WOLCOTT, Vt. (WCAX) – Students at the Wolcott Elementary School are taking part in a classic Vermont science lesson.
“This is definitely a fun activity,” sixth grader Jillian Herman said.“I don’t feel like other schools get to do this as much.”
For the last four months, Herman and her classmates have been learning about the life cycle of trout. Students got the fish as eggs and now are releasing them into the Lamoille River.
Herman says this is her second time putting the fish in the water and it’s given her a new perspective on how to treat Vermont’s wildlife.
“So releasing them into the river was fun,” she said. “We got to test the water and look for other organisms in the river. All fish and animals deserve to be treated with the same respect humans do.”
The school receives the fish from Vermont Fish and Wildlife through their Trout in the Classroom program, created to teach kids about the science of Vermont’s aquatic ecosystems.
Science teacher Sonya Shedd says the scoop and release also gives students real-life experience.
“Having that connection to something in the real world makes the science feel real to them,” Shedd said. “They are very involved in the process of taking care of the fish, from testing the tank to cleaning the tank to understanding how the tank and the natural environment are similar.”
School Principal Dennis Hill says these kinds of activities may inspire some kids in the long run.
“We have some kids that are clearly interested in athletics, kids that are interested in music, and this is a great way for kids that are interested in science and the outdoors and ecology and the environment to really get a taste of what that looks like. Hopefully, provide them with some foundation for what they may choose to do in the future,” Hill said.
For some students, saying goodbye to their fish was bittersweet.
“It felt cool. It’s just, it kind of felt sad because, you know, they have been here,” said Suri Izor, a fifth grader. “It’s also really cool to see them swim away.”