The Preeceville School has created a lot of excitement within the school and community with the hatching and raising of rainbow trout.
The school is participating in the program for the second year. The eggs were picked up at the end of January and all hatched out by February 5, said Bill Dodge, teacher.
"The Fish in Schools program has allowed staff, students and interested community members to have a hands-on experience and learn about the 100 rainbow trout fish eggs," said Heather Gawrelitza, Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation (SWF), Preeceville branch, representative.
"The students will have the opportunity to learn about and understand the different cycles a fish goes through," said Dodge.
The value of resources that the SWF will supply to the students from Kindergarten to Grade 12 is significant.
“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.
Dodge gave a hands-on tour to members of the Preeceville branch of the Saskatchewan Wildlife Federation on March 28. He discussed the stages and process to date on the fish.
It has been a great year with almost a 100 per cent success rate to this point.
Something unusual this year is a pair of fish that never separated. The conjoined twins are very rare. The fish are attached at the stomach and have survived to date, said Dodge.
The fish will be released into Lady Lake when they reach the two to two-and-a-half inch fingerling stage.
The branch members act as liaisons between the school and the provincial Fish in Schools program co-ordinator out of the SWF central office, Gawrelitza said.
The local branch sponsors the program and is responsible for getting the equipment set up in the school, assisting with maintenance of the equipment, delivering the eggs to the school and assisting with the releasing of the fish.
