SMEA Associate Professor Sunny Jardine recently took students into the field to learn about culverts and other barriers that prevent fish passage. During the trip, students joined Catalina Burch, who now works with Trout Unlimited, to observe how barrier assessments are conducted to collect data for fish passage barrier inventories.

Students Elise Wilson-Leedy, Eitan Gerstle, and Erica MacKenzie, who are currently working on a capstone project examining fish passage barriers in the Tulalip Tribes’ usual and accustomed fishing areas, participated in the trip alongside QERM student Guy Bennevat Hanninovich.

The field experience gave students a hands-on look at the data collection and assessment work that supports efforts to improve fish passage and restore aquatic ecosystems.