A LETTER FROM GARRISON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL RE: TIC

Dear Great Bay Trout Unlimited,

Hello, we are Mrs. Marhefka's fourth grade class at Garrison Elementary School and we would like to share facts about our trout in the classroom. We have learned a lot about trout.

On December 21st we received our eggs and have been hosting them in our classroom. When we first got the trout they had to get acclimated before we changed the temperature. We are turning up the temperature to match the temperature in the Cocheco River. We can see the black eyes, because they are in the stage of strongly eyed. If they are dead they turn white. Then we have to remove them before the other fish get a disease or bacteria.

From our trip to the Powder Mill Hatchery, we noticed a lot of features about the trout life cycle. In the wild, trout eggs hatch in the spring. We got to see an example of a hatched trout with its yolk sac. When the trout used up their yolk sac the hatchery workers know it is time to feed them. The young adult trout were aggressive when we put food in the raceways. We also saw very large trout! The hatchery stocks the adult sized fish into local bodies of water. The adult trout can then have eggs and start the life cycle over again in the wild. We learned that the hatchery isn't intruding in the life cycle it is helping them live a great life.

We are doing this to help add more fish so people can fish where there didn't used to be enough for fishing. We are helping to promote healthy trout in our local environment. When trout are young in the wild there is a good chance they will get eaten by predators. This way we will add to the population when we release. Some parts of the Cocheco River are polluted. We plan to release the trout into the Cocheco where there is good water quality.

Now we are going to tell you about the learning activities we have participated in so far. We have labeled the trout parts on a diagram. At the field trip to Powder Mill Hatchery we saw and learned about each stage in the process. We also did crossword puzzles and word searches to practice the vocabulary. We used a trout development graph to track when to raise the temperature. This also shows us when they will hatch and when we should release them into the wild.

We recommend this to other learners because it is a fun way to learn about trout. This experience teaches us about the cycle of life and the scientific process. We have three classrooms involved in this program and we hope to have more soon.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Marhefka’s Class
Garrison Elementary

Brook Trout Eggs Delivered for TIC Classrooms

Is that Santa at the Hatchery?

The brook trout eggs for the Trout-in-the-Classroom aquariums were delivered to seven regional schools by GBTU volunteers just before the Christmas holiday this year. Five classrooms in the Dover School District and two classrooms in the Hampton School District received delivery of about 300 eggs each. The eggs were obtained from the New Hampton Hatchery in cooperation with NH Fish & Game. The chiller equipped aquariums will keep the eggs cold, at around 35-36o F, to imitate natural conditions and try to time the "swim up" of the developing brook trout with a spring release in local rivers. A couple of the classes will actually try to raise the fish to adults as part of an aquaculture project. Most of the Dover Schools plan on releasing their fish on May 15th as part of the Cocheco River Day festivities.

Fly Tying After School Program For Dover Middle School Students

Consecutive Tuesdays January 5-February 9, 2010 from 2:30-3:45PM

The after school program is completed. Thank you to volunteers Gerry DiGrezio, Sam Rice, Sean Smith, Mark Seymour and Mitch Kalter who instructed during the program. Over the past six weeks the kid's have tied Brassies, Scuds, Caddis Larvae, Woolley Worms, Woolley Buggers and Gold Ribbed Hare's Ear nymphs and Gurglers. These students now have the basic skills to tie most flies. Now all they need to do is practice, practice, practice! We hope to have an opportunity to work with them again soon.