IN THE TROUT

Eggs to Fry

Spring/Summer 2006

CLASSROOM

Two Spring Meetings

April 2006 — One of the many presentations at our teacher meetings was trout-cookie decorating by Veronica Rowe and Melissa Johnson of Phoenicia Elementary in Phoenicia.

On April 4, 2006, a number of teachers and TIC supporters gathered at Black Rock Forest in Cornwall, NY. There, elementary, middle and high school teach-ers shared how they had enriched their programs during the year. In addition to a trout journal discussion, Aq-uaponics, iMovies, and the song “Bye Bye Trout” were among the projects presented. Also, students from local schools presented Brookies at Black Rock, a year-long TIC program run by John Brady, the Forest Manager. The second meeting was held on April 27, 2006 at the Museum of the City of New York in Manhattan. There, presenters explored new aquarium technologies, inter-school video conferencing, and short-story writ-ing. Teachers also examined TIC as the cornerstone of a elementary-level “nonfiction classroom.” Presentations from program supporters included a talk by Marion Zachowski, of the NYC Department of Education, de-tailing the new Science Scope and Sequence and noting the presence of aquaculture and other related topics in the Living Environment studies. Our very sincere thanks to the Catskill Watershed Corportaion for supporting these meetings.

Trout Releases Across NY

May 16, 2006 — A student from Carrie E. Tompkins School in Croton-on-Hudson says good-bye to a class trout.

In New York, as across the country, most TIC classes finish their program with trout release field days. These days are about more than putting trout in a stream. Students and teachers take time to investigate the stream ecosystem, explore the riparian area, and dis-cuss the need for clean water—all this extends far beyond fish. Being outdoors also inspires reflections which can be recorded in newspaper articles, poetry, and art. Sixteen schools chose to release their trout during a Trout Unlimited (TU) field week at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation in Cross River, NY. These releases would not be possible without the generosity of all our sup-porters. We also recognize the people who gave their time: Croton Watershed and Long Island TU volunteers and staff from NYC DEP, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC), and the Watershed Agricultural Council. Finally, we thank NYS DEC and Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Conservation for their invaluable sup-port. Throughout this newsletter, you will find a few of this year’s many trout releases captured in words and in pictures. Enjoy!

Editor:

Rochelle Gandour, NY TIC Coordinator

title art by Abby Morgan

the TIC newsletter for the Catskills, Hudson Valley, and New York City

What is Trout in the Classroom? Trout in the Classroom is a conservation-oriented environmental education program for elementary, middle, and high school students. Through the school year, students raise trout from eggs to fry and then re-lease them into approved cold water streams and lakes. This act of raising, monitoring, and caring for young trout fosters a conservation ethic within participating students and promotes an understanding of their shared water resources.

P a g e 2 T r o u t i n t h e C l a s s r o o m N e w s l e t t e r

It has been a whirlwind year! This spring has been especially exciting. Between two teacher meetings and a trout release field week at Ward Pound Ridge Reserva-tion, April and May simply sped by. And in addition to the events that I coordinated, many of you graciously invited me to visit your schools and streams, to partici-pate in TIC with you. While I couldn’t accept every invi-tation, I did have the good fortune to make a couple of trips. For example, I got to travel to Brooklyn New School to test tank pH after discussing riffles and pools with fourth graders. A week later, I was up in the Cats-kills, in Phoenicia, joining kindergarteners and second graders in an acoustic riverside rendition of “Bye Bye Trout.” Through visiting all of you, it became clearer and clearer to me that the program rests on the enthusiasm of our fabulous TIC teachers. I began to note, also, how much we all rely on our friends, program supporters, and dedicated volunteers. So many people and organi-zations give so much to TIC, that I cannot even begin to recognize them all properly on my list of TIC Support-ers and Friends on page 6. To get a real feel for the scope and breadth of who’s involved in this program, please take a close look at the pictures and the accompa-nying notes throughout this issue. As we head into summer, know that I will be avail-able, as always, via phone and e-mail. If you have any questions about either tank clean-up or setup, or any-thing else, please contact me. Also, I am already looking for articles and examples of student work for our fall newsletter, due out in September, just as school is start-ing up again. But I’m jumping ahead of myself, aren’t I? For now, we can all congratulate ourselves on a great TIC year. Have a wonderful summer!

Growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, I used to attend crawfish boil picnics every spring. One tradition at these events seemed to be to hand the kids a couple of the live crusta-ceans to play with. I guess our parents gave us a few crawfish to keep us busy while the rest of them—our dinner—got cooked.

