|
FISH's mission is to advocate retaining and improving the historic salmon hatchery and to promote watershed stewardship through education.
|
|
|
|
Dear FISH Friend,
I want to let you know of an upcoming change on the FISH team. I am stepping down as executive director & have accepted a position as the public relations coordinator for the YWCA Seattle/King/Snohomish.
I am confident that I am leaving at an optimum time for FISH because it is on firm financial footing (in spite of the down economy), and this is a period of stability, with the extremely talented Celina Steiger about to celebrate her 4th year as our education coordinator and the very skilled Beverly Lee firmly beside her in the volunteer coordinator role.
FISH is currently looking for a new executive director. Please follow this link for the job description and information about applying.
My last official day will be March 31.
While it is difficult to leave, I am confident that FISH will continue to prosper and will remain the center of the Issaquah universe. As I've said many times before, this community is so fortunate to have so many caring individuals willing to step up to maintain this important organization & hatchery. It's been an absolute honor to be a part of this great team.
Your chum,
Gestin Suttle
|
|
|
Time to reserve your spot with FISH's popular Summer Salmon Camp!
 | | Salmon campers hunt for insects in Issaquah Creek. |
FISH's highly praised Salmon Science Camp is now accepting summer enrollments.
The one-week day camps take place from July 11-15, July 18-22, July 25-29 and August 1-5 for ages 6-8. The camp costs $175 for FISH members or $205 for non-members.
FISH is also hosting a camp in cooperation with Baxter Barn for ages 9-11. That camp takes place June 27-July 1 and is $205 for FISH members or $225 for non-members.
The camps run from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
FISH also offers a Little Fry Camp for 3- to 5-year-olds. Little Fry Camp is 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and is $145 for FISH members and $175 for non-members.
For more information about the FISH Summer Salmon Science Camps, please visit the FISH website.
|
|
Sign up your little one for
Super Salmon Sleuths
 Bring your preschooler to the hatchery for a multi-sensory experience learning about salmon science! Programs for whole classes/groups scheduled as requested from March through June. For individual families, we offer "open enrollment" classes on April 11, May 9 and June 13, 2011, from 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Maximum of 20 children, minimum 8. Pre-registration required.
Program highlights:- Multi-sensory activities that interest and engage every child
- Educational experience in a fun environment
- Appropriate for ages 3 to 6
- Slide show about salmon
- Exploring stations, including a microscope
- Art projects
- Feed the fish!
- Native American salmon legend story
Cost: $8 per child Contact: Celina@issaquahfish.org or 425-392-8025 for more information. |
 | | Kokanee in shallow trough. Photo by John Kugen. |
Hatchery Happenings
The hatchery's yearling rainbow trout will soon be on the move. About 10,000 of the fish will go to Beaver Lake in Sammamish the third week of this month. Pine Lake in Sammamish will be stocked with another 20,000 rainbows by April 23 (the opening day of lowland lake fishing season). The hatchery will keep about 2,500 of the adult fish on hand for viewing. Meanwhile, about 40,000 trout fry were delivered earlier this week to stock the lakes next year.
The hatchery plans to start "marking" its 2-plus million chinook this month. The process involves clipping the back adipose fin. This helps anglers and others identify whether a fish comes from a hatchery. The chinook will be released into Issaquah Creek toward the end of May or early June when they are in the smolt stage, which means they will be ready to head out to salt water.
Around mid-May, the hatchery will also release some 450,000 yearling coho into Issaquah Creek. These fish will also be released when they are in the smolt stage.
The hatchery also continues to raise about 14,000 kokanee from Laughing Jacob, Ebright and Lewis Creeks. This species is a land-locked, smaller version of sockeye. The hatchery is participating in an effort to conserve the Lake Washington species, which is facing extinction. Hatchery staff have been transporting water from the three creeks to the hatchery once a week in order to incubate the kokanee in their native water.
The kokanee fry are in the process of being moved from their incubation buckets into shallow troughs, where they will be fed for a few weeks and then released back to their home streams.
|
|
|
|
Many thanks...
FISH simply could not provide the services it does without the generosity of many individuals, businesses and organizations.
FISH would like to recognize and thank the following organizations for the support that they have already provided or pledge for the coming year:
City of Issaquah
City of Sammamish
Microsoft Corp. and Microsoft Giving Campaign
FISH Board of Directors
Ava Frisinger, President
Norman Nash, Vice President
Patty Green, Secretary
Mark Allen, Treasurer
Richard Andersen
Eileen Barber
Randolph Harrison
Jim Hutchinson
Suzanne Suther
Darrell Wells
|
|
|
