Trout in the Classroom Program
with GBTU & NH Fish and Game
a part of the
Watershed Education Program
Fostering Knowledge Centered Around Our Aquatic Ecosystems
Attention teachers! New Hampshire Fish and Game has an exciting and free
Watershed Education Program (WEP) that will put your students where the action is
in their own watershed. Students will become Citizen Scientists, studying and
working with local community partners to improve and maintain healthy aquatic
ecosystems for fish and wildlife.
The program has a three phase format that is cohesively designed to be implemented
as an entire package but can also be implemented separately. The program is aligned
with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and current NH science curriculum
standards and frameworks, allows students to use the latest technology, and helps
accomplish the goals of the fisheries division and the Wildlife Action Plan (WAP).
About
The video below "NH's Trout in the Classroom" is one of the best ways to become familiar with the TIC programs. In short, the Trout in the Classroom (TIC) is a K-12 environmental education program where students...
- 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
Most programs end the year by releasing their trout in a state-approved stream near the school or within a nearby watershed.
Egg Hatching Video
Watch the video below and join staff members of two New Hampshire Fish and Game's hatcheries as they demonstrate the trout spawning process and share how they raise the trout from the egg to the fingerling stage to release into local streams. Also, learn about the partnership between hatcheries as they provide eggs to schools for the Trout in the Classroom program.
More Information on Trout in the Classroom
For a more complete overview of the Trout in the Classroom program, please click HERE for more information. The video below beautifully illustrates what Trout in the Classroom is all about. Somersworth Middle School participates in the 2016-2017 program. Judy Tamosa and NH Fish and Game assisted our water quality analysis. The data was collected and used in the Fish and Game Database.
How TIC works in Southeast NH?
In a collaborative effort, the Great Bay TU chapter, along with NH Fish & Game, will help your school set up the TIC program. For more information, please contact the GBTU Trout in the Classroom Education Coordinator.
Classroom Tank Set Up
Great Bay Trout Unlimited currently supports schools throughout the Great Bay with currently 18 chillers. Watch the video below to learn how easy it is to set up a cold water tank in the classroom.
Egg Hatching Video
Watch the video below and join staff members of two New Hampshire Fish and Game's hatcheries as they demonstrate the trout spawning process and share how they raise the trout from the egg to the fingerling stage to release into local streams. Also, learn about the partnership between hatcheries as they provide eggs to schools for the Trout in the Classroom program.
Interested in Warm Water Fisheries?
Education on warm water fisheries is also included for some classrooms. Watch the video about for information on that part of the program.
Trout in the Classroom expands to Hinsdale
KEENE - The Trout in the Classroom program, which is designed to help foster an understanding of the habitat that native brook trout need, is expanding.
The Monadnock Chapter of Trout Unlimited, with financial support from the Cheshire County Conversation District, is purchasing a new chiller for Hinsdale High School. This will bring the number of schools participating to 10 in the Monadnock Region in 2017.
Each year teachers and their students take on the responsibly of raising brook trout eggs. The trout eggs, permits, curriculum and training support for the program are provided by N.H. Fish and Game.
Aquarium tanks with external chillers provide a cold, clean place for the eggs to develop. The eggs are cared for over a period of two to three months and then released into local habitats. While the eggs are developing, students keep records, document the development of the eggs and research the habitat where the fry will be released. As they do this, students gain an understanding of the need for clean, cold water for the trout to succeed.
"This program offers hundreds of students a hands-on way to understand more about the environment where they live and cultivate a caring stewardship ethic. We are excited to continue to support the expansion of Trout in the Classroom in Cheshire County," said Amanda Littleton, district manager of the Cheshire County Conservation District.
Eric Swope of Keene's Public Works Department, who helps with the program, added, "The students make the connection that we all have a role in keeping our streams clean and healthy. When they release the trout that they have been raising into a local stream, it helps give them a reason to care about the health of that stream."
The city of Keene and the Monadnock Chapter of Trout Unlimited are working in partnership to support the program with chillers and technical support at these Keene schools during the 2016-17 school year: Fuller Elementary, Keene High School, Surry Village Charter School's Keene campus, St. Joseph's School and Keene Montessori School preschool. The chapter also supports the program at ConVal High School, Harrisville-Wells Memorial School, Marlborough School and Monadnock Regional High School.
For more information and a look at some of the tanks the schools are using, go to www.monadnocktu.org and click on the "Trout in the Classroom" link.
