Fishy Fun!
By Rowan Wachter and Emma Fasnacht,
Middletown Elementary School, 5th Grade
The students of Middletown and Wolfsville Elementary Schools went on an outdoor adventure to explore Doubs Meadow Park and release the trout that they watched grow from eggs to fry!
The students finally got to release the rainbow trout that arrived back in December.
It was so exciting to see the fishy friends get a new home!
During the release, the students got to test the water for things like pH, temperature, and nitrates. The students tested these things and more in the tank every day they were in school, and had the eggs to make sure the water quality was good for the fish. There were volunteers there who helped the students do a stream study to see what other organisms were living in Middle Creek. They got to see and touch insects. They also got to learn how to fly fish, and got to do things like use a model of a watershed to see how what we do in Frederick County impacts the Chesapeake Bay.
The students did a quick cleanup in the park to make sure that there was no trash that could get into Middle Creek. The students want to keep microplastics out of local creeks and rivers.
After a picnic lunch in the park, the students got to visit the Albert Powell Hatchery. There, they got to see and learn about many types of fish. They also got to learn about how all the fish are cared for.
Overall, this was such an exciting field trip, and the students learned so much. The students are so happy that the fish have a great new home in the wild now!
