Salmon Trail

The Salmon Trail is a collaborative initiative between the Ucluelet Aquarium Society and Redd Fish Restoration Society, designed to share the wonder, knowledge, and importance of Pacific salmon with visitors and locals alike.

Running throughout July and August, the program features six fin-tastic interactive stops throughout Ucluelet and Tofino. This immersive, place-based education program connects participants to the full lifecycle of Pacific salmon and the ecosystems they support along the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Through engaging, community-based learning stations, participants explore the ecological, cultural, and environmental significance of salmon while interacting with local habitats, restoration practices, and scientific observation techniques. Each station also introduces a relevant Nuu-chah-nulth word, creating opportunities to learn about the language and cultural connections tied to salmon and coastal ecosystems.

The Salmon Trail follows salmon through every stage of their journey, from spawning streams and freshwater rivers to coastal forests, nearshore marine habitats, and the open ocean food web. Each station highlights a unique life stage or ecological relationship, helping participants understand ecosystem connectivity and the impacts human activities can have on salmon survival.

Across multiple locations, participants explore themes including:

• Nutrient cycling in coastal forests

• Freshwater habitat needs and stream restoration

• Human impacts and environmental stewardship

• Physiological changes during smoltification

• Biodiversity within nearshore ecosystems

• Salmon’s role as a keystone species in marine food webs

  
  

Hands-on activities such as stream-building, plant identification, scientific sketching, survival games, and ecosystem mapping support inquiry-based learning for a wide range of ages. Together, these experiences integrate ecology, marine biology, restoration science, and climate resilience in a fun and accessible way.

By combining local knowledge, field-based learning, and interactive science activities, the Salmon Trail fosters curiosity, ecological literacy, and a deeper understanding of the essential role Pacific salmon play in sustaining coastal ecosystems and communities.

Program Impact

• This program is going into it's fifth year! In 2025, we talked to over 3,931 participants (Reddfish Booth data not included) and we are excited to continue this momentum into the 2026 season.

Schedule

Daily: Spot the Smolt - Ucluelet Aquarium (All hours)

Stream Savers - Redd Fish Supply Co. (10am-5pm)

Wednesdays: Plant Scavenger Hunt - Amphitrite Lighthouse (12pm-4pm)

Thursdays: Draw Like a Scientist - K^wisitis Visitor Center Parking Lot (2pm-3pm)

Saturdays: Helping or Harming - Tofino Market (10am-2pm)

Sundays: Fantastic Food Web - Ucluelet Market (10am-2pm)

Would you like to support this program? Please e-mail britt@uclueletaquarium.org to sponsor and receive a special gift with a minimum of $250 donation.

We are so grateful to our 2026 sponsors who allowed this event to remain free to the public:

West Coast Sustainable Tourism Association, District of Tofino, Pacific Salmon Foundation.