Yukon Energy’s Role in the Salmon in the Classroom Program

For the past few years, Yukon Energy has provided between 1,000 and 1,200 fertilized (eyed) eggs annually to schools in Whitehorse and some outlying communities for the Salmon in the Classroom program run by local biologist Nick de Graff.

Nick collects the eggs from our Whitehorse Rapids Fish Hatchery and takes them to tanks set up in various schools.

The program gives students an opportunity to learn about the life cycle of the salmon and care for this precious resource.

Once the eggs hatch and move from the alevin to the fry stage, they are taken to Yukon College's McIntyre Creek hatchery where they are tagged and released into the wild.

Here are a few photos of the eggs that were transported today to Elijah Smith School in Whitehorse. Our thanks to the Yukon River Salmon Panel for helping to fund this project, to our hatchery manager Lawrence Vano, and to Nick.

Fertilized (eyed) Chinook salmon eggs in trays at the Whitehorse Rapids Fish Hatchery.

This piece of equipment easily counts 100 eggs at a time. Each school is given 100 eggs to care for.

The eggs are put in water-filled baggies for transport.

They are then placed in small coolers for the drive to the schools.

Grade 7 students at Elijah Smith School in Whitehorse carefully release the eggs into the tank.