A LOUGHS AGENCY EDUCATION PROGRAMME
TEACHER INFORMATION PACK
9. 10. 11-13. 14-15.
SALMON AMBASSADORS CONTENTS
Welcome and Introduction
International Year of the Salmon
Aims & Objectives
Schedule
Programme Outline:
Lesson 1: Salmon Lifecycle
Lesson 2: Threat & Migration
Lesson 3: River Trip
Lesson 4: Loughs Agency Visit
Graduation Event
Hatchery System
Ideas for learning activities
For more information about Salmon Ambassadors, please email: salmonambassadors@loughs-agency.org
WELCOME & INTRODUCTION
SALMON AMBASSADORS
Hello and welcome to the Loughs Agency’s Salmon Ambassadors project.
Salmon Ambassadors is the main primary/national school age project offered through Riverwatch, Loughs Agency’s environmental education outreach programme.
We have been delivering environmental education programmes for more than fifteen years. We see this programme as the culmination of all that we have learned and achieved over that time and the core foundation of what we offer.
The theme of this programme is:
Salmon and People in a Changing World
Through this outreach programme, we will cover the following:
• The status of salmon: Learning about the status of salmon locally and globally and the status of their environment
• Salmon in a changing salmosphere: Looking at environmental pressures, both natural and man-made, to understand and quantify their effects on salmon's distribution and abundance, and projections of future changes
• Human dimension: To investigate the cultural, social and economic elements that depend upon sustainable salmon populations
The Salmon Ambassadors programme aims to create an informed generation that will value salmon and, most importantly, the environment we share with the 'King of the Fish'
We hope your school and pupils enjoy the experiences planned for this programme
For more information about Salmon Ambassadors, please email: salmonambassadors@loughs-agency.org
2019 - 2020 International Year of the Salmon
This programme was inspired by the International Year of the Salmon (IYS), which began in 2019 and continues until 2023 The IYS aims to support research and conservation of the salmon species and their environments throughout the Northern Hemisphere After 2023 this programme becomes a legacy project and will hopefully continue on for many years
The IYS has been formed because human activities continue to impact salmon, with many stocks at critical levels But it’s not too late Continued input from experts is needed, but it will take the passion and commitment of people from all walks of life to make a difference
The IYS is an initiative to inform and stimulate outreach and research that aspires to establish the conditions necessary to ensure the resilience of salmon and people throughout the Northern Hemisphere by bringing people together, sharing and developing knowledge, raising awareness and taking action
The extraordinary life histories of salmon in the northern hemisphere exposes them to many environmental and human caused factors, influencing their health and abundance IYS aims to raise awareness of what humans can do to ensure salmon and their habitats are conserved and restored
Aims of IYS:
• Develop a better understanding of the factors driving salmon abundance and the challenges facing them.
• Encourage scientists, decision makers and the public to work towards solutions that overcome the challenges salmon face.
• Support conservation and restoration strategies to help manage salmon in the face of climate change.
• Enable collaboration among organisations and researchers in countries throughout the northern hemisphere.
• Inspire and support a new generation of researchers, managers and conservationists.
• Help create a greater awareness of the ecological, social, cultural and economic value of salmon.
For more information about Salmon Ambassadors, please email: salmonambassadors@loughs-agency.org
Why are salmon considered such an essential species?
Salmon are widely recognised as indicators of ecological health and the state of the environment. If salmon stocks are healthy, you know that the rivers and oceans are also healthy. A healthy environment provides multiple benefits to people. Salmon are not only a source of food but thriving salmon stocks support jobs for commercial and recreational fishers, as well as jobs in ecotourism, including hotels, restaurants and tackle shops, to name a few. A healthy environment with abundant salmon inspires many people to enjoy the outdoors. These diverse values further justify the importance of restoring and conserving salmon and their habitats.
The power to create change
Environmental change and human impacts across the northern hemisphere place salmon at risk. As conditions change, we need more responsive and efficient approaches to understanding and responding to effects. While the challenges we face across the northern hemisphere are shared, there are limited connections between people who can address those challenges. International Year of the Salmon aims to bring together a legacy of knowledge, tools and a new generation of scientists and decision-makers empowered to sustain salmon and the ecosystems they depend on. At the same time, we want to see an increase in the number of people who understand the significance of salmon and the challenges they face.
Outreach and Communication
Outreach, engagement and education are also key components of the International Year of the Salmon. This includes improving public and political awareness of salmons' cultural, social and economic importance and the challenges salmon face from major environmental changes and human impacts.
We want people to understand the value of healthy salmon populations better and to ensure salmon and their habitats are conserved, protected and restored amidst environmental change.
