Hatch and Release

Students Release Trout Fingerlings

Trout in the Classroom's final event that brings so much excitement to students who have raised trout from eggs to fingerlings occurs when the students release them into a cold, clean, clear water stream approved by Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

Pineville Independent Elementary with teacher, Mr. Justin Abbott and principal, Mr. Bob Bennett, released their trout on April 23 into Clear Creek in Bell County. Mr. Brian Radcliffe of UK's Tracy Farmer Center for the Environment led students on their aquatic macroinvertebrate water quality study before they released their trout fingerlings. Their TIC Program was sponsored by Mr. Stephen Cawood.

Estill County Middle School with teacher, Wade Richardson and TU Mentors, Sarah and Tom Hart, Sandy and Pam Broughman released their trout on May 10 into Station Camp Creek in Estill County. On the left is Mr. Brian Radcliffe of UK's Tracy Farmer Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Jack Stickney of the Kentucky Rural Water Association, Source Water Protection Specialist and students studying the aquatic macroinvertebrates before releasing the trout fingerlings they had raised from eggs in their classroom. Students experienced four activities at streamside: 1.) Macroinvertebrate study, 2.) fly casting, 3.) stream repair simulation and 4.) releasing their trout. Their TIC Program was sponsored by Tom and Sarah Hart, Lowe's, Mr. & Mrs Nolan, Estill County Conservation District and a number of others.

Providence Montessori with teachers, Chris Zachritz and Amy Richardson, released their trout on May 10 into Lusby Lake in Scott County. Don Thompson led students on the life cycle of aquatic macroinvertebrates trout will need for food before the students released their fingerlings. Their TIC program was sponsored by Bluegrass Trout Unlimited.

Liberty Elementary released their trout on May 15 into East Fork of Indian Creek in the Daniel Boone National Forest. Students learned that the food trout eat was abundant in the stream when they turned over rocks and searched for aquatic macro- invertebrates that trout prefer.

Their Science Club provides an example program for teaching science, ecology, watershed, live, wild animal studies where students learn about their connection to the environment by actual discovery. Liberty's TIC program was sponsored by Bluegrass Trout Unlimited with teacher, Kristi Fehr.

Athens-Chilesburg Elementary with teacher, Melinda Kinsel, released their trout on May 15 into East Fork of Indian Creek in the Daniel Boone National Forest. Students were led by Mr. Brian Radcliffe of UK's Tracy Farmer Center for the Environment on a search for aquatic macroinvertebrates to discover what their trout fingerlings would eat when no one was there to feed them anymore. Their Science Club has very interesting real, live animals where students become involved with their environment and connected to their watershed while learning about water quality with the aquarium as their laboratory. At Indian Creek, their laboratory was the stream itself. Their TIC program was sponsored by Bluegrass Trout Unlimited.

Maxwell Elementary released their trout on May 15 into East Fork of Indian Creek in the Daniel Boone National Forest. Before they could set their trout fingerlings free, the students were asked three questions by Mr. Brian Radcliffe from UK's Tracy Farmer Center for the Environment.

"What did you feed these trout in the classroom?"

"Now that you are going to set them free, who's going to feed them?"

"What will these trout will have to eat in the stream?"

Then Mr. Radcliffe led the students on an aquatic macroinvertebrate study to measure the biological water quality of East Fork of Indian Creek in Red River Gorge - Daniel Boone National Forest. Next, they set the trout they had raised from eggs to fingerlings free to swim in their new environment. Maxwell's TIC program was sponsored by Bluegrass Trout Unlimited with teachers Sr. David Mato-Sagovia and Sa. Deborah Aparicio-Silva who did a wonderful job with their Spanish Immersion students.