Seven months after the eggs arrived, hatched, and were raised at the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School, the grown trout were released on their own.
On the morning of Friday, May 15, a total of 116 students in the 7th Grade and six teachers from the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School paid a visit to Chimney Rock Park in Bridgewater.
Their mission was to set free the 60 trout that had survived from the 250 eggs sent to Jennifer Johnson’s Science class at the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School in October. According to Ms. Johnson, the Trout in the Classroom project was sponsored by Sustainable Jersey and the PSEG Foundation, which provided a grant.
The party hiked through the woods, descended old wooden steps and a rocky path, and was escorted to a stream by a Chimney Rock Park Ranger.
There in the cool waters, the students emptied the orange Home Depot bucket, and the fish swam away
This release sealed what had been seven months of learning about how important a clean environment is to supporting fish life.
“We learned about trout since the fall and how we must prevent pollution so we can have a clean environment so they can live,” said 7th Grade student Avani Bhikawat. “We can not have litter, fertilizers, or oil because all of that can harm water.”
This local trip—the first at the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School—was coordinated by Ms. Johnson, who had guided students in similar fish releases at parks during her previous 20-year teaching career in the Woodbridge Township School District.
“The students learned this year about the development of the trout and about testing the water and how important a healthy environment is,” said Ms. Johnson, who is in her second year teaching at the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School.
She added:
“It is good for our students to connect with nature and know that you must take care of nature.”