Sixth grader Coalton Foye uses a magnifying glass to get a better look at the trout fry in his classroom.
Sixth grader Coalton Foye uses a magnifying glass to get a better look at the trout fry in his classroom. Credit: Courtesy

Henniker Community School is again participating in the Trout in the Classroom project, an environmental program supported by the NH Trout Unlimited Council, Trout Unlimited chapters and New Hampshire Fish & Game.

During the Trout in the Classroom project, the 6th grade students raise trout from eggs, monitor tank water quality, and engage in stream habitat studies while learning to appreciate water resources, foster a conservation ethic, and gain an understanding of their ecosystem.

This week, the Henniker 6th graders used data from the hatchery and information from a trout development index chart to calculate that their trout are approximately 60.431% developed. They should begin to hatch when they are around 75% developed, which students have predicted will be in two to three weeks, based on how they control the temperature of the water in the tank. Students will calculate and track their development (as well as water quality and temp) daily.

The Trout in the Classroom study will conclude when students and their teacher Nicole Richardson release the trout into the Contoocook River in Henniker.