On Wednesday, April 19, 2023, Twin Valley Elementary Center (TVEC) 4th Grade students released rainbow trout fingerlings into Hay Creek in Birdsboro, PA. The students have been raising the rainbow trout fingerlings from eggs for the past four months as part of the Pennsylvania Trout in the Classroom (TIC) program. This program was made possible through a grant from the Tulpehocken Branch of Trout Unlimited which partnered with TVEC to implement the program across the 4th Grade classrooms.
Over the four-month program, 4th Grade students at TVEC monitored and recorded aquarium water quality to ensure a healthy tank environment. They also cared for the trout on a daily basis while their teachers incorporated cold water education lessons into the classroom.
During the release, students ensured the stream environment was clean by picking up trash. They also participated in a scavenger hunt to identify other environmental objects in the ecosystem and made trout bracelets signifying what is needed to raise a healthy trout population. Local fly-fishing expert, Henry Ramsey, attended the release and taught the students about what the trout will eat now that they are in the stream. He also answered questions about trout and shared how he ties flies and what the flies look like to the fish.
The Pennsylvania Trout in the Classroom (TIC) program is an interdisciplinary program that introduces cold water conservation education in Pennsylvania schools by raising rainbow trout, a native cold-water species, from eggs to fingerlings. The program is designed to foster awareness and knowledge about cold water conservation for students in grades 3-12 and to encourage continued participation in cold water conservation, management, and recreation programs. The program exists statewide due to a partnership between the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited (PATU), the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), and the support of the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).
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