And today’s Lesson Is Rearing Trout!

And today’s lesson is rearing trout!

Thame school children are helping increase the number of trout inOxfordshire river’s by breeding fish in the classroom.Pupils from Lord Williams’s School, Thame, are planning to stock over 100Brown Trout into the Cuttle Brook, a tributary of the River Thame onWednesday, 18 April 2007 as part of a project called ‘Trout in theClassroom’.

‘Trout in the Classroom’ is a multi-award winning hatchery scheme which waspioneered by Jetset UK and is partnered with the Environment Agency.

The children have reared the small trout from eggs in a specially cooled andfiltered tank. Under teacher supervision they have overseen the hatching,nurturing, feeding and general progress of the fry prior to release. Thefish will then grow up to become adult trout.

The project has provided the children at Lord Williams’s School with anopportunity to learn about wild brown trout. It has given them an insightinto the life cycle of the fish and the importance of clear, fast flowingwater, clean spawning gravel and good habitat.

Year 10 pupil Ryan Bowles said: “”It was quite amazing to see how fast thefish grew in a few weeks.””

The Environment Agency has fully supported the project and has been advisingthe school throughout the project.

Environment Agency fisheries officer Jenni Balmer said: “”Hatching trout inthe classroom is a hands-on activity that will capture the children’simaginations and will encourage them to be interested in the localenvironment. By enthusing youngsters today we give brown trout and otherwetland wildlife a better chance for tomorrow.””

The project is part of a new programme, Btec in Land and Environment beingrun by the school as part of the GCSE curriculum, which includes sportfisheries.

Teacher Pat Mansfield, who has supervised the project, said: “”This islearning at it’s best with a practical hands on approach to education whichhas captured the imagination of the whole class.

“”The trout in the classroom project has been a part of a Btec in SportsFisheries, which the students study at GCSE level and now we have theequipment we hope to continue the success in the future.””