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We are looking forward to the arrival of salmon eggs at Brookside, Lake Forest Park and Ridgecrest Elementary schools in January, to continue the long tradition of inspiring the next generation of salmon stewards. Through this program, elementary students prepare a tank for Coho salmon eggs, raise them into fingerlings, and then release them into Lake Forest Park's streams. Students keep the tanks clean, and check temperature and pH daily, and document the growth of the salmon, all the while learning about the fragile ecosystem which sustains the salmon in their natural habitat -- our streams and wetlands.
Our schools are fortunate to be continuing this program, despite the fact that the Washington State Legislature cut the $120,000 program funding from the Department of Fish & Wildlife (DFW) budget. State funding primarily pays for staff to administer permits -- determining who gets eggs and making sure that genetically-appropriate eggs are placed into the streams. The actual costs of generating the eggs is small and does not place a burden on the hatchery, but lengthy lead time is required to produce the eggs. There is no commercial source of Coho eggs.
DFW, faced with continuing reductions in staff, made the tough decision to eliminate the program. Fortunately for children in King County, the Friends of Issaquah Salmon Hatchery stepped forward to pick up the function of coordinating egg distribution. Schools with existing programs which made it on the list for eggs this year will receive their eggs. (All three of our elementary schools are on the list and will receive 250 eggs in early January.) No new programs can be added.
 | | Brookside Elementary students releasing the salmon. |
Once again, Salmon in the Schools Programs were successful here in LFP during the 2010-2011 school year. Katie Johnson and her first-graders continued the decade-long tradition at Brookside Elementary, while Diana Bettelli and her third-graders did so at LFP Elementary. The newest program, involving Ridgecrest Elementary School's fifth-grade Highly Capable students, completed their second successful year under the stewardship of teacher Liz Whitney.
Brookside had a successful release into day-lighted stream on its school grounds, while the children from Ridgecrest and LFP took their fingerlings to the ponds at Grace Cole Nature Park. To celebrate the release, the Foundation was pleased to sponsor a whirlwind day of performances by renowned Native American artist and storyteller Roger Fernandez. He told traditional Native stories for children at all three schools, and guided students in salmon-related art projects at two of the schools.
 | Board member, Doug Hennick, placing fish-friendly traps in the pond at Grace Cole Nature Park.
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With help from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW), the Foundation was able to document the young Coho in the ponds at Grace Cole a month after the release, demonstrating that at least some of the fish released were making use of the habitat preserved there. Many thanks to Aimee Miner, Cinco Delgado and Kathryn Noble, the principals at LFP, Ridgecrest and Brookside, respectively, for their cooperation and support of these Programs, and to the teachers for their dedication. Through the generous support of Stewardship Foundation members, we were able to help establish the newest program at Ridgecrest Elementary in the last two years, which would be impossible to do today. Over the years, the Foundation has been able to step forward with financial support for equipment and repairs. We have been able to reassure the teachers that this commitment continues. Teaching children about salmon is like preserving streams by starting at the headwaters. The Foundation, the children (and the salmon) thank you. 
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