North Cascades

Salmon of the Skagit River Watershed

alevin: newly hatched salmon with its yolk sac still attached to its body

anadromous fish: fish that spend part of their lives in fresh water, some in salt water, and then mate and produce offspring in fresh water. Salmon are anadromous fish.

biodiversity (biological diversity): the variety of life on Earth. It refers to the genetic diversity within a species, the variety of the species themselves, and the varieties of ecosystems. The greater the diversity or variety there is in a system, the greater the strength and stability the system has over the long run; diversity strengthens the potential of a population to cope with, or respond to, changes in the environment.

carnivore: an organism that eats only meat. The gray wolf and salmon are examples of carnivores.

crustacean: small animals such as shrimp, crabs, and barnacles which usually live in the water and breathe through gills. They have a hard outer shell and legs with joints.

ecosystem: includes all the organisms of an area, their environment, and the linkages and interactions between them; all parts of an ecosystem are interrelated. The fundamental unit in ecology, containing both organisms and non-living environments, each influencing the properties of the other and both necessary for the maintenance of life. A complete, interacting system of living organisms and non-living elements; the home places of all living things.

endangered species: a species with so few living members that it will soon become extinct (see definition below) unless measures are begun to slow its loss.

estuary: the place where fresh water and salt water meet.

extinct: complete disappearance of a species from Earth; they once lived on Earth but have died out.

fingerling: a young salmon, living in fresh water, that eats snails, worms, freshwater shrimp, amphibian larvae, fish eggs, and young fish. At this stage of life, the young salmon move downstream to the estuary.

fry: a stage in a young salmon's life after it looses it yolk sac and begins feeding on zooplankton, crustaceans, and insects.

habitat: a place where a plant or animal lives, that provides seasonal or year round food, water, shelter, and space.

herbivore: an organism that eats only plants. An elk is an example of an herbivore.

migration: to move from one area to another. This movement is connected with a changing of season and the availability of food.

omnivore: an organism that eats a combination of plants and animals. Black bears and grizzly bears are examples of omnivores.

pool: a portion of a stream where the current is slow, often with deeper water than surrounding areas and with smooth surface texture. Pools often occur above and below riffles and generally are formed around stream bends or obstructions such as logs, root wads, or boulders. Pools provide important feeding and resting areas for fish.

population: all the organisms that make up a specific group or occur in a specific habitat.

predator: an organism that captures and feeds on parts or all of an organism of another species. Lynx are predators of snowshoe hares.

redd: the underwater gravel nest of spawning salmon. The female salmon create this nest by swishing some gravel away and making a depression in the gravel. This is where the female deposits her eggs.

riffle: relatively shallow section of a stream or river with rapid current and surface broken by gravel, rubble, or boulders.

riparian area: area with distinctive soil and vegetation between a stream or other body of water and the adjacent upland; includes wetlands and those portions of flood plains and valley bottoms that support riparian vegetation.

salmonoid: belonging to the family Salmonidae, which includes the salmon, trout, and whitefishes.

smolt: young salmon migrating to the ocean and undergoing biological changes to enable them to move from fresh water to salt water.

species: a population or series of populations of organisms that can interbreed freely with each other but not with members of other species.

threatened species: a species that is not yet endangered (see definition above) but show populations are heading in that direction.

turbidity: the condition of a body of water that contains suspended materials such as clay or silt particles, dead organisms, or small living plants and animals.

viable population: a population that is regarded as having the estimated numbers and distribution of reproductive individuals to ensure that its continued existence is well distributed in that area.

watershed: a geographic region within which water drains into a particular river, stream, or body of water. The highest ground around the watershed forms its boundaries.

weir: a fence of brush or stakes or other materials built in a stream for catching fish.

zooplankton: floating, often microscopic aquatic animals.

The following is a partial resource list that may be useful in searching for more information about the North Cascades Ecosystem, the Skagit River Watershed, and the finned beings whose presence within this area is a gift.

