Messalonskee Middle School students have hands-on science fun

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1 Welcome. This is your 1st of 10 free articles. Sign in or Subscribe. NEWS Posted May 26 Updated May 26 INCREASE FONT SIZE Messalonskee Middle School students have hands-on science fun Seventh- and eighth-graders at the Oakland school raised brook trout from eggs and spent the day with experts and volunteers before releasing the fish. BY MADELINE ST. AMOUR STAFF Share Comment 1/6

Share 8/8/2016 Messalonskee Middle School students have hands-on science fun - Central Maine Comment OAKLAND Middle school students walked through the nature trail next to Messalonskee Stream on

This is the fourth year in which seventh- and eighth-graders from Messalonskee Middle School have released brook trout into the stream as a science project.

2 Share 8/8/2016 Messalonskee Middle School students have hands-on science fun - Central Maine Comment OAKLAND Middle school students walked through the nature trail next to Messalonskee Stream on Thursday morning until they came upon a small open hill beneath a blue sky and sunshine. It was a picturesque day for a hike in the woods, but the students were really there for science. This is the fourth year in which seventh- and eighth-graders from Messalonskee Middle School have released brook trout into the stream as a science project. The students, with the help of science teacher Amanda Ripa, have been raising brook trout since February, which they released into the stream. Students from Messalonskee Middle School look closely at invertebrates collected in Messalonskee Stream in Oakland on Thursday. Sta photo by David Leaming Over 200 brook trout were released by Messalonskee Middle School students into Messalonskee Stream in Oakland on Thursday. Sta photo by David Leaming Ripa previously worked for the Portland Water District, where the staff gave South Portland schools fish to do similar science projects. When she went into teaching, she decided she wanted to do that with her students. I m just really passionate about getting kids outdoors and doing science outside, said Ripa, who got an undergraduate degree in environmental science at the University of Southern Maine. A group of seventh-graders waiting for activities to begin said they were excited to work with the brook trout and that it helped them better understand science. Parents working as volunteers also liked the project. RECENT READ Jeb Bush's son - in break with father - urges Republicans to back Trump One lane open after crash on I-95 northbound at mile 63 Woodstock Revival and Art Walk set for Aug. 14 'Plaza Suite' to be staged Aug /6

3 The more time they spend doing science projects, the better, said Stacy Venable, mother of seventhgrader Phoebe. Messalonskee Middle School students gently release tiny brook trout into Messalonskee Stream in Oakland on Thursday. From left are Emma Ketch, Airel Delong and Willow Blanchette. Sta photo by David Leaming Search photos available for purchase: Photo Store Ripa said she gets the fish eggs from Casco Fish Hatchery in Maine. This year the students started with about 300 eggs and ended with 200 to 250 fry to put in the stream. Fry are baby fish that are still developing but can feed themselves. Ripa keeps the fish eggs in a 20-gallon tank with a refrigerated chiller to keep the water at a low temperature. The fish develop along with the temperature and get measured in thermal units. One thermal unit is equal to one degree Celsius. When the daily thermal units reach an accumulated total of 700 units, the fish are fully developed fry that can start swimming. Along the way in their development, the students make observations on the fish and track them. When they re released, the best case scenario is that the fish go downstream toward the Kennebec River. Naturally, only a few make it out of the nest, Ripa said, so the brook trout raised in the tank already have had better chances. Before the students sent the fry out on their own, they divided into four groups and met at stations with local science professionals from Colby College, the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, the Belgrade Regional Conservation Alliance and Project Learning Tree in the open space on the trail. Each station had a different activity led by the volunteers that got the students working with the wildlife 3/6

4 different activity led by the volunteers that got the students working with the wildlife around them. At one station along the stream was electrofishing, where students used an electric current to draw in fish. They usually catch at least one mud puppy each year, Ripa said. Another station was led by Matthew Leahey, the education and outreach coordinator for BRCA, which partnered with Ripa in September. Nine eighth-graders gathered around Leahey as he explained their assignment: a vital signs investigation. Using cards with pictures of plants, students walked around the forested area looking for native plants, as well as plants that could be invasive species. Other schools do similar projects in which they raise fish to release eventually, but many use salmon instead of brook trout. Ripa chose trout because the fish is an important part of the economy because of fishing, so it s also important to the environment. Ripa said she thinks the project will help get the students into the mindset of being a good steward of the land. The biggest reason why I do it is to connect them to the environment, she said. Madeline St. Amour mstamour@centralmaine.com R E A D O R P O S T C O M M E N T S Share Were you interviewed for this story? If so, please fill out our accuracy form 4/6

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Wildfire burns 2 to 3 acres on French Mountain in town of Rome

Welcome. This is your 1st of 10 free articles. Sign in or Subscribe. NEWS Posted May 20 Updated May 20 INCREASE FONT SIZE Wildfire burns 2 to 3 acres on French Mountain in town of Rome A Forest Service