For more information about Salmon Ambassadors, please email: salmonambassadors@loughs-agency.org
Aims:
Aims & Objectives
• To connect school pupils to their local river habitats and use the lifecycle of the salmon to teach them about the broader themes of biodiversity, ecology and the links between aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity.
• To inform and educate pupils and teachers within the Foyle and Carlingford catchments on the plight of the Atlantic salmon from a local to global level.
• To create valuable learning experiences in class and on the banks of the river for participating pupils and school staff.
• To stimulate thought on our lifestyles' effects on the environment and wildlife local to us.
• To encourage ownership of wild places and wild things so that they can be better conserved for future generations.
For more information about Salmon Ambassadors, please email: salmonambassadors@loughs-agency.org
Date
Jan/Feb
SCHEDULE
SALMON AMBASSADORS
Programme Element
Day 1
Lesson 1: Lifecycles
Set up salmonid hatchery
Jan/Feb
Egg delivery
Mar/Apr
Day 2
Lesson 3: Migrations
Lesson 4: Threats
Apr/May
Day 3
Lesson 5: Field trip to local river/lake
May/June
Day 4
Graduation Event
For more information about Salmon Ambassadors, please email: salmonambassadors@loughs-agency.org
Teacher Introduction
LESSON 1 SALMON LIFECYCLE
In this lesson, we will study the salmon's life cycle from egg to adult spawner. The pupils will look at each stage of the salmon’s life cycle. They will learn about the natural threats salmon face at each stage, the behaviour that allows them to survive and the different habitats they live in during the different stages of their lifecycle.
Key Words
Salmon, salmonid, river, stream, estuary, freshwater, marine, sea, ocean, predator, flood, drought, mortality, egg, ova, alevin, fry, parr, spawner, habitat, keystone (keystone analogy), food chain, food web, invertebrate, environment, adaptation, commercial, historical, heritage, value.
Concepts for discussion prior to and during Salmon Ambassadors
One of the key elements of this programme is to communicate how we value salmon and the natural environment.
One of the best ways to discuss how we value something is by exploring what benefits we, as humans, take from the things we value.
We value the natural environment because of the things we take out of it, such as freshwater, clean air, food and medicine.
Learning Outcomes
Pupils will be able to:
• Understand that all living things have a lifecycle.
• Understand that lifecycles vary in length, from hours to days to hundreds of years.
• List the salmon life cycle stages in order.
• Use content-specific vocabulary about salmon and its’ lifecycle appropriately.
• Recognise that salmon migrate as part of their lifecycle.
• Recognise that all organisms have birth, growth, reproduction and death in common.
• Relate the importance/value of the natural environment to them and to other species.
For more information about Salmon Ambassadors, please email: salmonambassadors@loughs-agency.org
LESSON 2 SALMON MIGRATION & THREATS
Teacher Introduction
As a follow-up to salmon lifecycle, we will focus on the two great migrations of our salmon’s lives and the threats they face This lesson will highlight to pupils how dangerous this world can be for salmon and for us as humans They will explore the connection between environmental health and human health whilst realising the effects of human activity
Key Words
Migration, natural, man-made, agriculture, agricultural, domestic, industrial, cattle, fertiliser, pesticides, slurry, climate, pollution, warming, plastic, biodegradation, barrier, dam, weir, overfishing, acidification, eutrophication, litter, biodiversity, water quality
Concepts for discussion prior to and during the Salmon Ambassadors
We value the natural environment because of the things we take out of it, such as freshwater, clean air, food and medicine Some things are given more value than others, sometimes because they are vital to survival, comfort or profit, and other times because they are rare We often don’t realise the value of something until it is gone What we value as people influences the values of our society and the government of the day
Learning outcomes
Pupils will be able to:
• Explain why animals migrate.
• Name two animals that can be found locally (not salmon) that migrate.
• Define some of the threats salmon face in their migration.
• Describe the effects of climate change and environmental damage.
• Be able to differentiate between natural and man-made threats.
• Understand that we need the natural environment to survive.
• Understand that human priorities often ‘trump’ wildlife priorities.
• Understand that water and air quality affect all living things.
• Understand that water quality can be measured using biodiversity.
For more information about Salmon Ambassadors, please email: salmonambassadors@loughs-agency.org
LESSON 3 RIVER TRIP
Teacher information
For the third lesson, we will take the class to the banks of a local river, where pupils will conduct a habitat/river survey. This will involve making observations and taking measurements at the riverbank and in the river, but only if it is safe to do so on the day. Children will require appropriate clothing and footwear. We want the children to fully participate in all activities and safely enjoy their time at the river. We will search for a site on a river close to the school. Ideally, we’d like you to be able to walk your class from school to the river, but we are aware that this will only be possible for a few schools within our catchments. Alternatively, we will find a river site no more than 15 – 20 minutes away by bus.
