Salmon Field Experiences

Our region is rich in salmon habitat and seeing these animals and their habitat in person can have a wonderful impact on your students.  You can take your students to local streams or rivers to watch salmon runs, or in the off-season to do habitat assessments of the site.  Finding safe access to salmon streams can be a challenge, though, especially sites that can handle school groups.  We recommend you connect with one of the community partners listed in this Google Doc to help you find an appropriate site.

To see salmon year-round and up close, consider a visit to one of GHC’s fish hatcheries: Lake Aberdeen, Humptulips, Mayr Brothers, and the Quinault National Fish Hatchery.  (Call ahead to make sure they are open for in-person tours.)  The Willow Creek Hatchery “Salmon in the Classroom” curriculum is a useful resource in preparing for and integrating your hatchery visit.  You can also communicate with the hatchery personnel to inquire if they have specific teaching materials or programs to share with your students.

Shellfish Field Experiences

To see shellfish in their habitat in Grays Harbor County, the Nisqually NWRC Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge is a good resource. In Pacific County, The Nahcotta Tidelands Interpretive site and the Willapa National Wildlife Refuge are good resources. Some of the shellfish producers will take students on tours of their shellfish farms and processing sites.

We recommend you connect with one of the community partners listed in this google document to help you find an appropriate site