Tri-State Steelheaders

05/31/2026

Next Saturday is Kids Fishing Day at Bennington Lake!

This is a free event for kids age 14 and under.
Come on out for fishing and fun! Games and prizes!

Next weekend is also WDFW's Free Fishing Weekend. That means the whole family can come fishing at Bennington Lake and fish without a fishing license.

For more information on Free Fishing Weekend see:
https://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/free

05/23/2026

The Tri-State Steelheader's Annual Kids Fishing Day is back! Come join us at Bennington Lake on June 6th from 8am-12pm!

All kids 14 and under are welcome and will receive a free hot dog and swag bag for participating.

Other prizes will be given out for raffles, casting contests, and the biggest fish!

See you all there! 🎣

05/21/2026

We are accepting applications for our Environmental Educator position!

Our Environmental Educator assists with the development and implementation of community and classroom educational programs. Our primary education program is Salmon in School. The program places a fish tank in participating classrooms, provides salmon eggs, fish food, and supplies. The Environmental Educator provides monthly in-class lessons, while the students experience the salmon lifecycle. In spring, the juvenile salmon are released in local streams. This year, the program served about 1,200 students at about 28 sites.

For the full position description and application instructions, see our website: www.tristatesteelheaders.com

05/16/2026

The Return to the River Salmon Festival is Saturday, May 16th. This is a free event with activities for the kids!

Come visit our booth to practice casting or meet us at Mill Creek to release some of our Chinook salmon!🐟

05/15/2026

Come hang out with us at the College Place Lions Annual Fishing Derby! We will be at the Lions Park Pond on May 28th from 4pm to 7pm! It looks like it will be an awesome evening of fishing and winning prizes! 🎣

05/10/2026

Our final month of classroom lessons concluded with rainbow trout and steelhead dissections! From the gills to the caudal fin and everything in between, students got an up close look at fish anatomy!

05/09/2026

The Return to the River Salmon Festival is coming up on Saturday May 16th. Come visit our booth to practice casting or meet us at Mill Creek to release some of our Chinook salmon!🐟

📅Saturday, May 16th
⏰11am-3pm
📍Walla Walla Community College by the baseball fields along Tausick Way

Thank you to the WWCC Water & Environmental Center and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation for hosting such a special celebration!

04/30/2026

The Walla Walla School Board celebrated National Volunteer Appreciation Month recently, and recognized Sara Gabriel, our Environmental Educator! Way to go Sara!

100 Hour VIP Club – Sara Gabriel
Celebrating National Volunteer Appreciation Month

April is National Volunteer Appreciation Month, a time to recognize and celebrate the individuals who generously give their time and talents to support our schools and students. Among these outstanding volunteers is Sara Gabriel, a dedicated member of the Volunteer in Person (VIP) program through the Tri-State Steelheaders and Friends of Walla Walla.

Through her work with the Tri-State Steelheaders, Sara plays a key role in leading the Salmon in the School public education program. This engaging, hands-on experience reaches fourth-grade students across all district elementary schools, helping them explore the salmon life cycle and gain a deeper understanding of the environmental conditions necessary for salmon to thrive. In addition to her work in the classroom, Sara volunteers her time through the Friends of Walla Walla program, where she regularly meets with a student over lunch, building meaningful connections and providing mentorship and encouragement.

Sara’s commitment, generosity, and passion for student learning embody the true spirit of volunteerism. We are proud to recognize her as a member of the 100 Hour VIP Club and extend our sincere gratitude for the lasting impact she continues to make in the lives of Walla Walla students.

Photo (L-R): VIP Coordinator Beth Swanson and Sara Gabriel

04/04/2026

What is living in your local creek?

Our Salmon in School students found out the answer this March! They investigated over 20 different types of aquatic macroinvertebrates including damselflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies.

Students also learned how they can use the presence of certain macroinvertebrates to evaluate the water quality of a stream.

So get out there and investigate what is living in your local creek!

04/01/2026

Doug Tallamy, entomologist and author, will discuss simple steps that each of us can take to reverse declining biodiversity. This presentation is free and open to the public this Thursday night.

His work with Homegrown National Park raises awareness and urgently inspires everyone to address the biodiversity crisis by adding native plants and removing invasive ones where we live, work, and play.

See below for details.