Stoneleigh-Burnham School students in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program have begun raising Brook Trout in a large fish tank that sits just inside the entrance to the Jesser Science Building. The Trout in the Classroom project is promoted through the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife and the Trout Unlimited Organization.
In mid-December, Stoneleigh-Burnham received 200 eggs from a hatchery in Palmer, MA. On January 10, the eggs began hatching. Students set up the tank and have been monitoring its water quality. Students will also study stream habitat, and at the end of the year, will release the trout in a state-approved stream near the school. Goals of the project include fostering an appreciation of our water resources and a conservation ethic, and promoting an understanding of our local ecosystem.
Taylor Williams, SBS STEaM coordinator and science teacher, notes Trout in the Classroom has interdisciplinary applications in science, social studies, mathematics, language arts, fine arts, and physical education.
Williams encourages people to stop by to watch the progress of the trout project.
“The sac fry are still hiding in the rocks using up their yolk sacs, and may start to swim and eat in the next few days,” Williams said.
For more information, visit Trout Unlimited: http://www.tu.org/about-tu
At The Evergreen School, we also raise hatchery fish, but salmon (since we’re Pacific Northwest, of course!). Our 5th graders track them from eggs until we release them as fry. This year, part of their data collection includes making a flip book, adding one illustration every few days as the salmon hatch and grow!