Youth Stewards gather in the Salmon River watershed for the final 2025–26 Klamath Mountains Workforce Training Network workshop
The Klamath Mountains Workforce Training Network concluded its 2025–26 season with a powerful final gathering in the Salmon River watershed, bringing youth, educators, Tribal leaders, and restoration practitioners together in Forks of Salmon for two days of immersive field learning. Hosted by the Salmon River Restoration Council and the Karuk Tribe, the workshop centered on the connections between fire, forests, fisheries, and community stewardship.
Surrounded by oak woodlands, mixed conifer forests, and the cold waters of the Salmon River, participants explored how ecological restoration happens not only through science and management, but through relationships with place. The workshop blended traditional ecological knowledge, modern restoration practices, and hands-on teamwork in the field.
Day one focused on fire, forestry, and botany. Participants traveled to Godfrey Ranch, where they worked in teams to assess the landscape and design hypothetical prescribed burn units using GIS tools, field observations, and ecological reasoning. Along the way, students rotated through learning stations focused on forestry tools, native and invasive plants, hazard assessment, and treatment planning. Participants learned how thoughtful fire stewardship can support biodiversity, reduce fuel loads, and strengthen aquatic ecosystems downstream.
The evening shifted to fisheries and storytelling. Presentations from Karuk Tribe fisheries staff explored the role of fire in maintaining healthy rivers and fish habitat, followed by local films and community conversations at the Forks Community Club. Around the evening bonfire, participants shared music, stories, and reflections beneath a dark canopy of canyon live oak.
On the second day, the group moved into the river corridor to experience fisheries restoration work firsthand. Participants observed rotary screw traps, practiced fish identification, and learned techniques such as seining and electrofishing alongside fisheries crews from the Salmon River Restoration Council.
The workshop served as a fitting conclusion to a season dedicated to workforce development, ecological literacy, and community connection across the Klamath Mountains. Programs like the Klamath Mountains Workforce Training Network are helping cultivate the next generation of land stewards while strengthening partnerships between Tribal communities, nonprofits, and public land agencies.
The Bigfoot Trail Alliance is proud to be part of this collaborative effort and grateful to every instructor, organizer, cook, mentor, and youth participant who made this season possible. The future of restoration in the Klamath Mountains depends on relationships like these — rooted in learning, shared work, and care for the land.
This workshop was made possible through the generous support of the S. H. Cowell Foundation, Redding Rancheria, and a grant from the Klamath River Fund. The Klamath Mountains Workforce Training Network is built through collaboration among regional partners including the Salmon River Restoration Council, Scott River Watershed Council, Watershed Research and Training Center, Ascend Wilderness Experience, Trinity Together, and the Trinity County Resource Conservation District, alongside the Bigfoot Trail Alliance, Karuk Tribe, educators, practitioners, and community leaders working together to support the next generation of land stewards across the Klamath Mountains.
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