LINCOLN — Fifth- and sixth-graders at Lincoln Community School will release brook trout they raised into the New Haven River behind the school next Monday, May 16.
The release of native brook trout is the culmination of these 11- and 12-year-old students’ six-month study of ecology. The students’ participation in the Trout in the Classroom program has been the cornerstone of this study.
Through their understanding of brook trout as an indicator species of watershed health, students have come to understand the complexity of environmental impacts, as well as the interconnectedness of natural and man-made systems. From testing water quality to tank cleaning to feeding, students have cared for the trout from their arrival from the Roxbury Fish Hatchery in the eyed egg stage of development to the release of the fingerlings on May 16.
Next Monday, the students will rotate through four education stations, which will be staffed by community expert volunteers. The stations are:
1. Macroinvertebrate survey of the New Haven River using kick seine nets to capture and identify resident insect populations (Ashley Eaton, UVM Watershed Alliance).
2. Riparian forestry (Joe Nelson, Vermont forester).
3. Fly-tying and fly-fishing (Steve Atocha, owner of Middlebury Mountaineer, and Nancy Cornell, New Haven River Anglers Association).
4. Bird identification and buffer zones (Craig Zondag, Otter Creek Audubon Society).
A generous grant from The Friends of Lincoln Community School funded the purchase of the Trout in the Classroom equipment. Robert Wible and the Central Vermont chapter of Trout Unlimited have offered ongoing support of this project.
For more information about The LCS Brook Trout Release Day 2016, contact Deirdre Zele at [email protected] or 802-453-2119.