An Example of a Great Release Day Program

Extracted and adapted from the Vermont TIC Manual, 9th Edition (2021) Your plans for Release Day should be based on several considerations: How much field work have your students been able to do over the year? How accessible is stream that will support brook trout? Can you arrange needed transportation? How many volunteers can you

EPA Streamwalk

StreamwalkThe Streamwalk is an easy-to-use tool designed to assess the health of a stream corridor. If you observe water quality problems at your site (e.g., dead fish, oil spills, leaking barrels, bulk trash), you should report these findings to your city or county environmental department right away. Explain the nature and location of the problem.

Habitat Assessment Worksheets

The Brook Trout Habitat Project (BTHP) Aims to connect students to their local environment through education and stewardship. The BTHP is concerned with water quality and its relationship to land use in communities.  Students must understand the implications the rapid land development occurring in North America that is replacing forests and farmland. Conservation and best

Hooks and Ladders

A role-playing game where students get the opportunity to experience life as a salmon and some of their major challenges Objectives: Students will (1) describe how some fish migrate as part of their life cycles, (2) identify the stages of the life cycle of a trout or salmon, (3) describe limiting factors that affect Atlantic

Macroinvertebrate Key

Used in conjunction with student macroinvertebrate sampling during stream assessment activities

Macroinvertebrate sampling and water quality assessment

Background: A fun lesson plan adopted from from TU’s STREAM Girls program. Materials: Print out of the Macroinvertebrate sampling and water quality assessment pdf Print the Macroinvertebrate Key to use in conjunction with the sampling activity. Other necessary materials can be found in the the Macroinvertebrate sampling and water quality assessment pdf

Measure Stream Flow using the float method

Calculate the flow of the stream during your release day event. Approx. 5-7 students can be involved at a time: one recorder, one person to keep time on phone or stopwatch, two people to measure the stream stretch, one to drop the ping pong ball (or water bottle as explained in the video below) at

Monitoring Tree Planting Projects

Background: If your class has planted trees to help restore a riparian area, it is important to monitor those trees and their survival rate.  Monitoring will give you an indication of the continuing health of the riparian forest and the stream. Materials: Riparian Restoration Background Information Riparian Forest Evaluation Land Monitoring Module Plot Study Data

Salmon Bracelet Activity: Learning an Ecosystem

Background: In this activity, teams of students use a map to find their way around a stream ecosystem.  They investigate all the components of the system that support fish health or are supported by the fish in the stream.  By the end of the hour, students have found ten “treasure chests” containing different-colored beads to

Salmon Survival Game

Activity by Rochelle Gandour-Rood, former TU Headwaters Youth Program Coordinator. Many thanks to TU Chapter 383, North Kitsap Bainbridge Island, for requesting this activity in the first place, and for piloting it at a spring fly fishing expo on Bainbridge Island. Gratitude to TU Chapter 146, Tacoma, for continuing to work with the activity, and

Streamside Scavenger Hunt

Objectives:   Students will Identify species and their characteristics. Students will describe connections between species and their habitats. Background: Scavenger hunts always get students excited.  During this activity students will take a closer look at the animals and plants that live in the watershed.  This activity allows students to connect with nature by exploring the

Tips for Trout Release Days

Written by Laurie Kay Scharett, TIC Teacher Courtesy of the NYC and NYC Watersheds TIC Program Background: A successful trout release can involve several factors including planning ahead and documenting the event. Procedure: Take Pictures!!  Assign one person on the trip to just be the photographer – it gets too busy for you to do

Trout Release Day: 3 Station Rotation

Written by Laurie Kay Scharett, TIC Teacher Courtesy of the NYC and NYC Watersheds TIC Program NOTE: Students rotate through each station at approximately 20-30 minute intervals, depending on number of students in each group Station 1: Habitat Mapping Objective: Students will use various art materials to create a “map” of the area of the

Trout Release Questions for Students

Background: Having students fill out trout release data sheets and questionnaires reinforce learning and provide an additional activity while on-site for release activities. Materials: Access and print out the Trout Release Student Questionnaire sheets

Trout Release Scrapbook

Background: Make a trout release scrapbook so students can commemorate their day releasing trout. You can do either a paper or digital format. Additional Info: Here is one great example from the classes of Micki Josi, NYC TIC teacher.

Trout Release Worksheet

Each student can fill out this basic journal entry and trout data worksheet at your trout release

Trout Tag: Explore Food Web Relationships

–Designed for the NYC and NYC Watersheds Trout in the Classroom program Objectives: To test and reinforce student knowledge about trout predators and prey To get students active and enthusiastic Method: Students pretend to be various aquatic predators and prey species in a game of group tag with multiple rounds.  It makes students think quickly about

Watershed Tarp Activity