Meet Our Team

Pennsylvania's statewide TIC program is made possible through a unique partnership between the Pennsylvania Council of Trout Unlimited (PATU) and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC). Staff from both organizations work together to support questions from PA TIC teachers and partners across the state. ​​

RACHEL KESTER

PATU TIC Coordinator/Program Director

AMIDEA DANIEL

PFBC TIC Coordinator/Northcentral Region Outreach Education Coordinator

Contact Us

Have a Trout in the Classroom question?
Please email the TIC resource account. 

Email: ​RA-troutclass@pa.gov *

*Please Note: This email account is monitored by the PA TIC team which includes staff from the PA Fish & Boat Commission and PATU. Please allow up to a week to receive a reply. For urgent matters, such as troubleshooting help, please reach out to your program partner for assistance before emailing the TIC resource account.
Make sure you provide the following information in order to assist staff in managing your questions or troubleshooting issues.

1. Subject line – Providing the following in the subject line will assist staff in responding appropriately to your questions/needs.

• Available subject lines –
  • List the following based on the question you have –
    • Interest in starting TIC in my classroom
    • Trout release site location
    • Release day
    • Find a Program Partner
    • TIC funding ideas/grants
    • TIC registration status
    • TIC end of year report status
    • Troubleshooting: Water quality
    • Troubleshooting: Trout care
    • Troubleshooting: Equipment
    • Troubleshooting: Aquarium set-up
    • Troubleshooting: Aquarium cycling

1. Body of the message
   1. For all inquiries other than troubleshooting, please provide as much detail as possible in the email so we understand your situation and what you need answers for.
   2. For  troubleshooting, please provide the following in the body of your email message:
      • Have you consulted the TIC Aquarium Resource Guide Troubleshooting, Trout Care, Water Quality, Aquarium Cycling, Aquarium set-up pages?
      • Have you consulted the TIC videos for aquarium set-up, acclimation, aquarium set-up?
      • Do you have a program partner? 
        • If yes, have you contacted them?
        • If no, what other resources have you consulted prior to contacting us?
      • Water quality
        • Provide your water testing results for the weeks you have been testing (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, temperatures, clarity
        • Provide your water exchange information (how often are you changing water; what is your water source; do you treat your water with a pre-water change treatment that takes out chlorine and chloramines)
        • Is all of your equipment working properly?
        • Any changes in power to your system?
        • Any chances someone put something in the water unexpectedly or on purpose?  Do you know what it was?
        • Provide any additional notes you or your students can provide related to the situation.
      • Trout care:
        • Provide water quality parameters you have been testing over the last few weeks.
        • Provide information on trout behavior prior to and during the current situation.
          • Photos and video are best to share along with the notes on the situation.
          • The more detail we have the better we can help you.
        • Provide any known changes – Did you change water sources for your water changes?  Any unknown substance added to the water?  Did you treat your water prior to using it to change water out?
        • Is your equipment working properly?  Was there a power outage?
      • If it is equipment related:
        • Provide information on the type of equipment in question.
        • What are you aware of that happened?
        • What have you done up to this point?
        • Known set-up time and way it was set-up​