the allocation of funds to sustain this valuable program for our youngest stewards. This continues our commitment to support necessary equipment purchases and repairs, and educational programs about the salmon life cycle and how it connects us to this wonderful place we live in.
Many thanks to the teachers, and to Aimee Miner, Cinco Delgado and Kathryn Noble, principals at the elementary schools, for their cooperation and support of these programs. Release dates for the fingerlings currently are set for April 26 and May 7.
If you would like to help make sure all of the fish (and none of the children) are deposited safely in the streams, please contact foundation Board member Jean Reid, jp-reid@clearwire.net.
