Washington Academy Teacher and Students to teach/learn about the

"Salmon of the Pacific Northwest".

**Daily Photo Journal**                                                       **Reflections**

Mr. Steven Koenig, (second from right) Director of Project SHARE presents (from left to right) Mr. Donald Sprangers, Instructor, Washington Academy students, Rick Saumur, Denise Gatcomb, and Dominic Winski with a check for $3,000 for travel and sponsorship to the Earthwatch Institute:  "Salmon of the Pacific Northwest" Expedition taking place November 11-21.  Mr. Dave Hitchings, (far right) Assistant Headmaster was also present for the presentation.

Greetings, I am Don Sprangers, a secondary science teacher at Washington Academy High School in East Machias, Maine where I teach chemistry and field ecology.  I am participating in "The Salmon of the Pacific Northwest" research expedition from November 13, 2004 through November 19, 2004. The Earthwatch Institute funds the project with a grant from the Maine Community Foundation Aristotle Fund.

Widespread decreases in salmon populations of the Pacific Northwest have led to many conservation efforts aimed to restore spawning and rearing habitat. Over the years, many small-scale restoration projects have been completed, but are limited by incomplete habitat/community/population data and insufficient resources to perform the necessary post-restoration analysis. I will be accompanied by three of my students and three other research volunteers from across the United States to identify future restoration sites, monitor restored sites for their effectiveness to meet desired outcomes, and will contribute to the data collection of the (old growth) forest community to aid in the  understanding of the process that links forests to rivers.  Data collection and analysis will help scientists unravel and model the complex factors that distinguish healthy habitats from unhealthy habitats.  Dr. Ralph Riley, Principal Investigator for the Pacific Northwest Conservation Research Institute, will direct our research expedition.  The research takes place in the Skagit River Valley located in the Northern Cascades of Washington State.  The Skagit River originates from glacial headwaters and flows toward the Pacific Ocean amid fog-shrouded coastal temperate rainforests and fertile floodplain valleys before emptying into Puget Sound.  The Skagit River is among the last salmon rivers in the United States to boast healthy salmon runs.

I am honored to have this opportunity to visit the Pacific Northwest in the capacity to study salmon, for I have 12 years of experience as a volunteer in local efforts to restore Atlantic salmon populations in Downeast Maine.  I currently serve as the Secretary of the Downeast Salmon Federation, Vice-President of the East Machias River Watershed Council, and am a member of the Maine Atlantic Salmon Commission's Public Advisory Panel.  As teacher and advisor to Washington Academy's Field Ecology Program and Youth Watershed Team, salmon restoration and habitat enhancement projects have become my passion and a focal topic in my teaching, earning both myself and my students National recognition awards.

Washington Academy students attending an open house at Craig Brook National Fish Hatchery.

The three students participating in the Pacific Northwest Salmon Study have 7 years of restoration experience, collectively, and are well informed in local issues related to the Atlantic salmon.  Participation in the Pacific Northwest Salmon Study will enhance the knowledge base necessary to advance local efforts in the restoration, assessment, and understanding of issues affecting all salmon populations in North America.  The experience will also guide the development of future curriculum modifications to the Washington Academy Field Ecology Program and Environmental Studies Program.

During the expedition, I will post a daily photo journal and reflections on the Internet that will describe my research experiences.  I will also entertain inquires from my students and post daily challenges related to my research, the geography of the Pacific Northwest, and the cultures of Indiginous peoples of the Pacific Northwest via email (d.sprangers@washingtonacademy.org).  In addition to communicating with Washington Academy students, I will also be collaborating with middle school students from MSAD #77: Elm Street School in East Machias, Fort O'Brien School in Machiasport, and others from across the state of Maine as part of the Maine Learning Technology Initiative (MLTI).

I am extremely grateful for the financial support awarded my students to make this learning experience possible.  The student delegates from Washington Academy received Community Fellowship Awards from the Earthwatch Institute with funding provided by the Ford Foundation. Local support was provided by the membership of Project SHARE with additional contributions from the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Washington County Soil and Water Conservation District (email conservation@maineline.net).