Students Decorate Ornaments for the Capitol Christmas Tree

 

Students Decorate Salmon Fry Ornaments for the Capitol Christmas Tree

By Kim Casavan and Amanda Jackson

The U.S. Forest Service recruited youth from across the state to contribute up to 10,000 Alaskan ornaments to be displayed on the Capital Christmas Tree.  In October, a Sitka Spruce will be harvested from the Tongass National Forest that will symbolize the cherished lands, people, and the great state of Alaska in Washington, D.C., on the west lawn, where it will be installed and decorated.

What started as a Small Fry event during Salmon Jam in Cordova grew to welcome several different groups of kids from the region to decorate the wooden small fry ornaments.  CRWP plans to return to classrooms to share the tree lighting with the kids so they can see where their ornaments are being hung for display.

In the Copper Basin, our Accounting Specialist Alexis Cooper, CRWP Board Member Tenley Nelson, and Watershed Stewardship Program Manager Amanda Jackson led the Kenny Lake Hawks class in an introduction to the craft and also plans to update the students through online viewing links when their ornaments are hung in D.C.

The Glennallen Elementary School Kindergarten class, 1st Grade, and 2nd Grade were all very happy to be representing the salmon fry they grew to love while hosting a salmon tank in their elementary school.  The students enthusiastically learned about the 20-day journey the Alaskan tree will take to get to Washington, D.C. They are also eager to tune in and watch the installation of the tree occur!

“Young stewards at the Prince William Sound’s Headwaters to Oceans overnight camp decorated fish during “fish day.” Each day of camp, the campers experienced a day in the life of a Forest Service employee from a different department. On “fish day” the campers trapped and identified fish, learned about the importance of culverts, and searched for freshwater macroinvertebrates. To relax in the evening, they decorated the fishy ornaments for the capital Christmas tree.”  — Kate Trudeau, Education Specialist, Prince William Sound Science Center.

 

Participating students included:

Kenny Lake Hawks

5th Grade students from Cordova Elementary School

After School Art at the Library in Cordova

Young Stewards@PWS Headwaters to Oceans

Girl Scout Troop 23103 in Cordova

Chugach School District (Whittier, Chenega, and Tatitlik)

Glennallen Elementary

 

Thank you to our long-time partner, the U.S. Forest Service, for engaging the Copper River Watershed Project in a fun-filled activity that provides an opportunity to connect with our beloved communities!