Once upon a time, there was a wild-hearted child who never quite fit inside the walls of a "normal" classroom. She found peace high in the canopy of trees, building forts, borrowing her dad’s binoculars to watch for “intruders” trying to enter her treetop home — always protected by her big, fluffy mountain dog.

More than anything, she remembers the feeling: freedom. A quiet confidence that she could take care of herself, that the forest was where she truly belonged.

As the years passed, life got louder. That wild child grew up. The forest faded into the background, replaced by expectations, routines, and unfamiliar cities. But something inside her held on to that feeling — that deep connection to nature and the self.

When I moved to Canada, everything was new: the language, the culture, even the trees. Finding a place to belong wasn’t easy. But I knew one thing: if I could reconnect with nature, I’d find myself again.

Then I discovered the Streamkeepers program. That’s where I met the salmon — strong, wild, and full of mystery. I was instantly hooked.

Later, while completing my Forest and Nature School Practitioner certification, I was given an assignment on ecological impact. As someone still learning the language and the land, I expected it to be hard — but instead, it came naturally. Everything clicked.

Then I stumbled across a book by David Suzuki, titled Salmon Forest. The name stopped me. It captured everything I was feeling: the link between forest, water, people, and salmon.
That day, Salmon Forest was born.

Now, every morning, I wake up filled with gratitude — for the land, for this journey, and especially for you: salmon, the teacher that brought it all together.