Salmon eggs make their way to Waitsburg classroom

WAITSBURG-First grade teacher Stephanie Hinchliffe is in her fifth year working with the Tri-State Steelheaders to raise salmon in her classroom.  The Salmon Enhancement Group education coordinator Alex Lau arrived in Waitsburg on Tuesday, October 25 with his assistant from AmeriCorps, Brock Peterson to drop off a batch of eggs to the aquarium in Hinchliffe's room. 

The Salmon in Schools program runs from October, when the eggs are delivered, to April and May when the juvenile fish are released into local streams. The Tri-State Steelheaders (TTS) provide the tanks, setup, salmon eggs, and permits, free of cost to the schools.

Staff from TTS will visit monthly to provide lessons about plants and animals, watersheds, riparian areas, and other topics related to salmon and their life cycle. Currently, the Salmon in Schools program has classrooms from Touchet to Pomeroy, including Prescott, Starbuck, Dixie, College Place, Walla Walla, and Waitsburg.