Salmon Walk and Salmon Expedition

CTUIR DNR partnered with the Walla Walla Community College’s William A. Grant Water and Environmental Centers to host the Salmon Expedition. Through this partnership, DNR met its goal of expanding outreach further into the Tribes’ Ceded areas where the Tribe is working to restore Natural Resource to their homeland and aboriginal territories.

Salmon Expedition planning began in October 2012 and the event was in the 3rd weekend in April 2013 in coordination with Earth Day. Salmon Expedition related presentations and workshops hosted within the Tribes’ Ceded Area and beyond are conducted throughout the year. The 2013 event hosted around 2000 participants from March – June. Participants included K-12 grades, undergrad students from schools within the Walla Walla and Umatilla Watersheds and an estimated 850 teachers, assistants, parents and adult volunteers.

Salmon Expedition kick off is mainly a field day event where students can learn about natural resources. For example, children learn about undeveloped natural watersheds and how they contribute to the maintenance of high-quality waters downstream through presenters and guided tours. They learn the importance of sustaining healthy water for fishery production and harvest, for wildlife, domestic animals, people, crops, agricultural, and industrial users. They learn the obstacles and challenges that migrating salmon face throughout their entire lives. Teachers prepare students academically in the class on related subjects before and after the event.

The DNR Education and Outreach Specialist developed and incorporated a Watershed & First Foods informational component to the Salmon Expedition. The informational component included multiple informational stations focused on DNR’s Programs and how the tribe manages its First Foods. Students rotated through multiple stations where the technical specialists such as Fisheries and Habitat Biologists and Technicians, Plant Ecologists, Education Outreach Specialists, and other representatives taught students about their subject. Each short presentation focused on natural resource enhancement and revitalization projects, environmental problems and their effects on aquatics and wildlife in the basin. Students learned how they can take part to protect natural resources by making responsible choices. After the presentations teachers were provided with activity and informational packets from their presenters on that specific topic. Salmon Walk included “Get to Know Your Watershed,” where the public can tour through multiple watershed booths. There were over 24 Natural Resource related booths and children’s activities. Information booths invited DNR partners and outside organizations such as the Umatilla and Columbia River Basins to include cooperating agencies and landowners.

Salmon Walk included “Get to Know Your Watershed,” where the public can tour through multiple watershed booths. There were over 24 Natural Resource related booths and children’s activities. Information booths invited DNR partners and outside organizations such as the Umatilla and Columbia River Basins to include cooperating agencies and landowners.

We will be in the process to change this event in 2014 to realign to our First Foods mission and move the event to a new location to refresh the event. We are looking at partnering with Indian Health to improve event and add new ways of attracting participants for 2014

Species that would benefit from CTUIR DNR outreach program include federally ESA listed summer steelhead and bull trout, reintroduced spring Chinook and Pacific lamprey, as well as inland red band trout and margined sculpin, listed as vulnerable under Oregons Sensitive Species rule.By educating people about endangered species and the effects of the a unhealthy ecosystem that they live it and how it effects them the public will learn how they can become stewards and participate in either small or big ways to help restore salmon populations. By teaching healthy salmon safe practices Salmon we hope to gain support and improve water quality. Practices will learn about other Federally ESA listed summer steelhead and bull trout, reintroduced spring Chinook and Pacific lamprey, as well as inland red band trout and margined sculpin, listed as vulnerable under Oregon’s Sensitive Species rule. By teaching children healthier daily life practices in conservation methods staying on trails and not dumping toxics into water we can instill practices in them at young age and teach their children in the future. Participants also learn about salmon habitat and the importance of it to aquatic species and other wildlife and how they all play a part in the web of life.