Adopt a Salmon

♦ 705 Dock Street, Tacoma, WA 98402

♦ 253-272-2750 ext. 103

About Adopt a Salmon

  • Student artwork in the shape of salmon displayed on a museum wall
    Class artwork from the 2024-2025 program year- each class created a unique wooden salmon, designed by a local artist
  • A school's salmon tank, with fry swimming in the middle of the tank. There are student posters and artwork on the front of the tank as well as the wall behind it.
    One of many school tanks. Classes frequently come up with their own smaller projects incorporating what students learn about the salmon, such as life cycle, the five species found in the PNW, and what salmon need to survive.
  • High school interns gathered together next to a creek
    Highschool interns attend a training on salmon habitat and needs at Swan Creek park
  • Jars containing coho salmon fry, staged for release into Swan Creek.
    The Seaport and PCD raise their own tanks of salmon, and often have dozens if not hundreds of salmon left by the end of the program. Often we will host a community Salmon Sendoff and invite families and neighbors to release fry into Swan Creek.
  • Students and adults gather around a table to view macroinvertebrates found in Swan Creek, and determine what they indicate for salmon habitat.
    Students use viewers to look at and identify macroinvertebrates- small creatures that are often the first prey items for salmon after they have fully absorbed their yolk sac.
  • A cup containing a salmon fry held up for display
    A participating student displays the salmon fry from their tank that will soon be released

Adopt a Salmon was created as a fundraiser for the Tacoma Salmon in the Classroom program, run by Foss Waterway Seaport in partnership with Pierce Conservation District, Tacoma Public Schools, Chief Leschi Schools, Impact Commencement Bay Elementary, Next Move Internships, and Diru Puyallup Tribe Hatchery. Salmon in the Classroom started in the 2021-2022 school year with educators from the Seaport and PCD providing programming to just 12 schools. As of the 2024-2025 school year, over 1,800 students in 27 TPS elementary schools, along with Chief Leschi Schools and Impact: Commencement Bay charter school, raised, learned about, and released approximately 3,300 chum salmon! Our goals are to add schools until we reach every elementary school in Tacoma Public School District, and create a sustainable source of funding for the program. With this, we can continue to bring valuable hands-on education about one of the region’s most important cultural, economic, and environmental resources (salmon!) to students in Tacoma.

Salmon in the Classroom Program Timeline:

  1. October- November: School salmon tanks are set up and filled to properly “cycle” i.e. establish a healthy environment for salmon.
  2. January: Schools receive 150 chum salmon eggs (“Egg Day”!)
  3. January-March: Foss Waterway Seaport and Pierce Conservation District deliver in class lessons to participating classes. Students learn what salmon need from their environment and what characteristics make for healthy salmon habitat.
  4. March: Classes attend a release field trip at Swan Creek park- they participate in activities exploring the health of the creek, identifying habitat features, and most importantly release one of their own salmon into the creek!
  5. April: Tanks are thoroughly cleaned and stored for the summer until next year, with a brand new batch of students!

Want to know more, or support this program in other ways? Visit our “How to Support” page to learn more!