This year during our trout release stream studies, the Cross River yielded a few “crayfish,” as you call them. Up here in NY, they’re definitely a little different from their southern cousins—maybe just a little feistier. Nevertheless, I did manage to prove that I hadn’t lost my crawfish-wrangling skills. -RG

From the Coordinator Rochelle Gandour, TIC Coordinator

How Did it all Begin? Trout in the Classroom in New York City and its watersheds began in 1997 with the late Joan Stoliar’s vision of connecting City and upstate children through their common water resources. Thanks to Joan, her family, and the generous support of Theodore Gordon Flyfish-ers, Inc., this program has blossomed from four initial schools to well over 150 throughout New York.

Watershed Poetry Ward Pound Ridge Reservation 5/16/06

by Gabe, 9th Grade, Institute for Collaborative Education

I am here,

the cool serenity surrounds my mind

I am swimming in peace, I am

caught up in the flow of the quiet stream

the stream that runs along like an

animal. I feel the emotions of

the land untouched by man

the cold green is gentle like nature’s

hand.

May 16, 2006— Students from Institute for Collaborative Educa-tion in Manhattan release their trout in the Cross River with help from John Fischer and Peter Dubno, Long Island TU members and TIC volunteers. They also gave their time to help students study the aquatic macroinvertebrates.

S p r i n g / S u m m e r 2 0 0 6 P a g e 3

End of Year Tank Cleanup according to John Fischer NY TU Youth Education Chairman and Executive Director of Headwaters Initiative

Drop-in Style Chiller (Glacier) -Using a solution of 1 part chlorine bleach and 10 parts water and a new (soap– and dirt-free) sponge, wipe off the stainless steel tubing.

-For plaque, use a small plastic (not metal) scrub brush. -Remove dust and lint from the fins of the coolant tubing (thin metal slats on the side) with a small vacuum cleaner, dusting cloth or soft dust brush.

Flow-through Style Chiller (Arctica, AquaChill, ViaAqua)

-Rinse pre-filter sponge on pump thoroughly with water, and let air-dry.

-Pump clean water through chiller to ensure any dirt is washed out of tank. -Disconnect tubing. Clean tubes using long brushes (available at pet shops) and the 1:10 bleach:water solution. Let air-dry.

-Tip chiller to drain all water from the cooling tank. -Remove dust and lint from all vents on the chiller, using a small vacuum cleaner, dusting cloth, or soft bristle plastic dust brush.

-Let the chiller air-dry in a well-ventilated area.

Aquarium Tank

-Using the 1:10 bleach:water solution, wipe down the interior and exterior of the tank. Use the new sponge to scrub away scales and algae. Let air-dry. -If you have any pebbles or gravel in the tank, remove them, rinse them, and then dry them by laying them on a cloth in the sun or a ventilated area.

UV Sterilizer -Check the sterilizer light according to manufacturer’s instructions. The UV light should be replaced as recommended, usually every year.

Filter

-Take filter apart and scrub each part with 1:10 bleach solution. Let air-dry. -It is best to buy new filter cartridges for the following year. You also can thoroughly rinse the filter cartridges with water and air-dry them.

Equipment Replaced Yearly Each year, the tank will need a few items:

-UV sterilizer bulb —even if it is still emitting light after one year, it may not be emitting the UV spectrum useful for sterilization. The filament degrades. -Filter pads or cartridges -Airstone—these can degrade or get gummed up with waste. -Water Quality Test Kit—at the end of one year, you will have used up most of the reagents and other materials.

Interesting Websites www.tu.org Trout Unlimited (TU) is an organi-zation known for many years of cold-water conservation.

www.brookie.org A TU website devoted to brook trout, the native species of New York, in-cludes scientific information on the life and conservation of brookies.

www.nyc.gov/dep Home page for NYC DEP, this site provides maps and info about the water supply system, as well as links to other pertinent projects.

www.britishtrout.co.uk/fun.htm This fun page includes a game about trout: students balance a stream’s food, waste, organisms, and oxygen.

www.waterislife.net The website of Water is Life, and Infrastructure Makes it Happen, it includes many articles and resources regarding water supply systems.

www.climatecrisis.net The website for Al Gore’s movie, An Inconvenient Truth, provides a car-bon calculator and tips for reducing one’s impact on the atmosphere.

May 16, 2006— Students from Win-gate HS in Brooklyn work with John Genovesi, from TU’s Croton Watershed Chapter. Mahopac HS teacher Bob Con-nick invited Mathew George and his stu-dents up from NYC to meet the Mahopac students, hear from area educators, and jointly release trout in the Muscoot River.

