Watershed & Salmon Life Cycle Education
Our Watershed & Salmon Life Cycle Education Program has engaged thousands of students across Greater Victoria for over 15 years.
Every year, we visit classrooms to deliver this two-part, interactive program, connecting important curricular subjects with students' sense of place and community. This program is available at no cost for public schools. We also provide these activities to local community groups and independent schools upon request.
This interactive program has three goals:
- To connect students with the vibrant ecosystems in their own backyards, fostering a deep understanding of the delicate balance within our watersheds.
- To engage students with the wonders of the Pacific salmon life cycle, and the importance of healthy habitat in their journey from eggs to spawners.
- To provide a memorable and fun experience for students that leaves them more hopeful, enthusiastic, and empowered to become stewards of their environment.
One Hour, Two Activities
The Watershed Model
Our seven watershed models bring learning to life. These interactive tools empower students to bridge the gap between theoretical concepts and their immediate surroundings. As students engage with our models, they gain a profound appreciation for the interconnected web of water that shapes the landscapes where they live, learn, and play.
What they'll learn:
- The fascinating journey water takes, from precipitation to evaporation.
- What a watershed is and why it plays a crucial role in maintaining ecological balance.
- The various forms of pollution affecting our local streams and shorelines and the importance of responsible environmental stewardship.
- Some of the inspiring work being done to protect and preserve our watersheds, and how they can become young stewards of the environment.
Salmon Lesson & Game of Tag
Our educators deliver an engaging visual presentation that brings the Pacific salmon life cycle to life. Students gain a deep understanding of the challenges and triumphs these remarkable fish face throughout their life cycle.
Following the presentation, the excitement continues with a lively game of Salmon Tag that takes place on the school tarmac. Students will take on the roles of salmon and their predators (bears, birds, humans, etc.), emphasizing the many creatures that rely on salmon and the challenges salmon face in their journey from egg to spawner.
This dynamic activity serves as a hands-on reinforcement of key concepts learned during the presentation, emphasizing the importance of predator-prey relationships within the salmon life cycle. Students experience first-hand the challenges salmon encounter as they navigate their environment and avoid predators in a thrilling, fast-paced game.
Bonus Activity: Salmon Fry Release
Each year, thousands of students across BC and the Yukon participate in the Stream to Sea Salmonids in the Classroom education program by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), learning about salmon in a hands-on way with their very own classroom aquarium stocked with salmonid eggs. When the salmon fry are ready to leave their aquariums, we offer optional, curriculum-connected streamside education experiences at your local creek. These hands-on field sessions give students the unforgettable opportunity to release their fry into the wild while deepening their understanding of salmon habitat, watershed health, and their role as environmental stewards.
If your class is participating in the program and you'd like to pair your fry release with our Watershed & Salmon Life Cycle Education Program, please leave us a note on our Education Booking form, or contact us for more information.
