Wrapping Up a Successful 2023/24 Salmon in the Classroom Program
This season’s Adopt-a-Fry journey began in the fall of 2023, with supporters donating funds to help install and maintain fish tanks in classrooms in the Copper River watershed. Some students helped harvest the salmon eggs, which were then delivered to participating classrooms from the Delta to the Basin. However, due to a large snowstorm, the salmon eggs did not make it to the Mentasta tank—just as some do not make it in the wild.
In December, students observed tiny little eyes at the bottom of their tank as salmon eggs hatched. Our Program Director, Kate Morse, sent a dispatch from a visit to Cordova’s 5th-grade Classroom, “Currently, the tank is about 570 ATUs, exactly the point when coho salmon eggs hatch into alevin. It is very fun to see both eyed eggs and alevin in the tank – we’ve encouraged all teachers to bring their classes in to check it out!”
By January, K-5th-grade students in Cordova and Copper Basin were learning about the water temperature in their tank and why it had to remain within a certain range for salmon eggs to survive and hatch. Students also learned how to clean the tanks and saw first-hand why clean water and habitat are critical to salmon survival.
In March, students were delighted when salmon eggs hatched and grew into alevin, then fry. In early April, our Watershed Stewardship Program Manager, Amanda Jackson, assisted the Glennallen Kindergarten and 1st-grade classes in feeding 400 baby salmon for the first time.
“The students referred to the cluster of fish in the back corners as a “fish meeting,” but little did they realize that the fish had never seen so many wide-eyed and enthusiastic small humans staring at them in awe before! It was a precious sight to see the students so in love with their “salmon family.” We talked about how fast the Salmon will grow and how important this next stage of life will be for them as salmon fry.” —Amanda Jackson, CRWP.
Kenny Lake Hawks teacher Jennifer Hodges shared great news from their classroom in early May. “This has been the best salmon year yet, mostly because our eyed eggs were delivered early, and they were ready to hatch. This meant we had more time with the fry! We have a strong group of Salmon this year. They’ve survived several power outages and being sucked up into the filter twice. But, still, they thrive. They are very competitive for food even when there’s plenty for all. They swim, they play, and now they are ready for the big world (lake). On Tuesday the 14th, they will be released, and the kids will participate in fun activities, including salmon dissection (not our fry), simulations, and survival rates. Thank you to the Copper River Watershed Project for working to keep Salmon in the Classroom going!”
And, as promised, 87 coho salmon were released into Strelna Lake by the Kenny Lake Hawks students on May 14th. Salmon fry were also released into Fleming Creek in Cordova with Mrs. Carpenter’s 5th-grade class, followed by K-2nd-grade Glennallen and Upstream Learning students in the Copper Basin during a half-day field trip on May 16th at Junction Lake. For the forty-five K-2nd grade students, this was their first school field trip ever!
From observing salmon eggs growing in salmon tanks to exploring the aquatic ecosystems of the watershed wearing chest waders, these experiences shape a student’s understanding of our interconnected world.
Thank you to everyone who donated to our Adopt-a-Fry Campaign! Your gift helps maintain classroom tanks, supports field trips in waders, allows dedicated staff to continue this essential work, and creates a unique learning opportunity for youth in the Copper River watershed.
Thank you to our partners, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Bureau of Land Management, Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation, Prince William Sound Science Center, Wilson Construction, Wrangell Institute for Science and Environment (WISE), Valdez Fisheries Development Association, and everyone who adopted a fry for making this program possible.
