Ecology of the Okanogan

Ecology of the Okanogan

A new science elective course for Okanogan High School Juniors and Seniors interested in exploring ecosystems and habitats of the Okanogan River watershed. A significant amount of time is spent outside the classroom, with a special focus on salmon habitat restoration on Conservancy Island in Okanogan.

**Update May 2014** Check out the article in the Omak Chronicle about the restoration project, and the students' presentation to the Okanogan City Council: click here [1]
 

	The October field trip to see salmon spawning began with a hands-on lesson in fish anatomy courtesy of Chris Fisher of CCT Fish and Widlife.

The 2013-2014 school year is the pilot year of the class. Okanogan Conservation District's Education Coordinator is working closely with nationally-certified science teacher Kathleen Ferguson to create the curriculum. Colville Confederated Tribes Fish and Wildlife staff are leading the salmon restoration portion of the class. 

Collecting macroinvertebrates to examine water quality. Waders are a crucial piece of equipment for this class- see our wish list [2] if you'd like to donate gear and help keep the students warm and dry in the field!

WA Department of Fish and Wildlife, the City of Okanogan, Okanogan County Public Health, Cascade Columbia Fisheries Enhancement Group, and the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) are also participating in making this class a unique experience for local high school students.

The soils unit introduced students to the geology underlying the habitats and land uses of the county. The glacial till behind the high school made for a good mini-field trip on a cold December day.

Okanogan Conservation District is actively seeking funding to pay for staff time, equipment, and transportation expenses for this class. Check out our wish list [2] or contact us about making a tax-deductible donation to support the program. We'd like to thank the Charlotte Martin Foundation for their support of staff time to coordinate the program.

Science is definitely fun, and tasty too! For our last day before winter break, we wrapped up the soils unit by making edible soil profiles with cookies, pudding, and even an ash layer made of sprinkles and sugar.