Brookies Raising Brookies

12/13/2016

By Jim Fay, Eaglebrook Science teacher

In cooperation with the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife, Eaglebrook students are beginning a new project where they will raise brook trout from eggs to fingerlings, and then release them into Whipple pond at the end of the school year. Eaglebrook's brand-new aquarium club set up the 75-gallon tank where the brook trout will be raised. Students prepared a location for the tank, filled it with our own clean well water, tested that water for pH and ammonia, cleaned substrate to be placed at the bottom of the tank, and installed the chiller that will keep the water at the proper temperature, which will range from 45°F to 60°F depending on the stage of development of the fish. Agents from the state hatchery in Palmer, MA will be coming to campus just before Candlelighting to deliver over 200 Brook Trout eggs. The eggs will hatch in the first weeks of January, the fry will then grow to 2-3 inch long fingerlings, and will be released into Whipple Pond about the same day as the Goodfellow.

Students in the club are responsible for the setup, maintenance, care, release and breakdown of the project. Additionally, science classes will stay involved through observation of fish development, behavior and survival rates, as well as analysis of ph, amonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels that members of the club will log. The first hand exposure to chordate development and the nitrogen cycle are welcome additions to the science curriculum resources.

Stay tuned for updates of our Brookies Raising Brookies.

Back