Hatchery Experience
About the Hatchery Experience
The Hatchery Experience introduces students to the purpose, activities, and benefits of Oregon’s hatcheries and the role hatcheries play in managing Oregon’s aquatic resources. The Hatchery Experience is a half-day field trip. Classrooms enrolled in Kokanee Karnival at the Comprehensive Level are required to participate in the Hatchery Experience as part of their acceptance agreement.
The Hatchery Experience consists of the following eight stations:
1. Broodstock
Students learn about the source of fish eggs for the hatchery, fish traps for capturing fish, and methods of transporting equipment to egg-take sources at lakes and streams in remote locations.
2. Eggs and Milt Spawning
Students observe ripe (ready to spawn) male and female trout; volunteers and hatchery personnel demonstrate the spawning process using fish eggs and milk or cream to represent the milt.
3. Incubation — Hatch House
A volunteer describes the role the hatch house plays in the incubation of the eggs.
4. Feed Room
Students view bags of fish food pellets, comparesamples of various sizes of fish food that correspond withthe size of the fish, and learn how the hatchery controls fish growth through feeding.
5. Rearing Ponds and Liberation
Students learn how fishgrow and develop in rearing ponds and how the hatchery captures and transports the fish to lakes and streams. Students view a fish liberation truck and feed the fish in the rearing ponds.
6. Stocking Methods
Volunteers discuss several methods of fish stocking in lakes and streams, including helicopter dumps and backpack trips.
7. Llamas
Fish stocking with llamas is a fun family experience. Llamas are used to stock fish once each year in two high lakes. At this station we discuss uses of llamas, size of fish we stock, how we pack the fish, and the fact that llamas travel at ease on the trails, causing little to no erosion.
We also discuss their personality, fiber, and answer any questions the students have. At the end of the talk, the students line up and pet the llama(s) one at a time. This station is one of the most popular of the hatchery experience.
For more information on when and where to stock fish with llamas, email Jeri, the Llama Mama at llamamama@kokaneekarnival.org
To contact llama organizations visit STREAMS TO OTHER PLACES
8. Salmon People
Native Americans describe how and why salmon are important to their culture. They often show examples or products and other items related to salmon and the Native American way of life.