Trout Release At Black Creek by Jordan, Rosendale Elementary School

I am going to tell you about the trout release. We released the trout on April 21, 2006 in Black Creek. Mr. De-

brosky was there and he’s the one who introduced Trout In The Classroom to our class. Walter our custodian, my

dad, Mr. Burns our gym teacher, Mr. Flannagan our behavior specialist, and Mike and Chris from Scenic Hudson

were there. We released the trout by a log, and when everyone let theirs go their fish swam under the log except for

two. They fought the current. It looked like they were on a treadmill. We let the trout go with a fish net. On the

hike about 8 kids were singing songs and the rest of the class were just whispering to each other about stuff. When we

were at the Hudson River we wanted Mrs. Simmons to do synchronized swimming for us but a sign said, “No Swim-

ming.” It would have been a great show!

I felt good because they shouldn’t be cooped up in a tank their whole life, they should be free. We also heard a

woodpecker on the hike and dropped sticks off a bridge. Mine came in fourth. We saw a sign the said “BLACK

CREEK” in sticks. We skipped rocks and one skipped five times. That’s what I did on the trout release.

(Teachers’ Note: As you can see, everyone wanted to join us when they heard about the trout release! Special thanks go to our custodian Walter Bolde who fed on snow days and helped in countless ways. Special thanks also go to Scenic Hudson for their interest and support. For more information on Scenic Hudson and Black Creek go to www.scenichudson.orgparks/shparks/blackcreek/index.html )

P a g e 4 T r o u t i n t h e C l a s s r o o m N e w s l e t t e r

April 21, 2006 — Rosendale Elementary students Keith, Ash-ley, and Jordan (author of the above article) stand with their teacher, Mr. Brown, by Black Creek. Joe Brown and Cheri Simmons, of Rosendale Elemen-tary School are two TIC teachers who, like many, choose to coordinate their own trout release field trip. As in this case, schools often make the trips in collabora-tion with local organi-zations. photo courtesy of Joe Brown, Rosendale Elementary School

S p r i n g / S u m m e r 2 0 0 6 P a g e 5

excerpts from . . . A Teacher’s Trout Journal by Jim Hubert

Date: 2/8 Our fish are approximately 41 mm long. Since De-cember 30th we have not lost a trout. As I study the data since October, two factors stand out. The presence of nitrites from October through December could not have been beneficial and likewise the presence of copper oxide. Since both factors have been eliminated we have not lost a trout. In retrospect, these influences have been a bless-ing in disguise. At first they were very frustrating and dis-appointing, but now I look at them as forms of success; we all learned and that is what this program is all about. Warm weather brings thoughts of spring and the an-ticipation of releasing the fish. Kids are continually ask-ing questions. “How big will the fish be when we let them go?” “What will they eat on their own?” I am considering heading east to the Batenkill. Our release will occur on a Saturday and will also include a stream study using the LeafPack Survey. Next Tuesday (2/14) I will be the monthly presenter for our local Adirondack Chapter of Trout Unlimited.

Date: 6/2 My goal was to submit a journal entry once a month; I guess I have left room for improvement for next year. Many changes have occurred since February. Some of the longest fish are just short of 12 cm long. We lost our favorite fish “Nemo.” Students named this trout because of its physical handicap. (Apparently, a cartoon character exists with a similar defect.) At a critical stage in develop-ment this trout was caught between 3 rocks on the bottom of the tank. After we rescued this fish we noticed it was far from straight and had a very difficult time staying up-right. After a week of struggling, this determined little brown was swimming around the tank. After two months of fierce competition for food however, Nemo died. Our February presentation was a huge success. My students that presented were outstanding: Kyle, Ashley, Samantha, Katie, and Alex all did an excellent job. Community members, teachers, journalists, and TU members all attended. I especially want to thank the jour-nalists for giving our program exposure. Trout in the Classroom is very popular in the southern portion of NYS, but fairly uncommon in the Adirondacks. Tomorrow is the release. We are headed to where the Batenkill River crosses under Rt.22. At this location there is a public fishing access site, convenient for a school bus to park and a stream study to ensue.

March 1, 2006

“Is this worthwhile?” Filed under: Trout in the Classroom Mr. Hubert @ 4:11 pm Trout In the Classroom is not an inexpensive program. Is it worth the effort and cost?

5 Comments »

I think it’s a good idea because most people don’t get the opportunity to watch trout mature from eggs to fish. Comment by Alex—March 6, 2006 @ 8:58 am

I agree with Alex, very interesting to watch the fish grow bigger. Comment by Tyler—March 7, 2006 @ 10:28 am

I think that the Trout in the Classroom is a good class pro-ject. We were able to witness first hand how some pollutants (copper oxide) have an impact on trout

survival. Comment by Jordan—March 7, 2006 @ 2:00 pm

Jordan, Great comment. If you, a member of the future gen-eration of this country, have gained an appreciation for clean, cold water then we have accomplished some-thing this year with this project. Comment by Mr. Hubert—March 7, 2006 @ 7:16 pm

photo courtesy of Jim Hubert, Queensbury Middle School

In addition to keeping a web journal, Queensbury Middle School teacher Jim Hubert keeps an edublog with his stu-dents. In it, he makes comments and asks questions, solicit-ing his students’ feedback. Below is a post about their views on the educational value of Trout in the Classroom.

