Since 2020, Project Watching Over the Watershed (WOW) has aimed to instill a lifelong appreciation for local watersheds through student connections to our salmon recovery efforts. Combining classroom instruction with hands-on field experiences, WOW empowers students to engage in stewardship actions in their communities and schools.

In 2024, the program involved 872 students from Chelan, Douglas, and Grant counties visiting local streams. These outings addressed issues with riparian health, biodiversity, and human impacts, including climate change.

WOW thrives due to partnerships with state, federal, Tribal, and non-governmental organizations, connecting students to professionals involved in salmon recovery and providing career exposure.

Participants have engaged in floodplain restoration planting, beaver dam analog construction, rock dam removal, “fuels to fish” wildfire fuels reduction and instream complexity restoration, and reintroducing previously extirpated salmon. These experiences foster stewardship behaviors that students can integrate into their daily lives.

Special thanks to the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for their financial support and our partners in education Cascadia Conservation District, US Fish & Wildlife Service, Yakama Nation Fisheries, and Chelan-Douglas Land Trust for making these programs possible!

Photos courtesy of Edison Velez, WA State Recreation & Conservation Office