(Photo courtesy Heidi Van Brost)
Salmon eggs have arrived at eleven local schools that will each raise 200 fish for Fauntleroy Creek, according to creek steward Judy Pickens. She and Phil Sweetland made the deliveries after getting the eggs from the state’s Soos Creek Hatchery. She says they reassured teachers that the “Salmon in the Classroom” program will continue, though it was cut from the state budget last month, because planning is under way to keep it going through “local resources.” In the photo above, first- and fifth-grade students, with teacher Christine Marshall (left), are shown putting eggs into the aquarium at Pathfinder K-8. The salmon-raising process takes four months, during which, Judy says, “The students will monitor water temperature and chemistry, feed their fish, and keep the tank clean as they learn about salmon habitat and the role of this iconic fish in regional culture, commerce, and environment.”