Trout in the Classroom

Trout in the Classroom (TIC) is an environmental education program in which students in grades K-12, who:

• raise trout from eggs to fry
• monitor tank water quality
• engage in stream habitat study
• learn to appreciate water resources
• begin to foster a conservation ethic
• grow to understand ecosystems

The program ends the year by releasing trout in a state-approved stream near the school or within a nearby watershed. During the year each teacher tailors the program to fit his or her curricular needs. TIC has interdisciplinary applications in science, social studies, mathematics, language arts, fine arts, and physical education. Trout in the Classroom (TIC) programs have been in place all across the country for nearly 20 years, the results of numerous collaborations between teachers, volunteers, government agencies, and local organizations including Trout Unlimited. For more information, visit the TIC web site: http://www.troutintheclassroom.org

MMBTU proudly brings Trout in the Classroom to two schools in the midcoast region.

A fish tank was installed in two fourth grade classes, one at Bowdoinham Community School, and one at Bowdoin Central School. The forty gallon tanks are set up specifically to hatch and raise Brook Trout from the eyed-egg stage. To provide the proper environment, the set-up includes a chiller that keeps the water temperature at a constant 52 degrees, a high-grade filtration system that removes waste, and an air pump to oxygenate the water.

From left to right, MMBTU volunteer Dick Soucy, Bowdoin Central School fourth grade teacher Christine Egan, Bowdoinham Community School fifth grade teacher Ryan Patrie, and MMBTU volunteer Smitty Smith take a break after setting up two forty-gallon tanks on Saturday, November 29. The project, which reaches about seventy students, includes classroom talks, a field trip to a local hatchery, and a IF&W biologist-led release of live brook trout in the spring. More on TIC ( classroom letters )