The goal of the incubation project is to instill in the students a sense of stewardship toward the fisheries resource and local watershed. It provides an opportunity to view the early stages of salmonid life cycle. Incubation goes from egg to fry. It begins with delivered eyed eggs and culminates with the release of the fry in the stream. Incubation is one of the most highly motivating activities for generating student interest in their local watershed. Watching the fish develop from eyed eggs to fry with their subsequent release into the stream creates a strong emotional connection between the students, their local watershed, resources and issues related to it. Classroom incubation began in British Columbia grade schools and has been enthusiastically adopted by teachers in Washington, Oregon and California.

Students could easily be left with the impression that hatcheries are all we need and that technology can take the place of nature. You will be raising the fish in an artificial environment, so you must make the effort to relate all the elements of the environment (clean gravel, cool and clean water, shade and protection) to what nature would normally provide. Be sure to discuss the wisdom of protecting and conserving the natural environment