RELEASING YOUR TROUT
The most rewarding event of the TIC year is the field trip to release the fingerlings into local streams. Placing these young trout into their natural environment confirms student success in creating a healthy and nurturing home for the fertilized eggs and hatchlings—a microcosm of the natural world.
It is hard to determine survival rates for released fingerlings but full-grown trout have been recovered and genetically linked to those raised in the classroom. However, VTTIC is not a stocking program; it is an environmental education program promoting cold-water conservation. The true value of VTTIC is that young people become aware of the importance of keeping our streams, rivers, and lakes as clean as they have kept the water in their classroom tanks.
PREPARATIONS FOR RELEASING THE TROUT
1. Extra Feeding Before Release
If ammonia levels can be kept satisfactorily low, extra daily feeding can be done for the last two weeks before release, as long as the fish continue to consume the food completely in less than five minutes. However, be particularly vigilant against ammonia spikes at this time. Add Nite-Out II to control ammonia if feed rates are increased.
2. On Day of Release
a. Before transferring trout for transport to the release site, reduce the water in the tank by around 50% to make it easier to capture the fingerlings. Turn off air pump, chiller, and filter. Place some of that water into the 10 gallon (or larger) aerated hard plastic cooler to carry fingerlings to the release site.
b. Teachers and students should transfer the fingerlings into the cooler with an aquarium net. VTTIC volunteers may be able to help first- or second-year VTTIC teachers with such preparation activities.
c. If possible, try to keep the cooler well-oxygenated with a battery-operated aerator available from Bass Pro or other sporting goods stores.
d. Place bottles of frozen de-chlorinated water into the cooler with the fingerlings to keep the water in the cooler from warming up during the trip to the stream and until release.
e. If possible, the fingerlings should be gradually acclimated to the stream by adding stream water to the cooler. That would reduce the temperature and chemical differences between the water in the cooler and the stream.
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C. AN EXAMPLE OF A GREAT RELEASE DAY PROGRAM
Your plans for Release Day should be based on several considerations:
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How much field work have your students been able to do over the year?
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How accessible is stream that will support brook trout?
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Can you arrange needed transportation?
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How many volunteers can you recruit?
In most cases, a great Release Day program includes activities like the following:
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A stream habitat study consisting of:
a. Assessing water chemistry and the physical characteristics of the stream; and
b. Collecting and identifying stream macro-invertebrates and other critters
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A discussion of conservation issues
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Trout Games
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Fly casting or fly tying experience
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Trout Release
To implement the above optimal release program, it is useful to set up 5 activity stations with a maximum of 12 students rotating through a station at any one time, plus a trout release station involving the entire student group. Capping the number of students at 12 for each activity station (except the trout release event) promotes full participation in the activity. Thus, the optimum number of students at a release program is 60 at any one time.
In the Optimal Release Program conceptualized below, asterisks [*] denote particularly high priority activities. They comprise the core of the release program.
D. THE STATIONS
Station 1 (Home Sweet Home) consists of:
*A blind comparison test of the water parameters in a sample
of water from:
a. the stream receiving the trout;
b. water from the fingerling cooler; and
c. a nearby stream that is not approved for releasing the trout.
The water parameters should include a measurement of water temperature and tests for ammonia, nitrites and pH. A test for dissolved oxygen (DO) is optional. In addition, it would be valuable for the students to visually estimate the turbidity of the stream water and to measure stream speed.
(See section G, 1, b and G, 1, c for needed equipment.)
*Station 2 (What’s for Dinner?) consists of a student survey of the macro-invertebrates in the stream and an examination of plants, insects and other critters found on or near the stream bank. (See section G, 2 for needed equipment and Appendix G for potential sources of volunteer expertise to assist this activity.)
Station 3 Teacher-organized games relating to conservation such as Web of Life, Who’s Your Daddy?, Macro Mayhem, Food Web Tag, Geo Caching, etc.
Station 4 is a specialist-led discussion of conservation issues such as
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the factors affecting stream quality, e.g., impervious surfaces, erosion, storm drains, culverts,
trash, and garbage
b. the impact of people on trout.
c. how nature produces the effects of the chiller, aerator, and filter used in the tank.
A naturalist-led stream walk could be both an enjoyable and instructive part of a release program. State or local organizations or agencies may have a staff naturalist who could lead such a walk if given sufficient advance notice.
Station 5 Angling Demonstration. Volunteers demonstrate fly tying and casting; students try casting and fly tying.
Station 6 Releasing trout into the stream by the students. This station is an integral part of the TIC program for two reasons. Releasing the fingerlings provides closure to the students and reinforces the link between conditions in the tank and in the natural world that the trout will inhabit. Also, at this station, the required count is made of the number of fingerlings released so that the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife can get an accurate tally of yearly TIC releases by stream.
E. SAMPLE AGENDA FOR TROUT RELEASE PROGRAM
9:15 - 9:45 AM: Students arrive with fingerlings in coolers bearing school identification
9:45 - 10:00 AM: Welcome and overview of day’s activities
10:00 - 11:00 AM: Two 25-minute sessions with 5 minutes between each.
11:00 - 12:00 PM: Trout releases. This release schedule includes time for acclimating the fingerlings to the stream water.
12:00 - 12:30 PM: Lunch
12:30 - 2:00 PM: Three 25-minute sessions with five minutes between each session.
2:00 - 2:15 PM: Closing Ceremony including a report of the number of trout released by school; students and teachers clean up trash and depart
2:15 - 2:45 PM: Volunteers complete clean up and depart.