Lynden Fourth Graders Studying Salmon

From fish tanks to Fishtrap Creek, Lynden fourth graders experience every aspect of the life cycle of salmon. In a collaboration with the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA), every fourth grader in Lynden Schools works with the NSEA on a special science unit crafted specifically around salmon and their impact in Lynden. 

Each of the three elementary buildings starts the unit with a fish tank full of 250 Coho salmon eggs. The students then get a front row—and daily—view as the salmon’s life cycle moves from egg to adult. Centrally located within buildings, every student at the school grabs a peak into the process, but it’s the fourth graders who really study the science. 

The Students for Salmon Program turns the learners into stream scientists, the NSEA says, helping them also understand salmon habitat, first in the classroom and then in the field. Each spring, a field trip to Lynden City Park opens up the world of Pacific Northwest ecology through the lens of a salmon. The day often includes a student-led restoration project, but the most exciting moment for students is when they release their Coho into Fishtrap Creek. The salmon typically remain in the stream for about a year before heading toward the ocean.