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Kids in the Creek
Wenatchee, WA...
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BPA is a proud steward of the Northwest's federal hydroelectric system. We provide low cost power while protecting and enhancing the environment. Every day, our employees work with other natural resource interests to administer and manage one of the largest fish and wildlife program in the world. However, once a year, some employees take a break from their "desk jobs" and join other volunteers in teaching future generations about the importance of environmental stewardship.
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The "Kids in the Creek" program allows employees to share their natural resource interest and experience with students. BPA's Tribal Affairs Liaison and Kids in the Creek Coordinator, Randy Ridenhour says, "We help create salmon habitat awareness among young people in a way that's fun, interesting and memorable. Our hope is that students will take this firsthand experience with them wherever they go in life and teach others about what they can do to protect and enhance our region's creeks, streams and rivers."
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Through interactive sessions, volunteers assist students in learning how nearby stream conditions connect to the immediate food chain as well as the entire Pacific Northwest ecosystem. About 3,000 third through sixth grade students follow volunteers into a tributary of the Wenatchee River in Wenatchee, Wash. Here they learn how to determine whether or not a stream is healthy or polluted, and what it means for salmon.
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Students carry laminated "bug cards" to aid them in identifying types of insects found under rocks and around plants. They compare insects found in healthy streams to those found in polluted waterways. Instructors use their natural surroundings as learning tools, showing students how a vibrant forest canopy and riparian area on a stream can influence the stream's water quality.
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- Learn more about the Kids in the Creek Program
- Learn more about our integrated fish and wildlife program and projects
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