Summer 2025: SkeenaWild Salmon Education in Action

Community Events Across the Skeena

Over the summer, our team engaged communities across the region through a series of hands-on events with community partners:

Learn to Be in Nature (June 17)

In partnership with BC Parks, Skeena Diversity Society, and Terrace Public Library, SkeenaWild co-organized this day-long event at Lakelse Lake Picnic Site. Additional contributions came from DFO, Search and Rescue, and Tourism Terrace, who hosted booths and activities that built outdoor skills and connected families to the Skeena’s ecosystems.

Our team also hosted educational booths at the Skeena Valley Farmers Market throughout the summer, engaging families with interactive displays that encouraged conservation and connection to place.

Canada Day Celebrations (July 1)

At Terrace’s annual Canada Day gathering, SkeenaWild hosted an interactive watershed education booth that reached 200+ people, sparking reflection on the Skeena’s ecology and how we can all contribute to conservation.

BC Parks Day (July 19)

Together with BC Parks, Lakelse Watershed Stewards Society (LWSS), and DFO, SkeenaWild welcomed 100–120 attendees at Furlong Bay Campground. Activities included our popular Fish Prints & Anatomy station and a new Salmon Pledge wall, displayed later at a local café to sustain awareness.

Bringing Salmon Learning to Local Parks Through Pop-Up Salmon Science Events

SkeenaWild Pop-Ups (July & August)

Across four BC Parks locations (including Furlong Bay and Kleanza Creek), SkeenaWild hosted interactive demonstrations such as “Build Your Own Watershed,” “Smell Your Way Home,” and a salmon lifecycle relay. A highlight was our collaboration with the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC’s Learn to Fish program, which added hands-on angling instruction. Collectively, these events reached 200–320 participants.

Salmon Knowledge, Stories, and Community

Riverboat Days: Salmon Trivia (August 3)

At Sherwood Mountain Brewhouse, 50+ participants tested their salmon knowledge in a lively trivia night hosted by SkeenaWild. The event deepened awareness of salmon ecology while building community connections.

Peace and Unity Summit (August 7–8)

SkeenaWild hosted two days of salmon-themed crafts and activities for children. Through hands-on salmon-focused activities, youth were invited to learn, create, and connect with the Skeena, fostering environmental stewardship.

Riverboat Days: Escape Room (August 8)

Partnering with the Terrace Public Library and the City of Terrace, SkeenaWild designed a salmon-themed puzzle room that challenged participants to use conservation knowledge to solve clues in the inaugural River Boat Days Escape Room in Terrace.

Ocean Dialogues: Science, Stories, and Stewardship (August 9)

SkeenaWild Education co-hosted the Ocean Dialogues: Science, Stories, and Stewardship panel in collaboration with Ocean Wise and WWF Canada. The panel featured expert presentations highlighting the Skeena estuary’s critical role in sustaining salmon populations and promoting science-based conservation strategies.

Together, these events broadened awareness of salmon conservation, reaching thousands of people in fun, creative, and culturally meaningful ways.

Youth Summer Camps

Skeena Wilderness Wonders Camp (July 21–25, Ferry Island)

This salmon-focused camp for 20 youth (ages 6–12) immersed participants in hands-on ecology. Campers learned about the salmon lifecycle through water testing, the Salmon Migration Challenge, and watershed crafts. A local Indigenous speaker shared salmon’s cultural importance, and a half-day trip to Furlong Bay (supported by Budget Car Rental) allowed youth to explore coastal habitats.

Skeena Watershed Explorers Camp (August 11–15, multiple sites)

In partnership with Heritage Park Museum, SkeenaWild guided 18 youth (ages 10–16) through iconic Skeena sites such as Kitwanga fish fence, Kitselas Canyon, Kleanza Creek, Lakelse Lake, the North Coast Ecology Centre, and the North Pacific Cannery for an overnight stay. A highlight was time with Chief Lily Daniels Chas of the Gitwangak Band Council, who taught campers how to clean and smoke salmon and shared cultural stories, including those of the Xbiisuunts pole.

Thank You for Supporting Salmon Education

These programs are made possible thanks to the support of our funding partners and community donors.