Today, June 4, the third and fourth graders at Juniper Hill School in Alna will release salmon into the Sheepscot near Head Tide Dam.

As part of a year-long study of the Sheepscot River, the class participated in Maine’s “Fish Friends” program, in which schools can host salmon eggs raised from a hatchery. The class has hosted the eggs through the alevin stage and are releasing the tiny salmon, now at the fry stage. 

As part of the river study, students had an opportunity to visit the Craig Brook Hatchery in East Orland, where their salmon were raised. They have also met with a DEP water specialist to practice water testing on the Sheepscot, with a macroinvertebrate specialist in order to learn about bugs as stream health indicators, with salmon biologists to learn about their tracking of data for salmon in the Sheepscot, and with Midcoast Conservancy to learn about the planned changes to Head Tide Dam, which will better support the migration of salmon and other wildlife.