Discovering the underwater world | News, sports, jobs

Photo by Samantha Davis From left to right, Lind Public Schools eighth graders Angie Villeda, seventh graders JJ Johnson, and Scarlett Leos spend Monday afternoon studying trout and doing something in the Redwood River at Camden State Park. I caught it. There, students caught macroinvertebrates to test their health. of water.

LINDO — Lindo Public Schools seventh- and eighth-graders left their classrooms Monday afternoon and entered the Redwood River, a designated trout stream in Camden State Park, to begin studying trout.

Science teacher Martin Boucek partnered with Trout in the Classroom, an environmental education program part of Minnesota Trout Unlimited, to help students learn how trout grow and maintain healthy ecosystems. , allowing students to attend classes at local rivers and streams. The first step in the process was to go into the water and test different organisms.

“They (the students) are going to go searching… and trying to catch macroinvertebrate insects that live in the water.” Bucek said. “They use that to show whether the water quality is still suitable for fish such as trout.”

This is Buczek’s second year working on “Trout in the Classroom.” The organization has been around for 30 years and works with schools across the state. The rivers they operate in are also trout-only.

The program provides trout eggs to classes in December and then stocks them again in the spring. This means students will also participate in helping the DNR by stocking the river with fish.

“We raise trout from little eggs in the classroom…and we actually go fishing here as well.” Bucek said. “Once they hatch, you feed them, change their water, and watch them grow. They grow quickly.”

Before the kids donned their waders and went into the river, Minnesota Trout Unlimited educator Jim Emery explained to the students about invertebrates and ended with them researching and identifying each invertebrate. did.

“It’s a beautiful autumn day. The colors are starting to change.” Emery said. “This is a great location for me. A lot of the time I’m in the Twin Cities area.”

As the trees on the surrounding hills changed color and the sun poured down on them, the students spent an hour collecting insects and other creatures with nets and buckets. Several students found frogs to add some humor to the afternoon.

“It’s a learning opportunity, but it’s a good indicator. We actually have some clean water in this area.” Bucek said. “You never know what kind of child will say, “I don’t want to do that.” Children who used to keep their heads down (in the classroom) are now free to walk into the river.”

Emery also enjoys seeing the students she works with across Minnesota draw inspiration from the Trout in the Classroom program.

“It’s so much fun to go out with the students and find things in the water.” Emery said. “Once we start identifying what they find, they really look at it and pay attention. They’re very interested in this whole world that’s underwater.”

Emery also said they are working with more than 70 schools. He said the class found good, healthy invertebrates in the water, but examples of problematic organisms include scuds like leeches and small shrimp.

Buchek said they also receive local donations from places like Cabela’s and Running’s to support educational trips and experiences like fishing.

The students helped each other up and down the river, filling buckets with critters and finishing the day by studying and learning about what they caught.

“Every year is new and each one is worth having the best experience.” Bucek said. “We’re trying to give them that, and it really excites them.”