From eggs, to alevins, to fry fish, elementary school students in San Luis Obispo County are learning about our ecosystem by raising rainbow trout and releasing them at a local lake. It all starts right in their classrooms.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife in partnership with Creek Lands Conservation provided both the fish eggs along with the 55-gallon tank used to raise the trout before they're released.
Twenty-two schools in San Luis Obispo County were given eggs this year.
“My favorite part is learning much about trout is their cute little alevin stage and the rainbow trout is a full-grown trout," explained second grader Synthia Ramirez. "Some of them might be male, some of them might be female. They even can have a chance to lay babies inside a tank.”
From their alevin stage in the gravel, the trout develop into fry and mostly live in shallow water to steer clear of predators. This is the stage when Templeton and Cayucos home school students will release the fish into Santa Margarita Lake.
“They lose their sack," said third grader James Johansen."You can see the little sack on them. When they lose [it], they turn into frys.”
From a small fry, the next developmental stage turns them into a full-grown rainbow trout.
“It looks like a fish, but then it turns into rainbow trout and it's got red, pink and green colors instead of silver," fifth grader Laila Switzer said.
According to Creek Land Conservation, trout face predators at every stage during their life cycle, shortening their life span. With this school program, the trout are more likely to survive. At the same time, local youth get a chance to learn more about the environment.
The fish are expected to be released sometime in the middle of March.
