Students study life cycle as part of trout project
BY TOYNETT HALL Staff Writer
The brook trout, New Jersey's state fish, has been falling in numbers over the past few years as a result of overdevelopment and pollution. In an effort to help mitigate this problem, the Ocean County Soil Conservation District has sponsored four Ocean County schools in a program called Trout in the Classroom.

Itasia Williams searches for dead baby trout, part of the work that is involved in the Trout in the Classroom project now under way at Lakewood High School.

The program engages students in the raising of brook trout from eggs to eventual release as small fingerlings in the late spring.

According to a press release, it is a program that encompasses cross-curricular applications, responsibility and stewardship, in addition to biology, water chemistry and environmental studies.

Brook trout are part of the Barnegat Bay watershed and can only thrive where there are healthy waterways, according to the press release.

Throughout New Jersey there is a significant initiative for Trout in the Classroom through a partnership between Trout Unlimited and the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife to distribute the trout eggs, assist teachers in setting up tanks, and incorporating the lessons and activities into their existing curriculum.

ERIC SUCAR staff Lakewood High School seniors (l-r) Alexandra Signifis, Itasia Williams and Kierra Reid participate in the Trout in the Classroom project sponsored by the Ocean County Soil Conservation District. Students are raising brook trout that will eventually be released in the spring. For the story by Tri-Town News staff writer Toynett Hall, see page 3.

Among the schools participating in this endeavor are Lakewood High School and New Egypt High School, Plumsted.

According to the press release, the Ocean County Soil Conservation District has a long-standing commitment to educational initiatives that support the conservation of natural resources. The organization has worked with schools on a number of programs including Discovering Barnegat Bay and the development of rain gardens.

The true purpose of rain gardens is to create healthy soil, which creates healthy waterways, and healthy waterways can support healthy fish. Brook trout especially need clean water and can be indicators of healthy streams.

PHOTOS BY ERIC SUCAR staff Lakewood High School juniors Kedeem Donaldson (l) and Tyquan Strand place a refrigeration unit in a fish tank as part of the Trout in the Classroom project that has students raising brook trout from eggs to fingerlings.

The brook trout being raised by the students as part of the Trout in the Classroom project will be released in the upper reaches of the Toms River at the Forest Resource Education Center in Jackson later in the spring. Brook trout are native to New Jersey and are New Jersey's state fish.

Lakewood High School science coordinator and teacher William Schmidt recently administered the Trout in the Classroom initiative with about 60 students. He said the $1,200 cost of the program was covered by the soil conservation district.

During their work, the students raise trout from eggs to fry (newborns), monitor tank water quality, engage in stream habitat study, learn to appreciate water resources, begin to foster a conservation ethic, and grow to understand ecosystems, according to information provided by Trout Unlimited.

According to Schmidt, the program is about more than just raising trout.

"It's about the big picture, the web of life. It teaches the students to keep the environment clean and to allow natural habitats for wildlife," he said.

Science teacher Mike Dowd said, "It gives the kids a hands-on experience in learning about living things and the life cycle. It also gets students involved with a project that is important to the state of New Jersey. They get a chance to learn about something that could relate to everything else in biology."

Carolina Iwaniuk, 17, said learning how to take care of the fish "is fun." She said the project intrigued her because it tapped into one of her favorite subjects: biology.

Dawn Marto, 17, said science is her favorite subject. Dawn said she enjoyed the experience, and what she has learned is that if everyone does his or her part, they can make a difference.