Eggs to Fry CLASSROOM. A Heartwarming Trout Tale. Winter 2006

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1 Eggs to Fry TROUT IN THE CLASSROOM A Heartwarming Trout Tale Rochelle Gandour, TIC Coordinator As many of you know, I took a few roadtrips this past autumn. On all my stops, I encountered enthusiastic teachers, involved students, and many invaluable TIC friends. One particular story stands out in my mind: that of the Rothmans. I met Barbara and Bernie Rothman in Pat Horan s classroom at Brookside School in Ossining, NY. When I arrived, they were sitting with students in front of the class tank, discussing the habits of the trout inside. The students were asking questions and listening intently. I could see that the Rothmans were valued classroom friends. Soon, the whole story came out. A few years ago, the Rothmans celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. On this special occasion, Bernie wanted to give Barbara something particularly meaningful. Over the course of their lives, Barbara had been an educator for 35 years, spending 10 as a preschool principal. Bernie knew that his wife still had a great affinity for kids and cared about their learning. Furthermore, the couple truly enjoyed flyfishing. TIC became a clear choice for a gift, and Bernie gave Barbara a trout tank, to be placed in a local school. Living in Ossining at the time, the Rothmans found Pat Horan. Barbara says that from the moment they walked into his classroom, she could tell that Pat shared her philosophy of education; he promotes a step-by-step, success-oriented program, and he encourages students to participate in all their surroundings. In the end, Pat s second-graders achieve their highest potential by his allowing them to continually succeed. The Rothmans visit often, when they re in town. They also enjoy exchanging pictures and letters with the students when they are away from New York. Barbara and Bernie continue to support the program as needed because they find it so valuable for the students. Barbara says, Every kid deserves to have a program like this in their life. It s a life-learning experience. When kids are taught to take care of something else, it will teach them to take care of people. Hopefully, it won t just stop at trout; they ll learn to care for each other. Winter 2006 Editor: Rochelle Gandour, NY TIC Coordinator Barbara Rothman (right) stands with Pat Horan, 2nd grade teacher at Brookside School in Ossining, NY. This picture was taken at a spring 2005 trout release. October 11, 2005 Teachers wait patiently for their brown trout eggs, provided by the NYS DEC s Catskill Hatchery in DeBruce. Eggs were distributed at the Trout in the Classroom Teachers Meeting at SUNY New Paltz Mid-Hudson Teacher Center. Over 90 people attended the meeting, which was supported in large part by the Catskill Watershed Corporation.

2 Page 2 Trout in the Classroom Newsletter From the Coordinator Rochelle Gandour, TIC Coordinator Hello! For those of you I haven t yet met, my name is Rochelle Gandour, and I am the new Trout in the Classroom (TIC) Coordinator. I am very excited to be working with all of you. These first few months have been amazing. I am learning so much something new every day about tanks, about trout, and about the New York City water supply system. Moreover, I am inspired every day by the nearly 200 TIC teachers spread out across the state of New York (and across the country). Considering the time and hassle involved, the teachers who take the time to raise trout with their students are truly going above and beyond the call of duty. So, sincere thanks to all of you, all the TIC teachers, who have taken this program and made it flourish. For the past month, I have been lucky to work with Russell Taragan, this year s TIC Winter Intern. He comes to the program with extensive background in biology and aquarium maintenance. Already, he has visited many classrooms in New York City. While there, he s seen many successful setups; I asked him to write up some notes and tips that detail some of the best systems. You can see them on the facing page. As part of new plans for TIC, in order to better serve your needs, I would like to begin publishing this newsletter three times a year. A September issue will promote our big conference and provide classroom ideas. In January, the issue will report the status of classes across the state and help you prepare for releases. Our May issue will report on the success of releases and discuss plans for the following year. If you have feedback about this plan, as well as other happenings in the TIC network, please let me know. I also always welcome submissions for both this printed newsletter and our e-newsletter. Furthermore, let me know if I can support you in any way. We can or call, or I can schedule a visit to your school. I am eager to do what I can to make your TIC program as successful as possible. Trout Winter Vacation from the writings of Joe Brown and Cheri Simmons s students at Rosendale Elementary in Accord, New York. Christmas break started like any other for the trout. They ate fruitcake and drank eggnog and they couldn t sleigh ride but they could rock slide because we put rocks in the tank -Thomas...Every little trout in Troutville was good, except the Trinch. He was evil and hated Christmas... -Ethan...Everybody went to the seaweed mall to buy presents for their small fries. Next, they all swam into their one inch size beds and dreamt of Troutyclaus -Harry...A magical fairy came along into the trout tank and said, I am going to give you one wish and I know what I m going to give you. The fairy gave them the ability to get out of the water and not die. The trout were so thrilled, the minute the fairy left they got right out of the tank. They went to the gym and played with everything that the gym teacher had. After that, they walked across the Hudson River because they were so light...the trout were thinking about food. They came to my house and had dinner -Amanda...Also, they cut up seaweed into little pieces and painted them. They made a net and put all the seaweed confetti into it and hung it up at the top of the tank and took a seaweed rope and got ready to pull it at midnight -Onnika What is Trout in the Classroom? Trout in the Classroom is a conservation-oriented environmental education program for elementary through high school students. Through the school year, students raise trout from eggs to fry and then release 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. 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 Flyfishers, Inc., this program has blossomed from four initial schools to well over 100 throughout New York.

