Each new year, classrooms in Ontario quietly transform into miniature hatcheries. Students crowd around the gently bubbling fish tanks, eyes wide-open and fixed on tiny salmon eggs. That curiosity turns into care and lessons about conservation become personal and real. This rare, hands-on connection to nature is made possible through the OFAH Foundation’s Bring Back the Salmon program.
This 2026 classroom hatchery season has been one of the program's busiest. Salmon eggs were delivered to schools in January, creating the opportunity for students to raise and monitor them throughout their earliest life stages.
Alongside the classroom hatcheries, the program team then began delivering educational presentations, teaching students about aquatic ecosystems, biodiversity, habitat restoration, and the role people play in conservation. By the time this school year ends and summer hits, students will have raised the salmon eggs to fry, engaged in three educational presentations, and participated in their own release event, sending their salmon fry into Ontario waters.
These real-world experiences turn abstract concepts into meaningful lessons. Students learn patience, observation, and accountability as they care for their salmon eggs, often forming a personal connection to the salmon and waters they depend on.
By engaging youth early, Bring Back the Salmon helps build a deeper understanding of the natural world and a shared responsibility to protect it. Students take these lessons beyond the classroom, sharing what they’ve learned with family members and carrying those values forward as future anglers, outdoor enthusiasts, and conservation-minded citizens.
Delivering impactful programs requires resources. Donations to the OFAH Foundation’s Conservation Fund help support initiatives like Bring Back the Salmon by funding powering hatchery equipment, educational materials, egg distribution, and the expert staff who bring these experiences directly to students.
Supporting conservation education today helps protect Ontario’s fisheries and ecosystems for tomorrow. Together, we can support programs like Bring Back the Salmon, and ensure more classrooms can participate, more youth can be inspired, and conservation education remains accessible and impactful.
"When the salmon eggs hatch, conservation becomes personal. They begin to understand that their actions matter and that they can play a role in conserving Ontario’s natural resources," Bring Back the Salmon Program Coordinator Ben Teskey said.
Discover more about the OFAH Foundation’s impact and donate: www.ofahfoundation.org
Originally published in the Ontario Out of Doors Fishing Annual 2026
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