Blacklick Valley students explore ecosystems with trout program
NANTY GLO, Pa. – Blacklick Valley High School teacher Shane Rudnik carefully transported roughly 50 rainbow trout raised in his classroom to individual cups for students to carefully deposit in Stewart's Run creek Friday as part of the annual Trout in the Classroom program.
'I feel honored just to be part of the wildlife,' seventh-grader Catelyn Witherow said.
She and her friend Alexis Wood gingerly stepped into the creek and lowered their cups into the water as part of the program.
The two watched with smiles as the small fish begin their new lives in the local body of water.
'Awesome,' Wood said.
Each year Rudnik, who's vice president of Mountain Laurel Trout Unlimited, raises the fish to deposit in the stream between Ebensburg and Mundys Corner, where trout unlimited has also done improvement projects.
Throughout the months-long program that starts in January, the students learn about the lifecycle of the fish and their ecosystem.
That was Wood's favorite portion of the lessons.
'We learned to test the water to make sure the levels were correct and temperature,' she said. 'It was awesome.'
Lucas Brown, an 11th-grader, was also intrigued by the release.
The lifelong fisherman and hunter said getting to deposit the trout in the stream was 'cool' and that he enjoyed 'connecting with nature.'
The hands-on approach is what Rudnik said he enjoys about the offering.
'They get to apply what they learn and see in action,' he said.
Rudnik added that students can learn a lot in the classroom, but 'when you get outside the walls it's a whole different world.'
In addition to the release, the students also explored work stations from Cambria County Conservation District, Prince Gallitzin State Park, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, and the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy.
The 40 seventh- through 11th-grade students broke into groups and explored herpetology, tree identification, snakes, macroinvertebrates and fly casting.
Melissa Reckner, Brandywine Conservancy Penguin Court program manager, noted the importance of introducing students to these outdoors worlds and activities.
She said many people aren't aware of the natural resources located in their backyards.
Reckner also said she hoped the students were inspired by Friday's lessons to possibly become the next conservationists.
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