Montclair's Third Graders Become Marine Biologists

Just about 330 rainbow trout eggs, which will be raised by CHB’s third grade “marine biologists,” arrived to the school on October 15. This hands-on experience comes to CHB through Trout in the Classroom, a science-based cold-water conservation program, run by the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife, and its partner, Trout Unlimited. CHB has been participating in the Trout in the Classroom program for four straight years.

“The success of our program begins with student responsibility,” said Principal Nami Kuwabara. “Each year, our third grade marine biologists learn to demonstrate leadership qualities through participation in maintaining the tank and passing their knowledge onto the next group of biologists. All CHB students observe the laws of nature and science principles of sustainability, as the health of the water affects the development of the trout. Ultimately, CHB students see themselves as interdependent with each other, all living things, and our natural systems.”

To prepare the third graders on the intricacies of handling trout eggs, teachers cooked small pasta facsimiles. The students used eyedroppers to pick out the “bad eggs,” or certain pasta pieces.

“They had lots of fun, and the practice will help them when the time comes to pull out the real ones,” said Beverly Weitzman, Math Curriculum Support teacher and CHB’s “zoologist” extraordinaire.

For the first time, the students are studying rainbow trout instead of brown or brook trout, as they have in past years.

“The reason we received rainbow trout eggs this year is because of a bacterial infection that affected the New Jersey Pequest hatchery last year,” said Weitzman. “Hatchery production has switched over entirely to rainbow trout until the bacteria is under control throughout the hatchery. Rainbow trout are not as susceptible to the bacterium as the brook and brown trout.”

The third graders helped place the rainbow trout eggs into their CHB habitat: a hatchery inside the 55-gallon tank located in the lobby of the school. Through the process of raising the rainbow trout, from eggs to fingerlings (their size at release time), the students will learn first hand about animal life cycles and the importance of taking care of their environment, as the trout need clean, cold water to survive.

“When we register to participate in the Trout in the Classroom program the state includes a list of acceptable release locations. We choose a water body from the list and submit it to NJDFW for a Trout Stocking Permit,” said Weitzman. “CHB releases trout in Pompton Lakes at Hershfield Park where the tributaries from the Ramapo, Wanaque, and Pequannock rivers meet to form the Pompton River. All of the trout are released in May. None are kept as pets.”

A version of this story first appeared here.