I've been bad! I don't think I've ever gone two and a half weeks without a VTTIC post. What came over me? Well, I'll tell you. Release Days, that's what! But now I'm back. I've got one last RD on Friday, and then it's all over but the shouting. Oh yeah, that and the clean up! But now I'm making up for lost time. Thanks to so many of you who sent pictures, this post includes three great videos and 109 photos! A record no doubt! Pownal fry--correct that--fingerlings. Monsters of the south! Mike Carrano sent me this video of the huge and beautiful brook trout that he and his students at Pownal Elementary School raised this year. Congratulations, Mike and students! Mike also sent this message: We had a very successful TIC program this year. We started with 204 eggs and we are releasing 172 very sizeable brook trout. The majority of our trout are between 6 and 8.5 cm. We have a unique trout with jet black eyes. We also had a Siamese trout that we were able to keep alive for quite some time. Mike reported that the biggest fish was too difficult to catch, so he captured one of its smaller siblings and measured it. Not only is it impressively long, but look at the girth of that one fish! Are you sure that's not a yellow perch, Mike? Kids-teach-kids at Lincoln Community School Devin Schrock sent me these photos of the occasions when his 5/6th graders taught K-4 students at their school about TIC. Here's the message Devin sent me in transmitting his pictures. Some pictures of my 5/6 students teaching on trout topics to K-4 groups. They chose a topic, designed a lesson plan with a hook, instruction, activity and closing, and taught four 20-minute lessons. Everyone loved it! The other pics [in separate slideshow below] are of our release into the New Haven. We released 27 fish. I'm working on the spreadsheet and will send it by the end of the school year. Thanks! P.S.: I love the embryo simulation! Here are the photos of Lincoln's Release Day. Looks like you had beautiful weather, Devin! Ludlow Elementary School released into the Black River TU Volunteer Kathy Ehlers helped Lisa Marks and her students release their fish at Hawk Mountain Resort, where Kathy works. Notice the FieldMaster AquaVue. I want one! Village School of North Bennington Release Day Trout Unlimited volunteer Barry Mayer used his waterproof camera to photograph VSNB fry underwater as they were released. Cool! Here are regular old photos of the VSNB RD. Barre City Elementary School Fish wind socks, casting, macroinvertebrates, and a trout release!! What a great day. Way to go Barre City! Fisher Elementary School RD Fisher's Charlie Cummings recruited a great crew of volunteers to help with their Release Day on the upper Roaring Branch in the Green Mountain National Forest. Fair Haven Grade School These photos were submitted by Amy Wright, who will be retiring this year and turns the FHGS TIC program over to Archie Clark, now doing TIC at Benson Village School. Best wishes for a happy retirement, Amy, and thanks! Proctor Elementary School On an altogether perfect day, Danielle Fagan and her students travelled to the Pittsford Recreation Center to sing, write, draw, collect macros, cast fishing rods, and release their trout into Sugar Hollow Brook. Wallingford release on Roaring Brook Pat Bowen had planned a great RD with lots of volunteers, including Shawn Good of Vermont F&W, who stole the show with his electrofishing demonstration. Pat honored the volunteers with a beautiful pewter trout pin. I quickly put mine on my sweat-stained TU hat. Mount Holly release Emma Vastola and her Mount Holly 3rd graders held their release on the Mill River tributary that flows along the edge of the school property. Currier Memorial School RD Michael Luzader's class released their fish into Lake Brook in the Green Mountain National Forest on a cold (43 degrees!) rainy day. We still had fun. Greater Upper Valley TU Chapter Rudi Ruddell, of the White River Partnership, sent me these photos of release days at four schools in his service area. The pictures from South Royalton School include photos from the two TIC tanks there, one at the elementary school, the other at the high school. Bethel Elementary School South Royalton School The Sharon School Whitcomb Junior/Senior High School Student writing reflection Most TIC programs and sometimes even Release Days include activities that span the curriculum. Such was the case for Pat Bowen's Wallingford Elementary TIC project this year and in the past. Occasionally teachers send me examples of student work. Here's a writing sample produced by one of Pat's 5th graders that she sent me. Pretty good, huh? Bennington Banner article on Pownal release Click on the image below to link to a nice article about the Pownal Elementary School TIC program and release day. Valley News cover The Sharon School release
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Joe Mark is Lead Facilitator of Vermont's Trout in the Classroom program.In June 2012, I retired after 40 years in higher education, having spent the last 32 years of my career as dean at Castleton. One of the first things I volunteered to do in retirement was to work with a parent-friend to help the Dorset School, where his kids and my Vermont grandkids attend, start a TIC program. Gradually that commitment grew into my current role, which is both demanding and highly rewarding. Archives
December 2019
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