Young learners at Willagillespie Elementary shared quiet farewells with their aquatic companions as they set them free into a pond adjacent to Nobel Peace Park.
Hands-On Science Education
This activity forms part of the longstanding Fish Eggs to Fry initiative within Eugene School District 4J, engaging elementary pupils in a practical study of Chinook salmon development. Tana Shepard, the district's K-12 climate energy conservation specialist, explained its educational value. "We focus the education on third and fourth because it ties in really nice with the curriculum that the teachers are charged with teaching," she said, mentioning connections to ocean studies and tribal history units. "It's a supplement activity, very popular, and we almost had to do a lottery for it this year, because we had so many people interested. At this point, we have almost every elementary participating."
During October, fifty-three classrooms received approximately six thousand salmon eggs to nurture through early growth phases. By the time the fish reach the fry stage, measuring one to two inches, they are prepared for introduction to the Willamette River system, eventually migrating toward the Pacific Ocean.
Annual Release Event
Early December saw over eleven hundred students gather at Alton Baker Park for the culminating release. Each child received a transparent cup containing water and a young salmon. They approached stone slabs at the water's edge, often kneeling or sitting to offer personal words or names to their charges before gently pouring them into the pond.
This tradition, ongoing for more than two decades, is conducted in collaboration with the Eugene Water & Electric Board. The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has operated the Fish Eggs to Fry program since the 1990s.
Through raising the salmon, students gain insight into the species' life cycle and its endangered status. Shepard noted that educators have flexibility in integrating the project into daily lessons.
Shepard, who has overseen the project for nine years, expressed her growing affection for the program. She encourages students to embrace the emotional aspect of the release, suggesting that "the more love, the better" as the fish begin their journey. She believes the program makes science accessible. "It makes it real for them," Shepard said. "It isn't a video; it's a tangible thing that they can check in on every day, I think that's it.
"Anytime that we can bring the real in, it makes it come alive for the kids."
Fostering Environmental Connection
Shepard hopes the experience sparks a lasting interest in the natural world among participants, prioritizing "green time over screentime." She remarked, "The more they fall in love with the planet, the more they'll understand what's happening to her and how we can steward her together."
As a lifelong Eugene resident, Shepard values her community and hopes families revisit the park during winter breaks. "They're making memories, and I just hope that it's something that they're going to carry into their future," she said. "No matter what it is, if it was they enjoyed the water quality, they just like being outside, they thought salmon were amazing — it's just a hook into their future to open their eyes to our environment and just what it means to be on this beautiful planet."
