TROUT IN THE CLASSROOM

The Leon Chandler Chapter of Trout Unlimited is proud to participate in the Trout In the Classroom program.

Trout Unlimited (TU) is a national organization with more than 150,000 volunteers organized into about 400 chapters from Maine to Montana to Alaska. This dedicated grassroots army is matched by a respected staff of lawyers, policy experts and scientists, who work out of more than 30 offices nationwide. These conservation professionals ensure that TU is at the forefront of fisheries restoration work at the local, state and national levels.

Our general mission is to conserve, protect and restore North America's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.

Introduction to the Program

Connected to this mission is to educate the next generation.  To do this TU has developed a program called "Trout in the Classroom" (TIC).  In general the TIC program is an environmental education program that can be adapted for use with in grades k-12.  The program focuses on the following general areas:

• Raise trout from eggs to fry.
• Monitor tank water quality.
• Engage in stream habitat study.
• Learn to appreciate water resources.
• Begin to foster a conservation ethic.
• Grow to understand ecosystems.

During the school year the program is usually modified by individual teachers to fit the needs of his/her specific curriculum.  That allows each program to be unique and allow for interdisciplinary activities combining science, with social studies, math, arts, or other areas.  There are a variety of curriculums and teaching activities developed and available for use on-line.

Chapter History with the Program

New York State has a very active TIC program.  With this in mind, Chapter Members, in conjunction Chapter leadership made a decision to become involved in this program. 

In the Spring of 2007 the Chapter along with a group of Cornell University students began a fund raising project that would allow us to introduce this program to our local schools.  Through a combination of resources, including the New York State Council of Trout Unlimited, the Leon Chandler Chapter of Trout Unlimited, the Cayuga Lake Floating Classroom Project and a Cornell University Student group we were successful in our efforts.

In November 2007 we introduced four Dewitt Middle School 6^th grade science classes to our program.  We had installed a tank, chiller and stocked it with 120 sac fry.  From that point forward, TU Volunteers, the teacher and approximately 70 students began the Trout in the Classroom program. 

Over the course of the year, the students were introduced to issues related to stream health (through monitoring of ph levels in the tank), fish coloration as a survival mechanism, fish growth and development, feeding on daphnia, stream entomology and basic fly tying.

The program concluded on a Friday in May when the students finally released 16 healthy, 4-inch, brown trout fry into Taughannock Creek.  The students who raised the trout, along with a class of pre-schoolers who have been visiting the classroom throughout the year, were excited to finally release their charges into a natural habitat.  Several students observed how quickly the trout blended into their new surroundings, noting with a little disappointment that, “They disappeared right away!”

Along with the trout release, all of the sixth graders participated in lake monitoring aboard the Floating Classroom Project’s M/V Haendel.  They were involved in testing water quality, observing spring plankton populations, and noting the presence of lake trout swimming at 30 meters on the ship’s sonar!  They also sampled macroinvertebrates in Taughannock Creek, using the Izaak Walton League’s “Save Our Streams” assessment protocol- and rated the waters between fair and excellent quality.  Consensus is that our trout fry will be well-off.

Looking ahead to the future we have been actively involved in expanding the TIC program in our local schools.  The Leon Chandler Chapter of Trout Unlimited, along with the Floating Classroom Project has received a grant to introduce the TIC program into five new area schools during the 2008-2009 school year.

Our Chapter remains committed to establishing this program in our local schools and will commit financial and personnel resources to this important program.

Volunteer Opportunities

In general, our volunteers do the following:

        1) Meet with Chapter TIC Coordinator Bill Foster to help set up tanks in mid-October
        2) Distribute eggs/fry in late October/early November
        3) Spend some time with classroom on a regular basis
        4) Provide some sharing of knowledge - ie. why you fish, lessons about trout, etc. 
        5) Other interaction as possible

There is also significant involvement overall from the Floating Classroom Project throughout the course of the program.  The program typically concludes with the students releasing the fish into a local stream.  Ideally, many of those students will have the opportunity to spend time on the Floating Classroom to learn about the Cayuga Lake watershed and our local ecology.

Interested volunteer or supporters can contact Bill Foster parsifal@twcny.rr.com to learn more.