3 Winter 2006 Page 3 Russell s Notes Russell Taragan, TIC Winter Intern How should I conduct water changes? Water changes are an important part of tank maintenance. Improper water changes can cause fish stress or even death. It is best to change about 10% of tank volume every week, with tap water aged for more than 48 hours. This could mean simply conducting one 5-gallon change a week for a 50 gallon tank. However, it would be far better to do one-gallon changes every school day of the week. This reduces the change in tank temperature. Five plastic milk or water jugs (without caps) are perfect for water changes because an assembly line of water can be made, where the jugs are aged several days before use and are then refilled and placed at the back of the line. Does my tank need insulation? Many tank systems have worked without insulation. However, insulation will provide a darker, more stable environment for the fish, save electricity, and limit the amount of time the chiller will be operational. Insulation will also reduce condensation. There are many materials which can help insulate the tank. The most popular is foam sheet material. Two layers of bubble wrap, the shipping material, would also make a good insulator. For best results, cover the bottom of the tank and use a lid on the top. How do I use ammonia removal grains? Ammonia is one important chemical in the tank environment. It is a natural byproduct of fish metabolism. Ammonia can quickly become a health hazard if concentrations are too high. Ammonia removal grains can be used to help regulate ammonia levels in the tank. If you choose to do so, please follow the directions on the container, and always err on the side of too few rather than too many. Ammonia removal grains are not, however, a replacement for regular water changes and cleaning of the tank. Even with the use of grains, a 10% per week water change must be maintained. With regular tank maintenance, ammonia removal grains are not needed. Interesting Websites Trout Unlimited is an organization known for many years of trout and salmon conservation. Other Tips: -Check filter and pump intakes daily for debris which can reduce flow. -With fish food, less is more. It is far better to have hungry fish than too much waste. -Keep a frozen soda bottle or clean icepacks on hand to prepare for a power failure. -Take advantage of egg and fish death by using a microscope to see how, in death, these fish provide a home to millions of microorganisms. This is a Fun Page with educational computer games that students might enjoy. This US Geological Survey article discusses the decline of trout in the great lakes due to invasive species, and how research and management has helped these populations recover.

4 Page 4 Trout in the Classroom Newsletter (as published in the Vail Farm Falcon, the Vail Farm Elementary School newsletter) Trout in the Classroom by Jeffrey Greblick 5 th Grade, Mr. Adams-Room 44 Vail Farm Elementary School, LaGrangeville, NY Mr. Adams s fifth grade class and Mr. Nix s first grade class are doing a project on brown trout. When we first got the 192 brown trout, on October 27, 2005 from the N.Y. State Hatchery in DeBruce, N.Y., they were smaller than a thumbnail. Now they are twice that size, about 1½ inches!!! The fish are in Mr. Adams classroom. The two classes get together every week. The fifth graders help teach the first graders about the trout and help them record observations in their Trout Journals. The fish are fed by a different fifth grade student each day. The class must change the water in the tank every few days because the fish might contaminate the water. Changing the water also helps stop the spread of diseases. The fish are growing fins and body parts to help them survive. One interesting thing about the trout is they grow parr marks, or marks on their body that help camouflage them with the pebbles on the bottom of the river or stream that they live in. Fish can go for several days without food. This way in the wild if they can t find food they can survive. Our entire class is glad to say only 14 trout have died. In the wild about 97% die the first year. That is why fish lay hundreds of eggs; in case some die a lot will still be there. Our class is looking forward to releasing the trout at the end of the year when they have grown. photo courtesy of Scott Adams, Vail Farm Elementary

