Another endeavor the WEP has taken on this school year, is helping to support the local Trout in the Classroom (TIC) program that is run by the Canandaigua Trout Unlimited (TU) group. Environmental education and stewardship are some of the shared goals of our organizations and both missions involve protecting and restoring our local watershed, so when we were approached by TU members Mike Linse and Andy Yudichak on the idea of assisting them on this project, we were excited for the opportunity. Some of TU’s work in the community has involved trash clean-ups and reforestation efforts along our local waterways, running the local fishing derby on Canandaigua Lake, providing fishing equipment to the Wood Library, and offering fly fishing and fly-tying classes to community members.

TIC is a very successful national program serving grades K-12, and in NY alone, 250 different schools participate. Starting in the Fall, TIC participants raise trout from eggs to fry and in early spring, the goal is to release them into local rivers or streams. During the course of this engaging and experiential project, students will have the opportunity to feed the trout, monitor water temperature and chemistry, learn about water quality and watershed topics, as well as have opportunities for possible field trips with environmental professionals. This is a unique educational program that teaches students the importance of protecting land and water resources and has the potential to instill a desire for them to be environmental stewards throughout their lifetime. For more information on the local TIC program please visit www.smore.com/ry2q4 and for more on the national program, visit www.troutintheclassroom.org/ .

The WEP will offer educational classes to TIC program participants on watershed topics as requested by the teachers. Currently there are two districts involved, Jon Pragle’s classroom at Marcus Whitman, and Jon Betrus’ at Naples. Both are high school teachers. To see Jon Pragle’s trout tank in action visit the homepage of the Marcus Whitman School district at www.mwcsd.org, then click on quick links at the top right corner, followed by the link labeled Mr. Pragle’s Trout Cam.