Trout in the Classroom

Trout in the Classroom

"Creating Excitement in Education"

Carlisle School trout release at the Smith River

2013 Tentative Trout Release Schedule

 

Trout in the Classroom (TIC) is an environmental education program in which students from kindergarten to high school:

  • raise trout from eggs to fingerlings
  • monitor tank water quality
  • engage in stream habitat study
  • appreciate water resources
  • foster a conservation ethic
  • understand ecosystem connectivity

TIC was started in Henry County in 2005 by Dr. David Jones, Orthodontist, because he understood the importance of educating young minds on water conservation.  According to Dr. Jones, "It's not really so much about the fish as it is about excitement in education, a whole new way of learning.  There's no subject they can't relate to Trout in the Classroom."

Now adopted by the Dan River Basin Association, TIC continues to grow and is closely connected to state learning standards and enhances math, science and language arts curricula for students of all ages.  Students receive their fish eggs in the Fall or early Winter and take care of them until they become fingerlings and then release them in the Spring into a local approved coldwater stream.  During the program, students learn to see connections between the trout, water resources, stream environment and themselves.  Teachers also tell us that their students show improved behavior and attendance, in addition to increased math, science and language arts skills.

The TIC program also has environmental impact.  Trout are indicator species; their abundance in local rivers directly reflects the quality of the water in which they live.  The vision of DRBA and its partner, Trout Unlimited, is to ensure that robust populations of native and wild coldwater fish once again thrive within their North American range, so that our children can enjoy healthy fisheries in their home waters.  TIC brings this vision directly to the members of this generation by allowing them to discover the wonder of nature for themselves.

Interested in learning more or participating in this program?  Interested in volunteering?

To learn more about Trout in the Classroom, please contact Krista Hodges, Education Outreach Coordinator and Trout in the Classroom Coordinator, at (276) 634-2592 or khodges@danriver.org.