We are in our second year of the Trout In the Classroom (TIC) project and we have loved every minute. Our TIC program started through a partnership with our local Trout Unlimited Chapter, Valley Forge Trout Unlimited. The Trout in the Classroom program was integrated into our new Environmental Education Initiative that seeks to educate our students about current environmental issues, develop an appreciation for natural world, and encourage our students to become effective members of society who are ready and willing to promote changes to ensure a more sustainable existence on Earth. The TIC Program became an invaluable experiential component of the Sustainable Watershed P.E.A.S. (Programs for Environmental Awareness & Sustainability) that afforded students an opportunity to develop a personal connection to the organisms that live in our local stream. This connection motivated our students to care for the streams and watersheds around them.
Montgomery School is an independent, co-educational day school serving pre-school through grade eight in Chester Springs, PA. The School is dedicated to the development of each child in mind and body through academics, fine and performing arts, and athletics in an enriching cultural and physical environment. The School is equally committed to the development of each child's character, with an emphasis on integrity, respect, responsibility, and service to others. Montgomery School has a 60-acre campus of former farmland, located in the center of Chester County. The diversity of habitats on our campus includes lentic and lodic waters, riparian areas, forests, vegetated corridors, wetlands, and warm season native grassland meadows. The Pickering Creek runs through the south side of our campus. We have adopted this waterway and for the last seven years we have collected stream data on this creek including; water chemistry, physical properties (flow rate, flow volume and temperature), and biotic assessments (MacroInvertebrate indexing and even a fish survey). Throughout our studies of this cold-water creek, we have learned how to be stewards of our watershed.
Last year we worked with scientists from the Ruth Patrick Center for Environmental Research (part of the Museum of Natural History in Philadelphia, PA) to complete a fish survey and algal survey of the Pickering Creek. In a 50-meter stretch of the creek, we collected 27 different species of fish! It was amazing to see how many different kinds of fish inhabit our stream. Putting on the waders and “tazing” the fish was the activity that the students enjoyed the most. Along with learning about how scientists assess waterways, the students also learned how to protect the watershed. Storm water management, the importance of riparian buffers, and water conservation were all included in the program. Students worked in teams to build and install rain barrels on our campus, performed a riparian assessment with professional assistance, and participated in a day of tree planting to restore the riparian buffer in a local park. This year the same class is continuing these efforts and expanding on their understanding of water chemistry.
We are excited to receive our trout egg shipment this week. Our tank is set up and our temperature has been turned down. We will have a live trout cam set up and broadcasting once the swim-up fry can handle some light. In the meantime, you can check back here for updates, or visit our Wiki site (http://montgomeryschooltrout.wikispaces.com/ ) to learn more about what we are doing. We even have a “live data sheet” where we will be posting the results of our chemical water testing of the water in the trout tank. We look forward to another great year of Trout in the Classroom, and we hope that you will have an excellent experience as well.
Happy Egg Hatching!
The Montgomery School 6th Grade Trout Team!
