Fourth Graders are Raising Trout From Eggs

Fourth graders are raising trout from eggs, and hundreds of fish are flourishing.

Students at Conway Elementary School in Escondido have chilled 50-gallon aquariums in three classroom, containing silvery tiny baby fish. “Trout in the Classroom” is being sponsored by The Escondido Creek Conservancy, and is a program of the conservation group Trout Unlimited.

The program teaches students about the Escondido Creek watershed by having them observe the life cycle of freshwater fish. The conservancy is attempting to repopulate the creek with a native species of trout, the Southern Steelhead, an oceangoing trout that has nearly vanished from the area.

“We do want steelhead in the creek,” said Simon Breen, education manager for the conservancy. “There are a lot of obstacles. But this program is one step toward that goal, by raising awareness.”

The learning theme that brings the fourth grade together in all subject areas is called an “expedition.” The life of the trout from hatching in the tank to being set in the lake is a center of that expedition, which focuses on improving the watershed.