Students at Auburn’s Lake View Elementary School joined fish hatchery specialists from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in releasing about 250 young coho salmon into Soos Creek last Friday morning.

Fifth-graders – like Christian Kindell (pictured below) – lined up at the banks of Soos Creek and waited for their turn to gently release the young salmon into the stream.

Students had watched the salmon grow at their school aquarium since January when they received the eggs, courtesy of the Soos Creek Hatchery. Four months later, the coho were ready for liberation.

Lynn Olson, a volunteer at Lake View, worked with teachers and staff to instigate the PTA-supported life science project.

“It was fun to show the kids the process,” Olson said. “It’s been really a cool thing for kids to learn about this, not just the life cycle, but how it impacts the environment. It’s been a special experience for all of us.”