Fourth graders at Everson Elementary School have a new responsibility this year: raising salmon. 

As part of a project throughout the classrooms of both Jamie McMillen and Chris Field, fourth-grade students at Everson will get an introduction to salmon in a active project that has the students dynamically involved in the months-long process of raising and releasing salmon. 

“Introducing salmon in our schools is an exciting way to bring hands-on science into schools,” McMillen says. The Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, through grants and funding, made it possible to bring salmon tanks into various Whatcom County schools. These tanks will soon fill with salmon eggs on the way to the salmon growing large enough to enter the Nooksack River. 

“Through this process, we hope students will gain hands-on experience in salmon rearing, learning about the life cycle of salmon and the interconnectedness of ecosystems,” McMillen says. “Students will actively participate in monitoring and caring for our salmon that will arrive as eggs at the end of January.” 

McMillen says they hope to have a release party prior to spring break, giving students the opportunity to witness the tangible results of their efforts as the salmon are released into the river. 

“We hope,” she adds, “to instill a sense of environmental stewardship and scientific curiosity that extends beyond the classroom.”