Hello! Thank you for your interest in volunteering with the Cedar River Salmon Journey program. Please read through the details included below and complete our interest form to begin our registration process. If you have any questions, please include them in the form or reach out to us at salmonjourney@seattleaquarium.org. Your interest is very appreciated and we look forward to connecting with you this fall! 

Program Overview 

• Since 1998, Cedar River Salmon Journey (CRSJ) program volunteers have been sharing what they know about salmon and watershed health with Puget Sound communities at salmon viewing sites along the Cedar River and throughout the watershed. Together, they help create fun and meaningful opportunities for people of all ages to connect with salmon and learn about the ways we can help them. 
• Programming will run October 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28, and 29 11 am-4 pm at the Renton Library, Cedar River Park, Riverview Park, Belmondo Reach, and Landsburg Park and Dam. October is the best time to see all three species of salmon that return to the Cedar River to spawn, which include Chinook, sockeye, and coho.  

Volunteer Information 

• Volunteers are at the heart of the program and make all this great work possible! We appreciate your interest in joining our community of amazing volunteers 😊. 
• No prior knowledge or experience is required to participate. No matter if you want to begin learning about what makes salmon awesome or if you’re already passionate about them, we would love for you to join us!  
• New volunteers receive training in September where they learn about salmon, watershed health, tools for connecting with audiences, and so much more! See schedule below. 
• Volunteers are asked to volunteer for three, or more, shifts at a program site of their choice. Shifts range from 3-5 hours, depending on the site, and there are two shifts per day, allowing for two shifts to be done in one day. 
• Youth volunteers between 8-17 years of age are welcome and must enroll with a participating adult volunteer.  
• All Seattle Aquarium volunteers, 18 and older, must complete a criminal background check. The background check will ask you to provide your full legal name, social security number, and address history for the last few years.  If you do not have a SSN, please let us know and we can initiate an international background check that does not require a SSN. The cost for the background check is $40. However, if you would prefer to have this fee waived that is available with no questions asked.  

Volunteer Training Schedule: 

• Thursday, September 7, 7-8pm: Orientation - virtual via Zoom  
• Saturday, September 9, 9am-2:30pm: Tour of Program Sites - in-person along the Cedar River 
• Tuesday, September 12, 7-9pm: Salmon of the Cedar River -virtual via Zoom  
• Tuesday, September 19, 7-9pm: Connecting with Audiences - in-person in Renton (location TBD) 
• Saturday, September 30, 9:30am-3:30pm: Dress Rehearsal - in-person at the Cedar Grange in Maple Valley and then program sites 
• Volunteers are expected to attend all training sessions. However, if you have a conflict with this schedule, please let us know. We are happy to work with anyone who may not be able to attend a particular training session.  

Please note, we do not have a formal interview process. After receiving your registration form, we will follow up with additional paperwork and next steps. 

Thank you!