South Portland students connect with environment through Trout Brook release

What: Portland Water District’s TroutKids Program – The Release

When:              

Wednesday, May 27

12:30-2:30

Dyer Elementary, South Portland4th Grade

Thursday, May 28

9:20-11:50

Skillin Elementary, South Portland, 4th Grade

Where: Trout Brook Nature Preserve. Meet at the end of Providence Ave. in South Portland.

Map: http://goo.gl/maps/SI5s5

As South Portland students release hundreds of baby brook trout into a local stream in the culmination of the Portland Water District’s TroutKids Program, they will also gain insight into local water issues!

Students from Small, Dyer, and Skillin Elementary schools have been raising brook trout since January.  During the project the students have studied watersheds, the water cycle, the trout life cycle, and related environmental topics such as stormwater runoff.  The trout are now at the “fry” stage and are ready to be placed into a suitable river or stream. 

In South Portland, their new home will be Trout Brook, which flows into Mill Creek. Students will perform water quality tests and macroinvertebrate sampling, and conduct shoreline assessments to ensure the new habitat is healthy for the trout.  Then each student will release a trout fry into the river. By involving local students in the project, they can connect to the stream and take a role in its future protection. 

The Portland Water District is organizing the trout release as part of its education programs, and will be joined by local partners currently working on restoration efforts, including the City of South Portland, the Cumberland County Soil and Water Conservation District, and others.

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