Carlos Baez shows off “Joseph,” one of the salmon raised in Gwinn Middle School’s Salmon in the Classroom program. The students released the salmon into the Dead River in the city of Marquette on Friday. (Journal photo by Christie Mastric)

By CHRISTIE MASTRIC

Journal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — Sometimes it’s hard to say goodbye to a friend, even if that friend is only 6 inches long.

Sixth-graders from Gwinn Middle School on Friday released chinook salmon into the Dead River off County Road 550 as part of their Salmon in the Classroom project.

This year marks the 11th time Kristy Humphrey, a teacher at the middle school, has a class involved in the program. She said the kids watch the salmon grow from eggs into small fish — right in the classroom.

The project is conducted in partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the Fred Waara Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

TU member John Reinertsen, also the chapter’s education and outreach leader, said the salmon program is part of that education.

“This is a way for them to not only learn about salmon and trout species — because they get eggs in the classroom and watch the egg develop into fry and then into small salmon — but more importantly, about the importance of conservation of cold water resources to protect species like salmon and trout and everything that they eat, and what we drink and cold water we use,” Reinertsen said. “So, hopefully these (kids) become young ambassadors for their whole life for conserving the environment.”

Humphrey said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service was to teach the youngsters about the invasive sea lamprey at the event, which also was to include a lunch at Lakenenland Sculpture Park in Harvey.

At the salmon release, though, she had to make sure the students were safe, considering the scenic area by a river and woods was bound to spark a little curiosity in the sixth-graders.

“We’re not going to wander down the path into the woods,” Humphrey told the youngsters, who were well supervised during the outing. She also cautioned that the river was “super fast, super high and super dangerous” now.

However, not only was the field trip educational, it was fun.

“I found Joseph,” student Carlos Baez said after picking up a fish from the storage container.

Yes, some of the kids named their fish; another fish was called “Big Jimmy” due to its girth.

There were a few minor hazards and challenges too, such as inadvertently stepping into the water and wondering where to dispose the plastic bags that contained the fish.

While the fish were in the bags before their release, students had to hold them carefully and put them into the water to acclimate the fish to the new water temperature.

“Have fun being careful with it,” Humphrey said of the bagged fish. “Get your pictures and selfiies.”

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 550. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.