Key Words
River, stream, riffle, cobble, gravel, boulder, substrate, flood, spate, riverbed, erosion, litter, land use, flow, temperature, width, depth, biodiversity, observation, survey, measure, record, predict,
Learning Outcomes
Pupils will be able to:
• Recognise the importance of detailed observations when performing scientific survey work.
• Identify features of a river like bed type, flow, surrounding land use, manmade and natural structures.
• Measure the health of their river using invertebrate sampling, analyses and biotic index.
• Explain that biodiversity is a measurement of the variety of life found at a habitat site being studied by scientists.
• Explain that biodiversity can tell us how healthy or unhealthy a habitat is.
• Understand that a variety of special equipment is required to conduct habitat studies.
• Understand that there are people whose job it is to study the environment, and through that study, they can better protect habitats
For more information about Salmon Ambassadors, please email: salmonambassadors@loughs-agency.org
Graduation JUNE 2025
We plan to host a Graduation event in June to celebrate all the learning of the participating pupils.
Class Project
Classes are also encouraged to make either:
• posters that showcase their life cycle stage
• a short presentation
• an animation
• dramatic story telling
• or anything that will communicate their learning about that particular lifecycle stage.
Our Education Team will work with you to ensure you have everything you need, including resources that might help create the conference piece.
For more information about Salmon Ambassadors, please email: salmonambassadors@loughs-agency.org
Hatchery System
AN INTRODUCTION
Keeping live animals in a classroom can be daunting, especially when they are as vulnerable as salmonid eggs We have created specialised hatchery systems for the eggs, which we will deliver to your classroom at the beginning of the programme Our hatchery system will do all the hard work for you
The system itself is quite basic but very effective Like any piece of equipment, it can fail, so you must monitor key features to ensure they are working as they should If you think there is a problem at any time, please don't hesitate to call us If we are not able to troubleshoot the problem over the phone, we will visit the school as soon as possible to solve the problem If you have a catastrophic failure and lose all the eggs, we will replace them with a new batch (if we have them) We have rarely encountered any significant problems The worst that sometimes happens is a leaky valve that can be tightened or wrapped with plumbing tape to stop leaks Below is a bird's eye view diagram showing the system's makeup
The Classroom Tank - Daily Husbandry
Eggs need clean, cold water with plenty of oxygen. The hatchery should be successful if you provide these conditions and keep the aquarium clean. As seen from the diagram above, the system consists of 2 modified aquarium tanks supplied with a pump to circulate the water, an air pump to provide oxygen, and a chiller to keep the water temperature low.
For more information about Salmon Ambassadors, please email: salmonambassadors@loughs-agency.org
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The tank should be in a cool area to reduce fluctuations in daily water temperature. Pupils can check temperature on the digital display of the chiller. Once installed, the rearing tank will be almost maintenance-free, aside from occasionally removing dead eggs and sometimes inserting ice packs if the temperature rises. The hatchery equipment is an attempt to mimic the natural spawning bed. It is essential to leave the rearing tank as undisturbed as possible.
Daily husbandry
The following checks and records must be carried out daily to improve the success rate of the project and the survival rate of the eggs:
• Checking for, removing and recording mortalities. Some eggs may die, even in good conditions. The fungus that forms on dead eggs will infect live eggs. Dead eggs are white or milky in colour and should be removed carefully using the turkey baster provided.
• Recording, monitoring and adjusting daily temperature. It is best to leave the chiller alone as it will be set to chill at 8 degrees but will most likely chill the water between 10 and 13 degrees Celsius.
• Maintaining a constant water flow. Do not adjust the flow setting. Make sure the pump is running throughout the programme.
• Keeping the tank in darkness as well as free from shock.
• Collecting information on and keeping a written record of the above.
Example of recording sheet:
When will they hatch?
The water temperature must be taken every day and recorded. The accumulative temperature column includes all the previous daily readings added up. When the reading is between 320°C and 350°C the eggs should start to hatch out. E.g. If the temperature taken every day was 10°C, then it would take around 32 days for the eggs to begin to hatch out.
It is important to remember that the temperature must not go over 15°C. In fact, if the temperature goes above 13°C, it is time to take some emergency action. e.g. insert ice packs (be careful the water doesn’t spill over), open windows, turn off radiators.
Factors affecting egg survival in the classroom
Despite the hatchery environment in the classroom being protected against most problems that potentially affect the eggs in the wild, the requirements for successful development are the same. Factors which are within our control but could affect the eggs in our experiment are:
• Temperature:
The water temperature must not drop too low and never exceed 15°C; otherwise, the developing fish become deformed and some may die.