Biological Diversity:

Biological Diversity Makes A World of Difference: A curriculum for teachers and interpreters

National Park Service/National Parks and Conservation Association, Minnesota Environmental Education Board

Conserving Greater Yellowstone
Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative
Jackson WY
Copies may be obtained from Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative, PO Box 2705, Jackson, WY 83001 or 307-733-6856

Ghost Bears: Exploring the Biodiversity Crisis by R. Edward Grumbine
Island Press
Washington, DC 1992
$25.00

Wilderness Management by John C. Hendee, George H. Stankey, and Robert C. Lucas
North American Press. 1990

Eagles:

Return of the Eagle by Greg Breining
Falcon Press Publishing Co., Inc
Helena, MT 1994

SkySpirit. The American Bald Eagle by Michael Furtman
NorthWord Press, Inc.
Minocqua, WI 1994
$19.95

The American Eagle with Cynthia Black, ed.
Beyond Words Publishing, Inc
Hillsboro, OR. 1994
$24.95

Zoobooks: Eagles by John Bonnett Wexo
Wildlife Education Limited
San Diego, CA 1993
$2.75

Native Americans:

Drummers and Dreamers by Click Relander
Caxton Printers, Ltd.
United States 1986
$9.95

Giving Voice to Bear. Native American Myths, Rituals, and Images of the Bear by David Rockwell
Key Porter Books
Toronto, Ontario, Canada 1991

Indian Legends of the Pacific Northwest by Ella E. Clark
University of California Press
Berkeley, CA 1953
$14.95

Keepers of the Night. Native American Stories and Nocturnal Activities for Children by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac
Fulcrum Publishing
Golden, CO 1994
$14.95

Native American Animal Stories by Joseph Bruchac
Fulcrum Publishing
Golden, CO 1992
$12.95

North Cascades National Park Service Complex:

A Field Guide to the Cascades & Olympics by Stephen R. Whitney
The Mountaineers
Seattle, WA 1983
$18.95

Cascade-Olympic Natural History by Dan Matthews
Raven Editions
Portland, OR 1988
$22.50

North Cascades National Park: The Story Behind the Scenery by Saul Weisberg
K.C. Publications
Las Vegas, NV 1988
$7.95

North Cascades Official National Park Handbook
Division of Publications, National Park Service
Washington, DC 1994
$7.95

Salmon:

Clean Water, Streams, and Fish by Wendy Borton, Lavonne Bucher, Claire Dyckman , Art Johnson, and Bill Way
Washington State Office of Environmental Education, NW Section

Discovering Salmon: a learning and activity book by Nancy Field & Sally Machlis
Dog-Eared Publications
Middleton, WI 1996
$4.95

Field Guide to the Pacific Salmon by Robert Steelquist
Sasquatch Books
Seattle, WA 1992
$5.95

The Life Cycle of Salmon: ocean related curriculum activities
Pacific Science Center, 1980
200 Second Ave. North, Seattle WA
206-443-2925 education services

Small Streams and Salmonid: A Handbook for Water Quality Studies with Claire Dyckman & Stan Garrod, eds.
Washington Superintendent of Public Instruction, 1980

Watersheds:

Clean Water, Streams, and Fish
Wendy Borton, Lavonne Bucher, Claire Dyckman , Art Johnson, Bill Way
Washington State Office of Environmental Education, NW Section

Sharing the Skagit: an educator's guide to the Skagit River Watershed
North Cascades Institute
Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284
Copies may be purchased from North Cascades Institute 360-856-5700 extension 209

Wilderness:

Living with Mountains: A Guide For Learning and Teaching About Mountain Landscapes
North Cascades Institute, 1991
Copies may be purchased from North Cascades Institute 360-856-5700 extension 209

North Cascades National Park: A Living Classroom
North Cascades Institute, 1996
Copies may be purchased from North Cascades Institute 360-856-5700 extension 209

Teaching for Wilderness: A Guide For Learning and Teaching About Wilderness & Wild Lands
North Cascades Institute, 1991
Copies may be purchased from North Cascades Institute 360-856-5700 extension 209

Wilderness Management by John C. Hendee, George H. Stankey, and Robert C. Lucas
North American Press. 1990
$40.00

Additional Resources:

An Activity Guide for Teachers: Everglades National Park
Everglades National Park
PO Box 279
Homestead, FL 32399-1400

Creature Features:

Olympic National Park
Port Angeles, WA
This curricula is part of Olympic National Park's environmental education program. Teachers may borrow the curricula and its corresponding traveling trunk by contacting the Park. Olympic National Park, 600 East Park Ave., Port Angeles, WA 98362 or 360-452-4501

The Living Forest: A Curriculum Guide to the Lowland Forests of Olympic National Park
Olympic National Park
Port Angeles, WA
This curricula is part of Olympic National Park's environmental education program. Teachers may borrow the curricula and its corresponding traveling trunk by contacting the Park. Olympic National Park, 600 East Park Ave., Port Angeles, WA 98362 or 360-452-4501

WOW! The Wonders of Wetlands
Environmental Concern Inc., 1993
PO Box P, St. Michaels MD 21663
410-745-9620