MDTU Joins Trout in the Classroom

By Tom Gamper

This past year, MDTU joined Maryland’s Trout in the Classroom (TIC) Program. TIC is a 20 year old national program that now has 32 Maryland schools participating in Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard and Montgomery Counties as well as the District of Columbia.

Inaugurated eight years ago, Maryland TIC is an environmental education program in which students raise Kamloops rainbow trout from eggs to fingerlings, 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. This year, participating schools (and one environmental center) successfully raised and released nearly 3,400 fingerlings. By connecting young people to the outdoors, TIC also serves as a catalyst for promoting healthy recreational pursuits including sport fishing.

In joining the program last year, MDTU agreed to take responsibility for assisting four schools: Lutherville Lab, McDonogh, Odyssey, and Boy’s Latin Schools. Our role in this partnership: In January, TIC delivered the trout embryos to the schools for students to raise, and ended the school year by helping the students release their trout in a state-approved stream near the school.

Trout Unlimited volunteers (goal: minimum of one per school) trained the teachers, monitored the equipment and water quality, gave guest lectures and assisted in the “field trip” release of the trout fingerlings. We provided continual support throughout the project as well as a teacher manual that counseled teachers on all aspects of the program, including troubleshooting.

Because each teacher tailors the program to fit his or her curricular needs, we provided additional resources for them in interdisciplinary applications—in science, social studies, mathematics, and more—on www.troutintheclassroom.org.

Each school received fertilized eggs from Trout Unlimited and food from the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (MD DNR). TIC is but one facet of a positive working relationship that Trout Unlimited has had over the years with DNR’s Freshwater Fisheries Service.

In the upcoming year, four new schools will fall under MDTU oversight: four to five Baltimore City Public Schools sponsored by the Carnegie Institution for Science’s BioEYES Program (Your Watershed / Your Backyard) and The Gilman School. Hence, MDTU will need a total of nine volunteers to fulfill our commitment to the program.

Volunteer training is a key component to the success of the program. In the fall, Maryland’s TIC coordinator, Jim Greene, of the Potomac Patuxent Chapter, will lead a half-day workshop to train TIC volunteers and new teachers. He is assisted by biologist Sandy Burk and other experienced members of “The TIC Family.”

To ensure MDTU’s successful involvement with our eight participating schools, we will make a concerted effort with the goal of one volunteer per school. Please join us this year and gain a new perspective on how trout are affecting the educational process and entire school communities. TIC is a wonderful program where the kids celebrate the arrival of “their trout” and learn to properly “ritualize” their release. As a result, they also gain a true appreciation for our water wisdom and are spellbound by our ability make feathers and casting “wands” conjure up these beautiful fish in the wild. To sign up, contact Tom Gamper at 410.685.3582 or tgamper@smgarch.com.