}|f you walk into the fifth and sixth grade science classroom, the first thing you will notice is the tank where the two-headed trout lived for two months this winter. As a part of the Trout in Classroom Program, Torie Marshall, the fifth and sixth-grade science teacher, volunteers by collecting trout eggs from hatcheries to distribute to classrooms around Vermont. Each classroom receives 100 eggs which they hatch and raise until they are fingerlings (2 inches in length). Then, they are released into the Wells River at the end of the school year. Marshall exclaims that “ We have been releasing between 20-40 trout a year.” Although this unit helps Vermont Fish and Game replenish the trout population, it provides the students with the opportunity to learn more about the biology of trout and watershed conservation.
This is the first time Marshall has hatched a two-headed trout, a rare genetic mutation that happens more often than most think.“The two-headed trout lasted two months with us, which is a very long time! He died off when he could not go and find food to sustain himself,” Marshall explained. The trout need to absorb their yolk sac and learn how to eat on their own, and the majority of the group dies, as they don’t have the instinct to eat on their own.
The student enjoys the hands-on participation in learning about their local environment while also learning how to care for the tank to help keep the trout and waterways clean and healthy. Marshall explained that she “think[s] it is important for students to understand and want to protect their local wildlife. It is fun to share my love of hunting and fishing with my students and connect with them over common hobbies. This program allows us to bring our love of those hobbies into the classroom.”
Marshall plans to continue this program, fostering the excitement for learning in her classroom.
