The Olympian ran a story this morning about a joint project between the Nisqually Tribe and the Nisqually River Education Project. The salmon carcass distribution project is a big part in educating students around the watershed and in salmon restoration efforts:
A field trip for fifth- and sixth-graders at Wa-He-Lut Indian School was an ecology lesson that, for some, also recalled traditional ceremonies.
The carcasses have a key role in the ecology of the Nisqually River and the health of the salmon runs, said Wa-He-Lut sixth-grade teacher Victoria Johnston. In nature, salmon naturally die in the creeks after they spawn.
“Either they’ll decompose and become food for the bugs that the baby salmon will eat after they hatch,” Johnston said, “or the baby salmon will eat the salmon carcasses.”
A photo gallery of the day is also available here.
