Groton 4th Grade Think Tank Brook Trout Hatchery II

Live trout "Stream" from Groton Elementary's 4th Grade Think Tank Brook Trout Hatchery II. It's back online!

Releasing Trout at Mulholland WF Preserve, Six Mile Creek, March 2020

COVID19 has forced an early shut down of aquariums at 19 schools in our program.   We're creating online and remote learning tools to help teachers and generate healthy, outdoor education opportunities for families.  In the coming days, we will be posting activitiess, video trout releases and maps to release locations to get you and the kids outdoors, in a safe way. 

From all of us, Stay Well!
Bill Foster, Director
Discover Cayuga Lake
www.DiscoverCayugaLake.org

Groton 4th Grade Think Tank

Live BROOK TROUT at Groton Elementary.   2 month old PARR TROUT!

Big Eyes

 

Our Cornell Biology Service Leaders, Jane and Iman, visited Ms. Anderson's class at BOCES today, and checked in with students raising brown trout.  The students went through feeding and water quality testing practices, and discussed options to resolve a high nitrite level in the water, which is potentially dangerous for the young trout. 

 

We have time for a little up-close observation, also.  Here, you can see the external structure of the eyes on these 6 week old browns.  Notice how the lens of the eyes are round, and extend away from the body on each side of the head.  What type of adaptation might this be?

Trout in the Classroom 2017-2018 is GO!

Floating Classroom staff and volunteers from Trout Unlimited delivered brown trout eggs to 11 schools on October 16 this year.   The program is off and running!  With support from New York DEC, we also had students from South Hill, BJM & Caroline elementary schools tour DEC's Bath NY Fish Hatchery to find out where their eggs come from.

Thanks to Aaron and Chuck, and hatchery manager Ken, for great tours!

Checking out new rainbows!

 

All about Trout, in the hatching building.

 

 

Peeking under the cove to see yearling Lake Trout- they like it dark!
 

Classes are beginning to prepare for spring trout releases, and we'll be visiting to help out. Today, Mariah visited Newfield Middle School 7th graders in Lauren Hamilton's science class, and helped students learn how to evaluate the health of a stream using insects.  We'll be visiting all 17 schools, and over 30 classrooms this month!

 
Our session starts with some review- insect life cycles, stream foodwebs, and
what trout need to survive.

Then, its time to pick through some live stream samples, collected by Bill and Mariah before class...

Students use dichotomous keys to identify as many insects and other invertebrates as they can in their sample

. 
This Izaak Walton League Stream Assessment Rubric creates a score for our stream, based on the insects we find.  (Scores for Lick Brook ranged from 17-23.)

Finally, we verify that these insects and our trout are part of the same food chain.  Always ask for verification! 

Trout Feeding Advice From the Experts!

 

An Oldie, but a favorite!
Our Brown Trout alevins are not quite as big as seen in this video, but it won't be long.  They're finishing off their yolk sacks and we have reports of strong swimmers at most schools, now - right on schedule.  Mariah reports a successful first feeding by Groton's 6th graders! 

Alevins are here!

Brook trout eggs have been delivered to Lansing, Dryden, Northeast and Caroline elementary schools, and should be hatching this week.  

 "Eyed" egg, nearly ready to hatch.

 

Meanwhile, our brown trout alevins are hatched and growing nicely at other schools.  

  A newly hatched trout "alevin" with it's yolk sack. 

Trout in the Classroom 2016 is Underway!

Whew! 
After a crazy two weeks, we have retrieved eggs from the DEC's Bath fish hatchery, and from SUNY Morrisville, and Trout in the Classroom is underway for the 2016-2017 school year.  In each of the following schools, we are working with the entire grade level!   Here is a list of participating schools, and we are excited to welcome Liz McCheyne's 5th grade, at South Seneca Elementary!

Belle Sherman 5th Grade

Beverly J. Martin 4th grade

Caroline 4th grade

Cayuga Heights 4th grade

Enfield 4th grade 

Fall Creek 4th grade

Northeast 4th grade

South Hill 4th grade

 

Lansing 4th and 10th grades

Dryden 5th grade

Groton 6th grade

Union Springs 6th grade

Newfield 7th grade

South Seneca 5th grade

Students from Beverly J. Martin Elementary accompanied us to the hatchery this year- stay tuned for pictures!

Trout Releases Going Full Steam!

Good times releasing trout this week with Belle Sherman 5th grade, Enfield 4th and Union Springs 6th. “I think that we should keep on having trout because it is fun and very exciting to watch the fish grow up. 'Jaws' is 14 cm long now. He is the biggest trout that Mr. O has ever had in his class.” -Ethan Z. AJ Smith Elementary