A Restrospective For Next Year's Environmental Education Programming from PCD

by Maddie Snook

As schools break for summer we're looking back at our accomplishments during the 2023-24 school year. We brought environmental education programming to over 4,500 students, visiting 50 schools in the county. In the fall, every Puyallup public elementary school student witnessed salmon returning from their ocean journey at the Puyallup Historical Hatchery. Tacoma elementary students from 24 different schools raised and released chum salmon into Swan Creek in the spring. We held two gardening club programs and helped host the Envirothon competitions on the regional and state level.

It’s been a busy year! But we can’t rest on our laurels. There is always more to do. Next school year we hope to expand the Tacoma Salmon in the Schools Program to more students and support more school gardens. In the online sphere, we plan to create more accessible online resources and lesson plans. We also want to bolster our team and recruit more educational docents that can share their love of nature with the next generation. Without our docents, we could not reach as many schools as we have, and we thank them for all their time and expertise.

If you would like to join our growing docent team for the fall, please contact us at Education Docent Interest Form (zohopublic.com)