Trout in the Classroom program offers Bemidji area students an immersive learning experience

May 17—PINEWOOD — Fifth-graders from Gene Dillon Elementary ventured out of the classroom on Thursday with a little trip to the Clearwater River.

Dozens of students filed off the bus just west of Pinewood, about 20 minutes northwest of Bemidji, to release rainbow trout that Ms. Blomberg and Ms. Tisdell's classes have been raising for several months as part of the

Trout in the Classroom program.

The national program is organized by

Trout Unlimited

and started 17 years ago. There are currently 70 classrooms throughout Minnesota utilizing the program, with Bemidji serving as the first and longest continuously running one in the state, according to former Bemidji TIC chapter president Bob Wager.

"This is a hands-on learning activity, the entire curriculum is incorporated," TIC Coordinator Jim McCracken explained. "So there's science, obviously, mathematics, but also literature, writing stories about trout, art projects, social studies with watersheds and water quality. It truly touches all levels of the curriculum."

The program starts off each year with classrooms receiving trout eggs that are then raised for several months in fish tanks. Gene Dillon's fifth-grade classes received their trout eggs in December 2023.

"This year we have seven tanks at Gene Dillon Elementary, Schoolcraft Learning Community, Cass Lake Middle School, Kelliher Schools and the Headwater Science Center," McCracken said.

Gene Dillon teacher Alison Tisdell added how important outdoor classroom experiences are for students so they can make a habit of going outside.

"Getting these kids outdoors any chance that we can is huge because the majority of our kids just don't get to go outside and experience something like this," she said. "Experiences like these teach them to have a love for nature."

Tisdel, who teaches fifth grade, has been involved with the program for over 10 years.

"I've run into former students and they tell me 'Ms. Tisdell, I think I caught one of our rainbow trout at the Clearwater River,'" she recalled. "This experience sticks with the kids as they grow up."

In Wagner's opinion, there is an ever-increasing problem with youth having an outdoor deficit.

"(Trout in the Classroom) is all about building appreciation, respect and knowledge of our natural resources," he said. "Without them, we can't survive."

Once arriving at the river, students lined up behind where Tisdell crouched behind a cooler full of swimming little trout. One by one, she would scoop up a few fish into a small cup and hand it off to the students for them to release into the water.

After releasing their fish, they would rush back in line to do it all over again until all 200 fish were freed into their new home.

"I slowly set my cup into the river for my fish, Coffee Bean, to swim out," fifth-grader Kenleigh Johnson said.

During release day the rainbow trout are 2.5 to 3 inches long and should grow to be 12 to 14 inches in the Clearwater River, according to McCracken.

The kids were having fun talking with friends, being outside, learning at stations, and of course, releasing trout.

"I love living in the woods so I was very excited to come here today," said fifth-grader Adèle Reopelle. "People were so loud on the bus because we couldn't wait to get here."

The students were anxious to share their fish names such as Eenie, Meenie, Minie, Moe, Timmy, Tahia, Todd and Maddie.

"Oh yeah, Maddie the Baddie, she'll be roaming the river," exclaimed fifth-grade Brianne Roy. "Since we're all friends our fish are going to be friends too — it's giving trout vibes."

A group of friends shared about taking care of the fish and inevitably learning about the circle of life.

"You get used to it, sometimes in math class you look over at the tank and one of them is eating the other," they laughed. "They eat each other, sometimes they get really hungry and there would be like a chain of them to eat a dead one."

As the group of friends headed back to their classmates along the river, Roy shouted, "I'm getting back in line to name a fish Fuzzbert!"

After releasing all the fish into the river, the class split into groups on the boardwalk along the river for even more hands-on learning, including interactive stations and activities.

Jim Emery with Trout in the Classroom and Minnesota Trout Unlimited explained to one group how every species of fish has certain living requirements, so it was important for the students to know how the trout will be able to survive in their new habitat.

While raising the trout in their classroom, the students took turns checking the tank and making sure it was clean and cool. With these activities, the kids were able to test other aspects of the water quality and add to the skills they've been working on since December.

"The most fun way to check the health of the water is by showing you all some macroinvertebrates," Emery said to the eager students. "'Invertebrates' means they don't have a back. Macro means they're big. They're so big, you don't need a microscope to see them."

Emery turned over a rock fetched out of the river and turned it upside down, revealing several macroinvertebrates.

"There's a bug crawling on you," shouted one of the kids. Emery replied before placing it back into the water, "I don't want that because I know that he's a bug that needs water to breathe in."

The students then had the chance to use a key to identify a few of the different creatures collected into small tubs from the riverbed before venturing on to their next activity.

As all the student's hard work and learning culminated on Thursday, Wagner reflected on the relevant way TIC utilizes natural resource education to create useful classroom experiences that resonate with students.

"I'm an absolute believer and advocate of classroom and outdoor education. Trout in the Classroom is the best program I've ever been associated with," Wagner left off. "We need young people to develop respect and appreciation for our natural resources, for all of it — the woods, the rivers, the animals, clean air — and this program really helps that happen."