The 5th Grade at Greenfield Middle School was in the process of completing it’s 2nd year of raising Trout from eggs that were to be released into the Green River next month, on June 5th. This project was originally begun in the Fall of 2017 as part of the Science curriculum and the first year was a test year filled with ups and downs, including a 2-headed trout and a large die-out that stemmed from an unknown original at the Hatchery. There were still plenty of fish brought to full juvenile size for a tremendous send off in June of 2018.
This year the attrition rate was considerably lower (less than 2 dozen I hear. Not bad with a start of apx 400 eggs at the beginning of the project in December 2018. Having missed the action last year, I was determined to see what goes on in the classroom in preparation for the grand celebration this coming June. So, cell phone in hand I visited the Science room of Teacher Barbara Unaitis.
All this work leads to the day when the entire class makes the trek to the Green River to release the trout so these fish can grow to adults in their natural habitat. A full morning of celebration and activity is takes place at the Green River Swimming and Recreation Area, where seven activity stations were set up in the Recreation area:
Station 1 Station 2 Station 3
Talk given by an officer of Reading the book Reading of "Ode to Green River"
the Mass. Env. Service Trout, Trout, Trout by the award-winning poet
Station 4 Station 5 Station 6
Talk given by a rep of Take a selfie at Everyone sings
the local fish hatchery the fish screen "Bye, Bye Trout!"
Station 7 The grand finale: release of the trout!!!
And then. . . come September 2019, it all begins again:
Due to the current pandemic situation where we are all now required to "shelter in place," in our homes, the Trout project has been short-circuited for year (March, 2020). Anna Marchefka went into the classroom, retrieved the trout and sent them safely on their way into the Green River. Watch the video here: Early Trout Release 2020