Releasing Our Salmon Fry into Millstream River

Last Tuesday, Mrs. Patterson's and Mrs. Brayden's classes travelled to Bowen Park to release the salmon fry.  Watch the YouTube video to hear what some of the Grade Twos had to say about what they did and learned ...

Read on to hear some of our Grade Five's reflections ...

Written by grade five students: Delano and Isaac

Yesterday we released Coho fry with Mrs. Brayden’s and Patterson’s class. We released them in Bowen Park. The weather was pretty nice, but it was sort of cold. We went past an amazing water fall and let the salmon out in a calm pond with lots of rocks and logs to give them a place to hide. We all named our fish, Isaac and I named ours: Nemo, Dori and Bubbles! We hope all these fish will make it through their full life cycle.

Our group got to see an owl sitting in a tree and everyone was looking and taking pictures. There were lots of different plants and animals. We also saw four totem poles and smelled skunk cabbage. The skunk cabbage smells bad so it can attract bugs for the animals to eat.

There were lots of streams and water throughout the park and we saw a side channel for the salmon to swim up. We learned lots of facts about fish and nature. There was also another pond with lots and lots of ducks.

There are six different species of salmon: Steelhead, Chum, Coho, Chinook, Sockeye, and Pink.

After the eggs hatch they turn into alevins. Then the alevins eat out of their yolk sacs for food. Next they change into fry. The fry’s then search for insects and other food. Next the salmon turn into smolts and begin adapting to salt water. Then the salmon change again into adults and migrate.  When they return home they will be swimming upstream, fighting rapids and waterfalls, until finally they make gravel nests and spawn. The salmon die after completing their task of having their babies.