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https://issaquahfish.org

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Summer Intern Joins FISH

June 24, 2025

Hello! I am Hana Bitar and I am pleased to be an intern here at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery. I am currently a student attending Western Washington University. I am majoring in environmental science and minoring in anthropology.

I was born in Seattle and have grown up in Sammamish, where I have grown to appreciate so much of the nature that surrounds the Sammamish and Issaquah area. I have grown up to see how humans connect and depend on the nature around them. As a child, places such as the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery have educated me on the importance of the ecology around us, giving me an early passion to learn more about the environment around me and my place in it.

This summer, as an intern, I will be working on designing a native plant garden and maintaining the native plants that are already here at the hatchery. I will also be working on community outreach by assisting in helping children (and adults) learn about the hatchery and our local ecology. I am so excited to learn how native plants make up and sustain our ecosystem.

Welcome aboard Hana! 

Find out more about internships at the hatchery here

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Book a Hatchery Summer Tour

Take a guided tour of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery led by Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery (FISH) volunteers and staff. Learn about salmon conservation, fish operations, and watershed stewardship while visiting hatchery features such as the aquarium exhibit, raceways, and fish ladder. Juvenile salmon are viewable year-round, adult fish may be seen from late August to mid-November.  
 
Tours are approximately 50 minutes and suitable for all ages. They are primarily outdoors and take place rain or shine. The hatchery grounds are wheelchair accessible and tours are held at a gentle walking pace on flat or slightly sloped paved and gravel surfaces. 
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NEW! Hatchery Audio Tour

Experience the story of salmon and the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery through our free, self-guided audio tour. Start your tour at the first station entitled “Hatchery Building Entrance” then explore the hatchery grounds and learn about the salmon life cycle, habitat restoration, hatchery operations, and more. The tour is available year-round and is a great way to learn at your own pace. https://www.issaquahfish.org/audio_tour-info/

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Hatchery Scavenger Hunt

July 9, 2025

Put on your salmon sleuth hat & complete the hatchery scavenger hunt. Designed for families with kids 5-10, the free hunt takes about 30 minutes and helps families explore various parts of the salmon hatchery. The scavenger hunts can be found in the aquarium room and are reusable so please return them when done.
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June update: Fire at the Hatchery Volunteer Office

June update: the office is still closed but has been cleared. All lost items have been catalogued and much of the education materials and outreach equipment has been replaced. FISH has created an Amazon registry if you would like to directly impact the recovery and sponsor an item: 

https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/owner-view/2ASC3NSLUNJL4




In the early afternoon hours of April 22, flames wiped out the FISH volunteer office that have long been the backdrop to countless memories, moments of learning, laughter, and connection. The cause of the fire was an overhead lighting fixture.

Thankfully, no lives (human or fish) were lost, and our first responders—true heroes—acted swiftly. The office has now been cleared out, and the task of ordering, replacing and cleaning our educational materials & tools, outreach equipment and program supplies has started – it feels like losing a piece of home. 

Many of you have already reached out with offers of help, and we are deeply moved by your kindness. As we take the first step of a long journey we are still assessing the loss.  

  • Offer your time – When we are ready, we’ll need volunteers more than ever.
  • Share your hatchery stories – Your memories and love for the hatchery remind us why it’s worth every effort to restore it.
  • Give what you can – Donations of any size will help FISH recover and rebuild. You can give at Make a Donation

We’ve always believed the hatchery is more than a building—it’s a reflection of all of us. So let’s stand together, as we always have, and bring this treasure back to life.

With gratitude, hope, and love,

Mark Clemens
Executive Director, Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery
www.issaquahfish.org

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Summer Intern Joins FISH

June 24, 2025

Hi, my name is Jeremy Kent. I am currently enrolled as a student at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington, and I’m three years into my degree in Environmental Studies with an emphasis on Geography. 
 
I was born and raised in Sammamish, Washington, not too far from where I’ll be working at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery. As someone who loves nature and the local ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest, I thought that working at the hatchery would be a good way to get involved with salmon, a vital part of our region’s natural system. 
 
During my time interning at the hatchery, my goals will be to submit a finished GIS map of the hatchery grounds, create a planting plan for the land around the water abatement ponds, prepare the spawning shed for guest painting on Salmon on Sunset, and lastly, to prepare and paint a set of wooden signs for reuse by the hatchery. These tasks will help the hatchery achieve its goals and continue its mission to protect our salmon, as well as provide education and outreach to the public.  

Welcome aboard Jeremey! 

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Summer Intern Joins FISH

June 9, 2025

Hi! My name is Julia Ryan. I’m currently a college student at Claremont McKenna College in California, where I play lacrosse and major in Environmental Science, Economics, and Politics. I grew up in Issaquah and graduated from Issaquah High School.

Being surrounded by the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, I developed a deep appreciation for local ecosystems, especially the salmon which play such a vital role in our region’s environment and culture. That curiosity led me to study the environment and inspired me to be a part of the salmon hatchery.

This summer I will be working on the Lake Cities project, which is a regional salmon recovery initiative focused on restoring habitat, improving fish passage, and engaging communities to protect threatened salmon populations. I am excited to learn firsthand how policy, science, and community action intersect to protect our natural resources.

Welcome aboard Julia! 

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Thank you! Sherwood Forest Elementary

June 3, 2025

Thank you: Sherwood Forest We received a lovely care package this week from Sherwood Forest Elementary School to help us with fire recovery efforts. They wrote us letters and created new pins for FISH vests!

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Thank you for your support!

June 3, 2025

Huge thank you to the community for supporting FISH after the hatchery fire & for EnviroScape for providing two new cases for our watershed models. These models are a foundational part of our salmon science tables, science fairs & outreach program. The original cases melted in the blaze.

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Watershed Science Center Rental

May 28, 2025

Host your next meeting or special event at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery. Located in the heart of downtown Issaquah and adjacent to the banks of Issaquah Creek, the Watershed Science Center offers a unique indoor/ outdoor setting for birthdays, rehearsal dinners, baby showers (no glitter or confetti please), business retreats, workshops, and more. And yes, we have hybrid conferencing equipment.

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Salmon Science Tables

May 28, 2025

This season, FISH staff & education committee members revamped the science table curriculum & re-organized activities. 42 new volunteers attended science table training, while FISH volunteers and staff dedicated over 260 hours attending more than 25 science fairs & outreach events.

Salmon Science Table

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FISH Volunteers Harvest Camas at the hatchery

May 28, 2025

FISH volunteers joined Snoqualmie Tribe members to harvest the camas in the native plant garden. “Over the last couple hundred years, 95-99% of prairie ecosystems have been destroyed by modern development, including the removal of camas from the landscape, an important first food to the Snoqualmie Tribe.” 
 

 

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This organization is currently registered with the secretary's office under the charitable solicitation act - for information call 1-800-332-4483.

No goods or services are provided to donors for their contributions. We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. Tax ID #91-1640245.