TIC Supporters and Friends

P a g e 6 T r o u t i n t h e C l a s s r o o m N e w s l e t t e r

Founding New York Sponsor -Theodore Gordon Flyfishers, Inc. Agencies -New York City Department of Environmental Protection -New York State Department of Environmental Conservation -Westchester Cty Dept. of Parks, Recreation, and Conservation -City of New York Parks & Recreation -New York City Department of Education -United States Environmental Protection Agency -Board of Cooperative Educational Services -NYS Dept. of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation

Funders

-Catskill Watershed Corporation -Consolidated Edison Company -Dorr Foundation -Hudson River Foundation -Bay and Paul Foundations, Inc. -Norcross Wildlife Foundation, Inc.

Supporters

-Catskill Center for Conservation and Development -Watershed Agricultural Council -Headwaters Initiative -Bronx River Alliance -Kensico Environmental Enhancement Program -SUNY New Paltz, Mid-Hudson Teacher Center Advisors -Arthur Stoliar, Retired Director, Trout in the Classroom -Kim Estes-Fradis, Director of Education, NYC DEP -John Fischer, NY TU Youth Ed. Chair and HI Exec. Director -Scott Covert, Catskill Hatchery Manager, NYS DEC -Phil Dickler, Aquaculturist, John Bowne High School -Philip Hulbert, Superintendent of Fish Culture, NYS DEC -Wayne Elliot, Region 3 Fisheries Manager, NYS DEC -Melissa Cohen, Bureau of Fisheries, NYS DEC -Matt Rota, Former Coordinator, Trout in the Classroom -Norm Soule, Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery -Steve Desimone, Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery -John Genovesi, Chapter President, Croton Watershed TU

We would like to give special thanks to the New York City Department of Environmental Protection for supporting the production and distribution of this newsletter.

New York Trout in the Classroom

Advisory Council

Arthur Stoliar, Retired Director Larry May, Teacher, P.S. 109X John Fischer, Headwaters Initiative David Berman, TGF Kim Estes-Fradis, NYC DEP Duncan Blair, Trout Unlimited Rochelle Gandour, Coordinator

Above — A South Kortright Central School 6th grade student puts trout into the West Branch of the Dela-ware River. To provide an experience different from traditional trout release, Bill Parker arranged for his students to assist in NYS DEC trout stocking. Below — Bulkeley Middle School students celebrated Earth Day by releasing their 56 brook trout fry into Landsman Kill. Ed Osaptczuk retained ten fish in his classroom so that the students can observe their continued development over the coming year.

S p r i n g / S u m m e r 2 0 0 6 P a g e 7

Aaron Bennett from the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development tests stream water quality with Phoenicia second graders.

In the Phoenicia library’s flyfishing lounge, Hank Rope from TU’s Ashokan-Pepacton Chapter explains the science and art of flies.

Lea Johnson, NYC DEP Educator, leads a forest hike for Croton-on-Hudson students to see the riparian area’s impact on the river.

Paul Thiesing, NYC DEP Educator, shows various invertebrate specimens to students from Seven Bridges School in Chappaqua.*

A student from P.S. 36 in Queens releases brook trout into this year’s only NYC release site: Alley Pond Creek in Alley Pond Park.

Students from PS 107 in Brooklyn spend time examining a leaf pack at Clearpool Education Center before their trout release.

Rochelle Gandour, TIC Coordinator, shows trout hiding places in the Cross River to students from White Plains.*

A trout release is whatever a teacher makes it. It can be a community event, a trip to a city park, or part of an environmental center visit. For the schools at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, trout releases were part of a larger field exploration. After investigating the river with educators and TU members, students hiked into the forest with area for-esters to see first-hand the connection be-tween forest health and clean water. Every field activity serves to broaden the scope of the project and continue to expand students’ views of the environment.

*photos reproduced with permission of New York City Department of Environmental Protection

Trout in the Classroom

Trout Unlimited

Rochelle Gandour

New York Coordinator

c/o NYC DEP, 19th Floor

59-17 Junction Blvd.

Flushing, NY 11373-5108

phone: (718) 595-3503

fax: (718) 595-3477

e-mail: rgandour@tu.org

www.troutintheclassroom.org

Inside this issue: Meeting Report 1

Release Report 1

From Coordinator 2

Watershed Poetry 2

End-of-Year 3

Student Report 4

Teacher’s Journal 5

Supporters List 6

Photo Collage 7

IN THE TROUT CLASSROOM

Students from Post Road Elementary School in White Plains explore the Cross River with volunteers from Trout Unlimited.*