• Oxygen:
The water supply must be kept running at all times; otherwise, the eggs may die from lack of oxygen. Salmonids thrive on high Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels, extracting 80% of the DO that passes across their gills.
• Disturbance:
Any disturbance of the tank environment must be prevented, and no objects or substances must be placed in the tank. Eggs and Alevin are harmed by light, especially the violet-blue light that is produced by fluorescent bulbs. They can take brief periods (about 10 minutes) of exposure to natural light without damage. However, such exposure is not recommended. Some water will be lost through condensation. If the water level drops, contact Loughs Agency. No additional water should be added unless supplied by Loughs Agency.
Making Cover for your Hatchery System
The only thing you and the class will need to do before the eggs arrive and after the hatchery has been set up in your classroom is to create a cover for the tank that will keep out any unwanted light and help dampen the effects of a noisy classroom. This cover can be made from a cardboard box cut to shape and fitted snugly over the nursery tank. Don’t cover the chiller though, as it will prevent it from cooling.
Ideas for learning activities during and after the programme
Loughs Agency is a scientific organisation whose main responsibility is the conservation and protection of salmonids and shellfish. We'd like you to visit the concepts of conservation, preservation, restoration and scientific investigation of the natural world with your class during and after the project. We will cover these during the programme, but revising and reinforcing these concepts in between workshops and field trips embeds this learning.
Below, we have a list of suggested themes for you to consider. We don't expect you will be able to cover them all or use them all but do hope that you can use the knowledge you gain here to further enhance classroom discussion before, during and after the programme.
Investigating and exploring concepts like conservation, preservation and restoration in the classroom can be challenging to translate to children, so, we have developed some suggestions that can be expanded during class time, which may even feed into the conference work at the end of the programme.
Historical Figures
There are agreat number of historical figures that have enhanced our understanding of the natural world and the processes that sustain life on Earth. We have a few that we think were of particular significance to the ideas of conservation, preservation, and restoration.
John Muir
John was a significant Natural Historian from the late 19th century and early 20th century. He was born in Scotland but emigrated to the US with his family as a child, where he developed a keen love of nature. He became famous for his writing and grass roots advocacy of environmental preservation. His view of wild places was very different to that of society at the time.
“In his time, the natural world was something to be feared or conquered, he smashed apart that notion and presented his readers with a vision of nature that was warm and irresistible. It was revolutionary.”
Mary Colwell ‘John Muir; The Scotsman who saved Americas wild places. 2014’
You can find lots of information about John Muir here: https://discoverjohnmuir.com/
For more information about Salmon Ambassadors, please email: salmonambassadors@loughs-agency.org
Create a Profile Poster
Rachel Louise Carson
Rachel is widely considered the mother of modern-day environmentalism. Her story is similar to that of John Muir’s in that she was a prolific writer, writing books, articles, and radio plays about the natural world. Carson wrote a book called ‘Silent Spring’ that changed how we view our relationship with nature. She proved that human health was directly linked to the health of the environment and that if we are to survive as a species, we need to take better care of the environment we live in.
You can find all you need about Rachel at https://www.rachelcarson.org/Bio.aspx
With both Rachel and John, you can give the children some context as to why we value the environment the way we do and why we need to be a voice for nature as they were through their writing and advocacy.
Salmon: Artwork and Species Profiles
We will be doing quite a bit about salmon during the programme but it is still worth looking for more information We will only touch a little on the many species of salmon that can be found in the northern hemisphere, so it will be worth getting the children to do some research on these species themselves and compare the other species with our own North Atlantic salmon Other salmon species include: Coho, Chinook, Pink, Masu, Sockeye and Chum.
The lifecycles of these salmon are very similar to our own and can be used as a comparison. How they are valued by people that live near to their natural habitats is also a good point of comparison.
Creating a species profile can be simple if the information being shared is basic Some headings for a profile could be:
• Species name: Latin/Greek/Scientific
• Average life span
• Average size
• Diet in freshwater and saltwater
• Main predator
• Geographic location of habitats
The art that can be generated to represent each species in their profiles will be a good tool for familiarising the class with the salmon's anatomy.
Artistic Representation of Salmon Life Cycle
In the first lesson, the class will be doing quite a bit about the life cycle of the salmon Creating a poster showing each stage with little facts thrown in can help the children better represent their learning
For more information about Salmon Ambassadors, please email: salmonambassadors@loughs-agency.org
For more information about Salmon Ambassadors, please email: salmonambassadors@loughs-agency.org