o What: Sturgeon Festival, a free, annual celebration of Columbia River ecosystems, with a birds of prey show, a talk about historical uses of sturgeon, and children’s activities.
o When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 20.
o Where: Water Resources Education Center, 4600 S.E. Columbia Way.
o Information: www.cityofvancouver.us/publicworks/page/sturgeon-festival or
360-487-7111.
With five bony plates along its back and a fondness for deep murky waters, the sturgeon seems like a mysterious throwback to the age of the dinosaurs.
And, in fact, it is.
About 100 million years ago, in the late Cretaceous period when tyrannosaurs roamed the Pacific Northwest, the earliest known sturgeon swam along North American rivers and streams.
o What: Sturgeon Festival, a free, annual celebration of Columbia River ecosystems, with a birds of prey show, a talk about historical uses of sturgeon, and children's activities.
o When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 20.
o Where: Water Resources Education Center, 4600 S.E. Columbia Way.
o Information: www.cityofvancouver.us/publicworks/page/sturgeon-festival or
360-487-7111.
But unlike the tyrannosaurs, the sturgeon is still here — for now, at least.
Children and their families can learn more about the long-lived fish and a host of other creatures that live in our river estuaries at the 18th annual Sturgeon Festival at the Water Resources Education Center in Vancouver.
“It’s a fascinating, prehistoric animal,” said Bev Walker, an educator at the center. “They’re found around the globe. Some species have gone extinct, some are endangered and many are threatened.”
The Pacific Northwest is home to both the white and green species of sturgeon. Both populations are in decline, Walker said, with the green sturgeon listed as a species of concern and the white sturgeon listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
At the event, kids and their families can see the creatures at the center’s aquarium and learn more about them through a series of activities.
“It should be really fun,” said Brooke Porter, outreach coordinator for Vancouver Public Works. “We always do a fish dissection, which is great for kids with inquisitive minds. And this year, we have a new feature about birds of prey, which also live in Columbia River ecosystems.”
Eartha the Ecological Clown will make an appearance at 1 p.m. to teach kids more about the region’s environment and wildlife rehabilitation efforts.
Still, it’s the fish that’s the star of the show, Walker said.
“The reason we celebrate the sturgeon is that they’re just so different than other fish,” Walker said. “They have scutes, which are bony protrusions that look like fins, and that makes them look really prehistoric. They’re mostly seen in deep water, which is why they’re not quite as well-known. And they’re one of the only fish that can go back and forth living in both salt and fresh water.”
The fish can grow to be 20 feet long or more, and some even live to be 100 years old, she said.
“It’s just amazing to think that something that starts out so small as an egg can grow to be so big,” Walker said. “I think they’re great.”
Usually about 300 people show up for the event, which could accommodate even more.
“We’re competing with football though, so we understand,” Walker said with a laugh.
Kids can also fill in a special sturgeon coloring sheet and bring it with them to the event for a surprise, she said. The sheet is available through the event website and at bit.ly/1wnq4Xs.
If you go:
o What: Sturgeon Festival, a free, annual celebration of Columbia River ecosystems, with a birds of prey show, a talk about historical uses of sturgeon, and children’s activities.
o When: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 20.
o Where: Water Resources Education Center, 4600 S.E. Columbia Way.
o Information: www.cityofvancouver.us/publicworks/page/sturgeon-festival or
360-487-7111.
