Pendleton Early Learning Center get hands-on experience with salmon and lamprey

MISSION, Ore. - Over 200 students from the Pendleton Early Learning Center  had a hands-on educational experience with salmon and lamprey eels when they visited the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation's Acclimation Facility in Pendleton.

PELC Walk to Language teacher Shawndine Jones said, "It's important to collaborate with the tribe, and they've been very, very generous to offer the field trip for us."

Students got to touch and feed the coho salmon, summer steelhead and lamprey in the pond as they learned about the facility, why they raise fish there and what CTUIR is doing for the preservation of salmon and lamprey in the region.

Jones said "So maybe when they’re going home to their family they can tell their families how important the salmon are to our ways, our ecosystem in our world, so that when they grow up they can help be advocates for the salmon. I think that it’s important to keep the Earth clean and keep our rivers clean and protect the salmon. So if they’re starting at a young age, learning about the salmon and the lamprey, they’ll grow up to just… be more empathetic about our planet and why it’s important to keep them, preserve them for the future."

CTUIR Hatchery Satellite Facilities Assistant Project Manager Shaun Montgomery said "It’s really important for them to learn to, you know, this is all part of the (salmon) reintroduction effort that was started. And eventually I would hope that some might be interested to pursue a career in fisheries or continue the restoration…. But anytime we can do outreach like this, what we’re doing to get the public support, I think it’s a great thing.”

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