Porter Elementary fourth-graders have embarked upon a new journey, raising trout in anticipation of a release later this year.
In late September, Trout Unlimited’s Little River chapter delivered a
55-gallon aquarium, chiller and pump to Porter Elementary. Parents Tim
and Jama Hurst made the opportunity possible through a donation and
served as a go-between between the chapter and school. “My family enjoys
the outdoors,” said Tim Hurst, an electrician for Blount County Schools
and member of Trout Unlimited’s Little River chapter. “We thought that
the rest of the class would enjoy this opportunity to see nature at
work. It’s also critical for them to know how important it is to be good
stewards and take care of our waterways.”
Students, such as Laura Grace Jones, have loved the Trout in the
Classroom program. “Fish are so cool. When we got them, we’d go to the
aquarium every day and look in it to see if they’d hatched. We’d just
stare and stare, looking, waiting for them. Now that they’ve hatched,
we’re looking every day for the ones that swim upside down (dead
fish).” Jones wanted to publicly thank the Hursts and Trout Unlimited
for the opportunity. “We’re one of the few schools that have gotten to
do it. It makes us feel special, like people care about us. I’ve also
learned so much about things that I don’t think I would’ve ever learned
about without this opportunity.”
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency provided the nonprofit with 250
trout eggs that were in the eyed stage, a stage that occurs about 20
days after spawning in which a set of eyes become recognizable, for
Porter Elementary. Alevins appear between two and three weeks
later. Alevins, which aren’t free-living, feed from a yolk sac attached
to their bellies. After the yolk sac is absorbed, the alevin becomes
free and floats up to the surface looking for food.
Nonprofit volunteers hung a mesh basket from the aquarium’s side,
allowing students to gaze upon the eggs. In early October, teacher
Jennifer Childers lowered the basket into the tank when they became
alevins. Students have learned about a trout’s life cycle through this
partnership, Childers said. She has also incorporated a number of
nonfiction texts about trout into their reading program. The educator
has additionally assigned a responsibility to each student. Some check
the water’s temperature, others conduct ammonia and pH test, and others
feed fish. Childers and students plan next month to release the trout
into Little River. They hope to set them free near the KOA Campground in
Townsend. In January, Childers’ class will receive another 250 trout
eggs. They plan to release those trout in May.
Trout Unlimited’s Little River chapter sponsors Trout in the
Classroom programs in local schools, including Clayton-Bradley Academy,
Porter Elementary and Townsend Elementary. It pays for these programs
using Troutfest proceeds. Educators tailor the program to fit their
curricular needs, and chapter coordinators assist them when putting out
equipment and releasing trout, in addition to any required
troubleshooting. The program can be implemented for grades K-12.
“It’s a great environmental education program, because we’re
teaching them to give back to the community by replenishing the river,”
Childers said. “Since it’s a hands-on activity, it makes that knowledge
real and relevant to them. It’s not abstract, so they can grasp it and
hold on to it longer.” Gavin Hurst, son of Tim and Jama Hurst, agreed
with his teacher. “I love field trips, getting outside to do and see
things. It’s easier for me to learn outside, instead of just looking at a
textbook. It makes more sense.”
By Matthew Stewart-The Daily Times