5 Winter 2006 Page 5 excerpts from... A Teacher s Trout Journal by Ed Ostapczuk, Bulkeley Middle School, edited by Rochelle Gandour Nov. 14 th : New Arrivals at BMS ---Our seventh grade science teacher drove down to the Cold Spring Harbor Hatchery today and brought back some 500 green brook trout eggs. While there she witnessed hatchery personnel strip eggs from a female brook trout and milt from a male. So our eggs are fertilized, but not eyed--as were the brown trout eggs acquired from DEC's DeBruce Hatchery--hence the name green eggs. If all goes well, the students will soon be able to observe differences in the brown and brook trout we have in two different tanks. Nov. 22 nd ---When we picked up the brook trout eggs from the hatchery, we were told that the female brook trout were at the end of their cycle for taking eggs and we would probably experience at least an 80% mortality rate. As such, the hatchery gave us close to 500 eggs. We've had our share of problems since. ---When I arrived at school Monday morning I noticed that someone had shut off the pump and our ultraviolet light over the weekend; fortunately the chiller remained on. Our brook trout eggs have been dying at an exponential rate. We're not sure if this is the result of poor health of the eggs or problems with our environment or both. Students can now see how fragile life is first hand. Of the brook trout eggs remaining, if one looks carefully, one can see life evolving within. ---Our brown trout fry are doing fine, as are the dozen or so browns from Dec. 8 th : The Bad Father and the Miracle ---Well the brook trout eggs in my classroom just didn t make it at all; each one eventually turned white, or grew some sort of fungus, and died. This was not totally unexpected. In fact, as one female brook trout was stripped of eggs, they all broke up. We anticipated a high mortality rate, but not 100%. ---Since the brook trout tank was in my room, our students have been calling me The Bad Father. Now I m not one to take defeat easily, so late one afternoon, I planned a Miracle. Taking two of our 2004 brown trout from the tank in the school lobby, I placed them in my room. ---Early the next morning, students gathered about and were astonished to observe two large brown trout swimming in the water. They gasped and excitement filled the hallways as I proclaimed a Miracle had taken place! Not too many questioned the fact the trout were browns rather than brookies, but a fair share had a hard time swallowing this story. Dec. 14th: Second Chance and a Bully in the Pod ---I taught four classes today, then my principal let me leave early and drive down to the hatchery to pickup some eyed Salvelinus fontinalis eggs. Since we had originally purchased the green eggs, the hatchery replaced them with eyed eggs free of charge. They said that the best time to get green brook trout eggs is during the first week of November. ---Yesterday I removed the two miracle brown trout from my room and returned them to the tank in the lobby. Interestingly enough, our brown trout left over from last year are beginning to disappear, along with other fish in the tank. There is one brown trout that is 1½ to 2 times as large as the other trout. Most of the remaining browns now school together in a tight pod while the big boy cruises below them. Late this afternoon I watched it come off the bottom and swipe at two other smaller brown trout. If this keeps up, eventually we are going to have a single, big, somewhat lonely and hungry brown trout left in the lobby tank. Dec 21 st : Newly Hatched Brook Trout Alevins ---We've completed our first week with our second batch of brook trout eggs and most of them have hatched. It was interesting to note that when the brown trout eggs hatched back in October, they all hatched in a matter of a couple days. The brook trout hatching seems to be spread over a longer time period, not sure if there is any reason for this. I noticed today that we have 2 alevins that are two-headed, that is, two brook trout with one body and two heads. photo courtesy of Ed Ostapczuk, Bulkeley Middle School

6 Page 6 Trout in the Classroom Newsletter TIC Supporters and Friends Founding New York Sponsor -Theodore Gordon Flyfishers, Inc. (TGF) Agencies -New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP) -US Department of the Interior -New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYS DEC) -Westchester County Dept. of Parks, Recreation, and Conservation -Putnam County Department of Highways and Facilities -Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) -New York State Department 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. Release Notes In the spring, the big question is What happens to our fish once we ve released them? The truth can be hard to tell our students: most of the trout we release won t make it more than a few weeks in the wild. This is due to a combination of factors, including water quality, temperatures, predators, food supply, and healthy habitat. Seeing how TIC works, though, that s okay. We say over and over that we are not a stocking program, and it s true. The educational value in raising and releasing the trout has almost nothing to do with whether our fish survive in the wild. So when considering release sites, we first consider its suitability for a field trip. On the facing page is a map marked with a number of great parks and educational centers that have all the requirements for a release: parking space, bathrooms, picnic areas, and accessible waterfront. With an NYS DEC stocking permit and permission from the landowners, you are ready to go! 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 -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 -Norm Soule, Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery -Steve Desimone, Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery We would like to give special thanks to the Norcross Wildlife Foundation, Inc. and 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 Rochelle Gandour, Coordinator 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

7 Winter 2006 Page 7 Marked on the map below are some possible sites for a trout release. The insert includes websites you can visit to get a better idea of the environment, as well as available facilities and resources. Please contact the centers directly for further information, or to schedule your field trip. All centers require advance planning with their staff before a trout release. I am happy to help you get in touch with the proper contact person for each site and to vouch for your participation in TIC. Rochelle CFFCM Frost Valley Frost Valley YMCA: Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum: Ward Pound Ridge Reservation: (search for ward pound ) Black Rock Forest: Taconic Outdoor Environmental Center and Rockefeller State Park Preserve: (select either from the drop-down list) Clearpool Education Center: Black Rock Forest Taconic Clearpool Ward Pound Rockefeller Park

8 Trout in the Classroom Trout Unlimited Rochelle Gandour New York Coordinator c/o NYC DEP, 19th Floor Junction Blvd. Flushing, NY phone: (718) fax: (718) TROUT CLASSROOM IN THE Inside this issue: Heartwarming Tale 1 From Coordinator 2 Trout Vacation 2 Intern s Notes 3 Elementary Report 4 Teacher s Journal 5 Supporters List 6 Release Notes 6 Release Sites Map 7 In November, some classes participated in egg stripping at Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery, on Long Island.