“Everything I learn feels alive”: Why I keep coming back to the Discover Parks Salmon Run Program

The Goldstream Salmon Run Program (for both schools and the public) runs until early December. It is made possible by the generous support of Subaru Canada and the BC Parks Licence Plate Program.

The first time Victoria-based teacher Katherine took her Grade 2 class to Goldstream Park for the Salmon Run School Program by BC Parks Foundation, she knew she had found something special.

The children’s voices carried over the river as they craned their necks to see the towering cedar and Douglas fir trees, while their Discover Parks Ambassador described how decaying salmon enrich the soil and surrounding forest. The nutrients left behind after each spawning season feed the trees that, in turn, shade and protect the next generation of fry.

Down at the riverbank, the students crowded along the estuary railing, counting flashes of silver in the water. At the Nature House, they leaned in close to touch salmon scales and listen to the story of the long and astounding journey from river to sea and back again.

With twenty-one years of experience teaching environmental lessons, Katherine understands how powerful it is for children to learn directly from nature. From her window at Frank Hobbs Elementary School, she looks at an abundance of trees—cedar, fir, arbutus, maple, and oak.

“We have hundreds of trees on our school ground,” she says. “It’s absolutely gorgeous. We’re very lucky.”

She knows not every child grows up surrounded by that kind of natural beauty, and that’s part of why these experiences matter.

“Having those real-life connections, rather than just reading books or watching videos, is really important,” she explains. “It can seem a little abstract to kids unless you can actually show them hands-on.”

After her first visit to the Salmon Run program, Katherine noticed that her students began to make connections between what they saw at Goldstream and what they noticed at home—like storm drains leading to the sea or how runoff affects local streams.

“They’d say things like, ‘We have to be careful. Think of the salmon!’” she recalls.

Seeing the spark of awareness the program created, Katherine didn’t hesitate to bring her class back the following year. Each visit deepened her students’ curiosity and sense of responsibility for their local environment.

“The Goldstream Salmon Run program is unique because it helps students recognize their place in an ecosystem,” says Krystle Schofield, Senior Coordinator, Nature Houses for BC Parks Foundation. “They realize they’re part of something bigger, and that what they do at home really matters. We’re grateful to partners like Subaru Canada who help spark these kinds of realizations for thousands of visitors every year.”

Now, as she prepares for her third visit this November—timed for the height of the salmon run—Katherine feels the same anticipation her students do. Her favourite fact from past visits? That each salmon returns to the exact river where it was born, guided by an extraordinary sense of smell that scientists still don’t fully understand.

“It’s incredible,” she says. “The idea that these tiny fish can find their way back years later—it amazes the kids, and honestly, it amazes me too.”

Katherine is grateful for the chance to return, for the wide-eyed curiosity of her students, and for a program that both educates and inspires.

“This experience is so special,” she says. “The kids leave not just knowing about salmon, but feeling connected to the world around them.”

The Goldstream Salmon Run program is made possible by the generous support of Subaru Canada and the BC Parks Licence Plate Program. Register now.