The Rogue Basin Salmon Watch program hosts field trips for students on local creeks and rivers each fall when both Spring and Fall Chinook are instream. Field trip activities teach students about watershed health and the importance of riparian areas, water quality conditions, macroinvertebrate populations, and other factors important to our native salmon and other aquatic species. Programs are taught by local experts, including professional fish biologists, hydrologists, botanists, and educators, who are excited to share their knowledge and experience with students. We also offer in-class programs, instructor training, and partnerships for service-learning projects.
Programs are offered in Jackson and Josephine counties, and we are working with partners to coordinate classes in other parts of the Rogue Basin. Typical field trip locations include sites on the Rogue River at McGregor Park, Tou Velle State Recreation Site, and Reinhart Volunteer Park, and sites on Bear Creek at North Mountain Park, Blue Heron Park, and Cascade Christian High School.
Salmon Watch 2026 Registration Open Now!
Visit our EventBrite page at the link below to see available dates and request a reservation. Each date can accommodate up to 60 students/two classrooms at one site. If you can work with another teacher to choose the same day, that is tremendously helpful to our scheduling process!
If your class is smaller than 10 students, larger than 30 students, and/or your students are younger than 3rd grade or older than 8th grade, please DO NOT register via EventBrite and contact Amie Siedlecki directly at the Rogue Valley Council of Governments to see if we can schedule a time to accommodate your class.
“The kids who I chaperoned were absolutely inspired by the experience. It was so well organized, hands-on and just perfect for making the information really mean something to the students, all of it very accessible for each student to integrate into their own personal knowledge bank, good amount of time at the different stations and excellent opening and closing circle content.”
Major funding for the program comes from local communities (Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, Medford, Central Point, Jacksonville, Grants Pass) and counties (Jackson and Josephine) as part of their Clean Water Act Programs. Other partners that provide in-kind support, funding, or other assistance include watershed councils, non-governmental organizations, land conservancies, council of governments, local utilities (water commission and Rogue Valley Sewer Services), educational organizations, and local, state, and federal agencies.
Program coordination is provided by the Rogue Valley Council of Governments (RVCOG) Natural Resources Department and the Rogue Valley Sewer Services (RVSS) Stormwater Department.
For program information including available program days, interest in being added to the program list, or being an instructor, contact info@stream-smart.com or click on a contact below.
Current Program Coordinators
Amie Siedlecki, Rogue Valley Council of Governments
Greg Stabach, Rogue Valley Council of Governments
Ben Poaster, Rogue Valley Sewer Services
Christine Lazina, Rogue Valley Sewer Services
“The staff were knowledgeable, great at redirecting and holding attention of the students and they obviously are all passionate about this important topic. What a gift to the community to educate children in this way and what a gift to our local ecosystem. All of the children in the group I was with left the field trip with the sentiment that they would do everything they could to help the salmon and the salmon habitat through both their actions and sharing the information with others.”
Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 Statistics
- Approximately 1,800 students participated
- 31 schools participated
- 37 individual instructors contributed to the program
- Continued financial support from local communities (Ashland, Talent, Phoenix, Medford, Central Point. Jacksonville and Grants Pass) and Counties (Jackson and Josephine County)
- Additional financial support provided by Jackson Soil and Water Conservation District
↘️ Looking for Salmon Watch Materials or Instructor Resources?
School teachers and Salmon Watch Instructors — check out our Salmon Watch Resources page for curricula and lesson plans on salmon biology and riparian ecosystems you can use in the classroom, or lesson modules and training videos for leading Salmon Watch field trips.