Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 61F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph..

Some clouds. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low 61F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.

Dorset students and parent volunteer, Jim Mirenda, 'mine' for signs of healthy food in the river for the trout - invertebrates, larva and bugs.

Dorset students and parent volunteer, Jim Mirenda, 'mine' for signs of healthy food in the river for the trout - invertebrates, larva and bugs.

There was the palpable joy of being with friends along the banks of the Mettawee River on a sun-perfect, blue sky May day. There was sadness, too, in having to say so-long to living creatures that had been raised and loved by students as part of the project, Trout in the Classroom, at The Dorset School (TDS).

The story begins last January, when 100 trout eggs were placed in a specially equipped aquarium in the school’s science classroom. For the 38 fifth and sixth grade students this would become a lesson in science and nurturing. Their challenge was to keep as many of the fish alive until they could be released into the river five months later.

“The kids are involved with every detail in the process,” said TDS science teacher Karli Love. “They cleaned the tanks, fed the fish, and monitored water temperature and pH levels to keep them safe.”

Each student kept a journal to monitor the progress of the trout as they evolved: from egg to alevin to fry to fingerlings — ready for the river.

When release day arrived on May 24, the learning continued. The students would rotate through four work stations set up along the Mettawee River. At one stop they were explorers, led by TDS paraprofessional Sarah Barnwell. They searched the river and woods on a scavenger hunt designed to engage the young humans with the natural world. Some of the items to discover included: insects (bees, spiders, flies, gnats); leaves (maple and birch); sounds heard with eyes shut (chirping birds and moving water); signs of wildlife (dog bone and deer poop); and something not native to the area (empty bag of potato chips).

At a second station, the students sat alone or in small groups, composing Haiku or, on this day, Trout-ku poems.

“The idea is to capture this moment and create a vivid image of the beautiful space along the river,” said English and Social Studies instructor Katherine Monahan. Fifth grader Catie Black was inspired by the serenity and movement of the meadow and crafted the haiku below.

Like ocean waves all in sync

Next they were miners, panning the river for treasure. But instead of gold, the students uncovered invertebrates, larva, spiders and flies.

“Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. Be patient. Wait for things to start to move,” said parent Jim Miranda, who volunteered to dredge the river bed with nets for signs of life with help from another student father, Pat McGuire. The kids knew that an abundance of creepy creatures meant the river was hale and hearty and plentiful with food for young trout.

At the fourth station the students were scientists. Their instructor, Karli Love, led her charges on a number of lab-in-the-field experiments. They measured the river’s water temperature to make sure it was consistent with what the trout experienced during their months in the aquarium. The kids also practiced chemistry by calculating pH, nitrate, nitrite, and ammonia levels to make sure the river was a healthy, vibrant mountain stream, ready to nurture the Dorset School trout.

Before releasing the trout, the 38 students, all wearing white “Trout in the Classroom” tee-shirts, gathered in a circle. Love led a discussion in which the students confirmed their findings and observations. Was the water safe? “Yes!” Was there healthy food to eat? “Yes!” What do the bubbles in the running water mean? “Plenty of oxygen for the fish.”

Checklist complete. Now it was finally time to send the surviving 58 trout, brought to the river in a blue cooler, on their evolutionary journey.

The students lined up to receive a trout or two in a small container. Walking off individually or in pairs, they gently released the trout into the river.

It was a bittersweet moment, saying good-bye to their babies. The atmosphere was rich with anthropomorphic wishes.

“I’m going to miss you little fella.”

“Look, he doesn’t want to swim away.”

Even the teacher, Karli Love, wasn’t immune. Given the honor of releasing the remaining fish into the water, she called out, “Good luck my friends. No more dried meat flakes for you.”

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