Walnut Ridge students take part in trout program

VERNON — Walnut Ridge Primary School in Vernon participated in the Trout in the Classroom program again this past school year, as did Glen Meadow Middle School and Vernon Township High School. This program provides rainbow trout eggs from the Pequest Trout Hatchery to classrooms throughout the state so that students may learn about the development of this environmentally sensitive species. At Walnut Ridge, the specially chilled tank is in the artroom, offering an opportunity for all of the kindergarten and first-grade students to observe the development of the young trout. Eggs are delivered in October of each year. First-grade students viewed the eggs through a microscope, noting that the eyes and spine were visible. Students practiced their representational drawing skills as they drew pictures of the eggs.

The eggs hatched in early November, and the students observed the alevin stage, when the yolk sac is still attached to the newly hatched trout which cannot yet swim. In December, the tiny fish began to swim up from the gravel and developed vertical lines which would help them hide in the weeds of a stream. This is called the parr stage. By late spring the trout were developing the beautiful pink stripes along their sides and also the spots on their backs which will provide camouflage among the rocks in the stream.

Kindergarten students observed each stage of development; first-graders drew each stage and created booklets depicting the parts of the rainbow trout life cycle that they witnessed. On a sunny Saturday morning in May, students and their families were invited to join Denise Docherty, Walnut Ridge art teacher, to help release approximately 115 young trout into Wawayanda Creek.

Suzanne Ross from Vernon Township High School, who also raised trout in her classroom, attended with his students to release their trout and to assist the younger students.

Following a mini-lesson on trout development, approximately 40 Walnut Ridge students and siblings received clear cups containing rainbow trout fry and released the fish into the stream, assisted by family members and teacher volunteers, as well as several Trout Unlimited members.

Artwork by several Walnut Ridge first grade students has appeared on the N.J. Trout in the Classroom website and in their monthly newsletters, and Docherty’s trout booklet lesson plan will appear in the newest NJ Trout in the Classroom Activity guide.