NEBRASKAland Magazine is dedicated to outstanding photography and informative writing with an engaging mix of articles and photos highlighting Nebraska’s outdoor activities, parklands, wildlife, history and people.
Issue link: https://mag.outdoornebraska.gov/i/377644
50 NEBRASKAland • OCTOBER 2014 oodbye, Flapezoid!" "Hang in there, Tiny Tyler!" "Smell you later, Triton!" Hikers on the nature trails at Schramm Park State Recreation Area in Gretna were probably startled to hear these lighthearted farewells echoing from the canyon last May. A peek into the canyon would reveal a group of students seated along the rock ledge that borders ponds built into the hills. Each student held a green and yellow Runza cup and, one by one, slowly poured its contents into the water below their dangling feet. After each cup emptied, students leaned forward and peered into the pond for a glimpse of a tiny rainbow trout, its light colors exposed against the backdrop of leaf litter on the pond's floor. "Don't get eaten, Red Stripe!" "Stay safe, Captain Sparkles!" "Look, 'Ham' and 'Cheese' are swimming together!" The students were wrapping up their school year with the release of juvenile trout they had carefully raised from eggs during the previous three months. They were participants in an aquatic education program, new to Nebraska, called Trout in the Classroom. The program is a unique way to bring lessons about aquatic ecosystems, water quality, life cycles, food webs, fish biology and fishing recreation into the classroom. Trout are an ideal subject to introduce these topics. The timeline of a trout's development syncs well with the school year calendar. Eggs hatch and fish grow while school is in session, providing students the opportunity to experience life cycles as part of their lessons. As an indicator species, trout abundance directly reflects the quality of the water in which they live. Although trout are not thought to be native to Nebraska's waters (there is evidence of cutthroat trout in the Nebraska Territory, a region that included land north and west of the state's current boundaries, predating statehood in 1867) and the coldwater habitat that trout require is limited, they are a highly sought species for many Nebraska anglers. Naturally reproducing populations of cutthroat, brook, brown and rainbow trout can be found where there is suitable habitat, primarily in northern and western Nebraska streams. Additionally, rainbow trout are extensively stocked statewide in waters that can support By Lindsey Chizinski, Fisheries Biologist This rainbow trout fingerling, hatched and raised in a classroom aquarium, was released by a student into the cool-water canyon ponds at Schramm Park State Recreation Area in Gretna. PHOTOS BY JEFF KURRUS