Barr 6th Graders Release Classroom-Raised Trout

Sixth-graders from Barr Middle School got a unique break from the traditional classroom setting. After raising trout inside their classrooms, it was finally time to release them into the wild.

The entire grade took a trip on Wednesday to Kakiat Park to let the trout rejoin Mother Nature.

“We receive the eggs in October, watch them hatch and grow through the stages until we release them,” said Levy. “This is part of our 6th  grade science curriculum. The focus is on “Is this a Healthy Environment.” 

Al Smith was on hand to help with the release. He’s from the Rockland County chapter of Trout Unlimited. Trout Unlimited is made up of cold water fisheries that maintain healthy streams in the U.S. through stream and river clean ups.

“We assist classrooms with raising trout. It’s incorporated into their lesson plan. We’ve been doing this for a few years now,” said Smith.

“Mrs. Levy has been doing this for a few years now so they know what they’re doing,” Smith said, adding that he’s done this trout release before with the Nanuet Schools. “When schools start doing this, we have a larger presence at the beginning because there may be certain problems such as ensuring the tank has a certain amount of oxygen.”

“This is my third time doing this (trout release),” said Teacher Debbie Levy. “(Teacher) Heather Schucker started it and still comes and assists.”

Smith explained to the students that the fish will swim facing upstream and to notice the camouflage of the fish against the rocks.

“We give them a little streamside lesson on the trouts’ habitat,” he said. The fish started as eggs when the students received them and then turned to sac fry; Levy said that the teachers call them “eggs to fry.”

“The fish are pretty close to being adults right now,” said Schucker.

Besides the release, the environmental day also included:

• Hiking
• GPS stations
• Macro invertebrate study
• Music
• Art
• Poetry
• Naturalist

“When we release the trout we try to incorporate as many aspects related to nature as possible,” said Levy. “We have hand held GPS that the students hike through the woods searching out their locations. Along the way interesting facts about nature are pointed out. The macro invertebrate study is an activity where the students get to handle macro invertebrates that we borrow from the stream. These critters help us identify whether or not an environment is conducive for our trout.”

Nanuet High School Environmental Science seniors also assisted the students in their stations throughout the day. The seniors also threw on chest waders and “borrowed” macro invertebrates from the streams with guidance from Smith and Schucker.

Schucker and Levy applied for a grant to get the chest waders last year and this year, they applied for another grant for a chiller for the trout next year.

“Throughout the year, we invited the first graders from Miller to visit and learn from our 6th graders about the development of the trout,” said Levy.

“It’s great to take them outside and break away from state tests and experience the what the real world is all about,” said Teacher Mike Kronberg. Kronberg and Cathy Marczyk manned the music station with their guitars and got the students thinking creatively to come up with original songs that dealt with preventing bullying at school.

Marczyk’s husband Ron, Teacher Chris Polizzi and Principal Roger Guccione led the hikes that day.

Roy Hurd, naturalist, taught the students how to approach wild animals and build a fire.

Also, one of the fish, Leppy, was quarantined from the rest of the trout for about a month after the students discovered that he ate about five of the other trout, which is unusual behavior said Smith. It grew about three times larger than the other fish and Mark D’Apice named that fish Leppy.

Here’s what some of the students had to say about the environmental day:

“It’s nice to watch the trout go,” said Jennifer Bolanos.

“We went on the nature trail and it was pretty cool,” said Nina Scanlon.

“I liked releasing the trout,” said Taylor Haughton. “I also liked the nature walk. There are blue rectangles; if you get lost, it would show you where to go.”