DOUGLAS ISLAND PINK & CHUM INC

Visitor center - in 2023, dipac offered free admissions and educational tours to nearly 2,500 students and community members. Not only do we offer free admissions and tours, but dipac provides a free service to the juneau school district by developing and carrying out two specific programs (one in the fall, one in the spring) that meet district requirements for various age level learning. In the fall program, pre-k through fifth grade students learn about salmon anatomy, ecology of salmon environments, and life cycle. Second grade students, in the spring, have a specialized program on mollusks (the largest phylum in the ocean), but before the mollusk lesson begins, they are given a brief overview of hatchery operations and mission. Over the course of the summer, we welcomed approximately 70,000 paying guests through our doors to explain the importance of salmon and how the hatchery supports this sustainable fishery. Guests were offered a complementary commentary upon payment of the admissions fee and a seasonal guide led them around the key places of the facility. For those who liked to learn on their own, there were educational signs and exhibits as well as a slideshow providing all the basic hatchery information.