Ok, what's the deal with salmon? Why are they so vital to almost all of the organisms that live near their nesting grounds? What is a hatchery? Why are dams so controversial? What kinds of conditions do salmon need to thrive? How do these fish find their way back to the very rivers where they first hatched?  In this episode, I take a walk with naturalist and Fish and Wildlife employee Jason Fareira along the American River near the Nimbus Hatchery in Folsom, California. Jason introduces me to the basics of salmon reproduction, shows me how to look for signs of salmon nests (known as redds), points out the varied and beautiful birds along the river, and so much more.  The next episode will contain the full interview with Jason, and it's SO GOOD. Stay tuned for that in two weeks!  In the meantime, explore these links to learn more about salmon and their importance in riparian (river adjacent) ecosystems as well as other mentions from the episode:  Pacific Flyway--info from The National Audubon Society KQED--"There's Something Fishy About These Trees"  Washington Post article about Chinook in California (brace yourself for sadness) Oregon Public Broadcasting Image of Chinook Salmon (does this guy have fresh river rot??) Yale 360 article about fish ladders not being effective You can find me on Patreon here.  You can hear updates on the podcast and see my outdoor adventures by following me on Instagram @goldenstatenaturalist  The theme song is called "i dunno" by grapes. You can find the song and the creative commons license here.   --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app