GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (ABC 4) — Something fishy is happening at the West Michigan Academy of Environmental Science (WMAES). The ninth graders have been raising salmon in their classroom for the last five months. Starting out as baby eggs, these salmon are now ready to be released into the wild. The hope is that they will come back eventually to lay eggs and continue repopulating the river. Maranda put on a pair of waders and climbed into the Rogue River in Rockford with these students for some hands-on learning!
Taking the salmon and putting them into plastic containers, the students slowly released them into the river. It was hard to tell who was more excited to go into the river, the salmon or the students.
This hands-on learning experience was thanks to Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources’s (DNR), Salmon in the Classroom program. The program helps schools like WMAES instill an appreciation for our state’s natural resources in students. It helps get students out of the classroom and experience the natural world around them. You can learn more about the Michigan DNR’s Salmon in the Classroom project here.
The West Michigan Environmental Action Council was also there to help support the WMAES with its salmon release. WMEAC offers environmental education and visits classes in Grand Rapids. It offers lots of resources for both educators and individuals when it comes to environmental education. You can learn more here.
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