Trout Release Day Is One of the Most Beloved Days of the Year for Fox Lane 7th Graders

“They must be so confused!” a student said as a pair of her Fox Lane Middle School peers knelt down to release trout into the Kisco River. The seventh graders had raised the trout from eggs since the beginning of the year in their Life Science class.

Trout release day is a much-anticipated rite of passage for seventh graders. Each spring, students descend upon Leonard Park in Mount Kisco where they spend a day in nature. This year, they released their trout, went fishing at the pond, watched an interactive demonstration on the sources and effects of water pollution, saw birds of prey up close and personal and more.

“Our goal with the Trout in the Classroom project is to help students connect their learning to the world beyond the classroom,” said Life Science teacher Christine Ledrich. “We want them to reflect on their place in nature and their responsibility to the environment, while also recognizing how living things are interconnected and depend on one another for survival. The field trip also provides an opportunity for students to spend time outdoors and step away from screens.”

The weather was perfect for a day spent outdoors, and students were engaged and inquisitive.

“Will most of them make it?” a student asked of the trout that were released.

Ledrich’s husband, who was on hand to help release the trout, told students that the water quality where they were releasing the fish was really good and that there was a lot of food available for them.

“In the wild, ten percent of eggs survive,” he said. “You have more than 50 percent, which is great! A lot of them will make it, but many will also have a tough time.”

According to Ledrich, West House started with 148 eggs and ended up with 88 surviving fish.

“We had a 59% survival rate, which is quite good,” she said. 

While they had successes, students also learned important lessons through surprises in the experience.

“Unfortunately, the East House tank experienced a loss the week of our trip,” Ledrich said. “The equipment was turned off, and the trout were unable to survive without the proper conditions. This provided a learning opportunity to understand how challenging it can be to replicate natural environments and how sensitive organisms are to environmental changes.”

The day of the release, students also learned about stormwater runoff and how that can affect entire ecosystems.

Through the help of Enviroscape, a 3D model that demonstrates how pollutants can be carried through the watershed to bodies of water, students were able to watch an interactive simulation of the impact of runoff from roads, farms and factories.

Students watched intently as a teacher made it “rain” with a spray bottle and “pollution” (oil and food coloring) traveled through the landscape.

“Why doesn’t it spread as much down there?” the teacher asked, pointing to a specific part of the model.

“There’s stuff in the way,” a student said.

“Yes! Those are wetlands and they’re a very important natural filter for drinking water.”

On the other side of the park, new and seasoned student-fishers alike were bursting with excitement as they caught (and released) fish in the pond. There was a lot of teamwork, a lot of cheering each other on and a lot of laughter.