Trout in the Classroom
Trout in the Classroom (TIC) is one of our chapter’s most popular projects. Since 2010 we have helped schools in and around Asheville implement this program, including Evergreen Community Charter School and Lucy Herring Elementary in Asheville, C.D. Owen Middle School in Swannanoa, North Buncombe Middle and High School in Weaverville and Madison Early College High School in Marshall.
At each location, a classroom has a 55 gallon aquarium, a chiller to keep the water cold enough for trout, and the usual filters, pumps and other equipment necessary to keep the fish alive and in good health. The goal of this hands-on program is to engage students in the principles of coldwater conservation and demonstrate their importance to the fish and humans that depend on healthy streams.
For classrooms in the program, the Land o’ Sky Chapter provides each class with trout eggs in September and the students and teachers raise the eggs throughout the school year. The program culminates in a field trip in the spring when they release the fingerlings into an approved local stream. Through the year, the teachers and chapter volunteers use the trout to introduce students to topics ranging from trout biology, stream ecology, water chemistry and other science concepts.
If you are (or know of) a teacher or school interested in starting the program in a new classroom, there are two ways to get started:
1. If you have your own funding source, you can purchase your own setup which costs approximately $1,400 (full equipment list here). Contact us by early August and you can join the program at the beginning of that school year.
2. You can apply for a sponsored setup from the chapter– we fund two new setups every schoolyear. To apply, you can click this link to provide your school contact information and answer a short questionnaire to describe your background with TIC and/or aquariums and how you will integrate TIC into your students’ curriculum. Decisions will be made by June for the school year starting in August.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss the program, please contact the Land o’ Sky Chapter TIC Coordinator Duncan Blair at dblairnyc@gmail.com
