For Right-Brained PeopleSalmon, steelhead, lamprey, and other fishy things
A shallow dive to look under the surface and see how everything is connected
Come think like a fish!
The Rogue River is world-renowned for its anadromous fish. Salmon and steelhead are key players in the complex, interdependent eco-system that makes the river such a wildlife paradise. Fish help sustain the birds, mammals, and even the plants of the Rogue River canyon. The Rogue is also home to eight significant dam removal projects over the past 12 years, resulting in a free-flowing river for over 150 miles from the ocean and over thousands of miles of free-flowing tributaries. Removing these barriers has led to increased salmon and steelhead returns and, therewith, a healthier environment. Everything is connected.
This makes the Wild and Scenic section of the river a great place to explore what’s going on beneath the surface and to look at and appreciate the mysterious world of fish. Every day we’ll meet and investigate a new underwater character and explore what role they perform in the holistic web. We’ll swim with them (mask and snorkel), observe them (shoreline strolls), catch them (nets and rods), and listen to stories about them (meet Olivia Guthrie, below). And we’ll also do all the other fun things that the Rogue has to offer; so if your fish-meter maxes out, you can just think like a deer (hike), otter (play), opossom (nap) or bear (eat).
2020 Fish Trip
Rogue River, 4 days
July 17 – 20
$1,099 per adult
$999 per youth (6 – 17)
Meet Olivia Guthrie
The fish worshiper
Olivia grew up covered in mud and paint. As the child of high school science and art teachers, she spent her childhood knee-deep and elbow-drenched in the creeks, rivers, and bogs of Northern Idaho gaining an affection for wild things and a knack for making things. And, trailing behind her two older, longer-legged siblings, she developed an instinct for finding the over-looked and under-appreciated. “Come on, Olivia. Keep up!” – “But wait, did you see this?” – A lesson for all of us.
Naturally, this led her to study the environment at the University of Idaho and then to become a Fisheries Biologist on the Willamette National Forest in Oregon specializing in stream restoration, eco-system health, and all things fish. She now makes a living knee-deep in the water and covered in mud.
And on this trip, in addition to all of her knowledge, curiosity, and infectious fish-enthusiasm, she’ll bring snorkels, masks, nets, and art supplies so we can explore the underwater world of the Rogue. We’ll come away with a better understanding of fish, a greater sense of the Rogue eco-system, and maybe some artwork to help us remember it all.
“I didn’t think I could be so intrigued by fish, but Olivia was so enthusiastic that I found myself captivated.”