聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Much excitement can be found at Preeceville School and the community because of the hatching of rainbow trout eggs and the hand-raising of the trout after they hatch.
The Fish in Schools program has allowed staff, students and interested community members to have a hands-on experience while they learn about the 100 rainbow trout fish eggs, said Heather Gawrelitza, the Preeceville branch representative of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The students will have the opportunity to learn about and understand the different cycles a fish goes through, said Bill Dodge, teacher. The valuable resources that the SWF will supply the students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 with the program is huge.
Students will have a real hands-on experience in learning about fish and will have the satisfaction of seeing the fish released into Lady Lake after they have reached the five-centimetre stage, he said.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In this, the second year that the school has participated in the program, the trout eggs were picked up by Dodge in Yorkton from the Fort Qu'Appelle hatchery on January 29. He has monitored the development of the trout from the hatching process to the feeding stage.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 "When the trout hatched, we kept them in a small enclosed nursery prior to releasing them into the aquarium,鈥� said Dodge. Upon their release, the little trout dived into the rocks. They will remain hidden in the rocks for a week, and then they will be starting to come to the top to feed.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The fish will be released into Lady Lake when they reach the two to two-and-a-half-inch fingerling stage.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Preeceville SWF branch members act as liaisons between the school and the provincial Fish in Schools program co-ordinator in the SWF central office, Gawrelitza said. The local branch sponsors the program and is responsible for getting the equipment set up in the school, assists with maintenance of the equipment, delivers the eggs to the school and assists with the releasing of the fish.聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Preeceville wildlife club is very happy to offer this program and members look forward to a release party at Lady Lake in June that everyone can attend and support, she said.
