Over four weeks this Spring, 28 schools in the Salmon in the Schools program brought their fish to the Carkeek Imprint Pond to be fed and imprinted by CWCAP Imprint Stewards. The school fish will now be fed 3 times per day, 7 days a week until May 13 when they’ll be released at our final release party of the 2017 Imprinting Season.
Each of these 28 schools received 220 salmon eggs that they observed while they hatched and then grew for 3 months into healthy 2 inch salmon fry. Students observed the remarkable developmental transformation of young salmon while incorporating science, math, and cultural curricula into their experience.
Now their salmon fry will be cared for over the next few weeks while they are fed and imprinted with the mineral and chemical signature or smell of the Piper’s Creek Watershed. It’s very particular scent will be imprinted in special cells in the developing salmon so that they will be able to locate these home waters when they return to spawn in 3 to 5 years.
The following 28 schools raised salmon eggs to about 2 inch fry in chilled 55 gallon aquariums for 3 months. Now they’re here!
Thank you Seattle Public Utilities Urban Watershed Outreach & Education and Salmon in the Schools —Seattle for in-school technical support, educational programming, and school transportation.
