Trout in the Classroom (TIC) is a supplementary educational activity supported by the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife and Trout Unlimited. Teachers using the program provide a unique experience for their students and effectively teach lessons in a variety of disciplines.

Raising trout is a hands-on activity that engages students and helps to connect them to real-life water quality, fish and wildlife issues and problems…and inspires them to seek solutions. Watching fish hatch from eggs and develop from fry to fingerlings generates enthusiasm among students and helps them develop caring attitudes about fish species and their habitats. This is the first step in fostering in students a sense of stewardship for the planet.

The program encompasses not only science, but also language arts, mathematics, social studies and art. The program is easily adapted to the needs and abilities of students, and geared towards middle and high school students. The TIC activity guide is correlated to the New Jersey Science Standards.

The Division of Fish and Wildlife supplies brook trout eggs from the Pequest Trout Hatchery at no charge to teachers who want to raise trout in their classrooms. Members of the conservation group Trout Unlimited (TU) in New Jersey have pledged to support this program through their chapters. This program is a partnership between TU, teachers, and the Division of Fish & Wildlife.

Trout Unlimited members will assist teachers in setting up the aquaria in their classrooms. This includes supplying a product list, and sources of supply. Some chapter members have expertise in aquatic insects and will work with kids on fly tying or aquatic insect identification.

Eggs are delivered in October, and during the course of the school year, students can observe the trout rearing process that culminates in stocking their brook trout into approved streams.

To get started with Trout in the Classroom, please register to attend one of our training classes. The first class will be held on May 13 at 4:30 pm at the Sparta Middle School, in Sparta, NJ. The second class will be held on May 20 at 4:30 pm at the Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin, NJ.

To register or for additional information, please call 908-637-4125 or e-mail Jessica Griglak at Jessica.Griglak@dep.state.nj.us

For more information on Trout in the Classroom, please visit our website at http://www.njtroutintheclassroom.org.

Sadly, after nearly three years as state coordinator for New Jersey’s Trout in the Classroom program, my new job with Trout Unlimited (Musconetcong Home River Initiative Project Coordinator) has forced me to move on from this volunteer position.  The state council of TU has been hard at work with our friends and  colleagues at NJ Fish & Wildlife (F&W) to identify a long term replacement for state coordinator.   I  am very pleased to announce that  our division of F&W has stepped up in a huge way to appoint one of their own Information & Education employees, Jessica Griglak, as our new state coordinator.    I will be transitioning my coordinator role over the next few weeks to Jessica and will be available to help her at any time in the future as she quickly grows into the position.

I have every confidence that the addition of Jessica as state coordinator will make this program even stronger going forward.  As a full-time employee of Fish and Wildlife at our state’s Pequest Trout Hatchery in Oxford, Jessica will be focused solely on TIC (and not having a second job like I have done the past few years).  She will be able to both grow the program in numbers as well as strength in ways I was unable as a part-time volunteer.  Please join me in welcoming Jessica Griglak as our new Coordinator!  I will contact all TIC teachers to make certain they have Jess’s contact information before we make a final change to the website contact info located here.

I also want to thank Jim Sciascia, Chief of Information & Education from F&W for his vision and help in growing TIC and for working closely with NJ Trout Unlimited to move Jessica into this role.  Thanks also go out to the state council and our now 9 state-wide TU chapters for their support of this somewhat unorthodox relationship.  We asked our chapters to take a leap of faith that this new relationship would be in the best interest of all parties - our students and teachers included - and they have done so in a big way.  I leave the program knowing it is in a far better place than what I could have done with it in the future as a volunteer.  Growing TIC in New Jersey beyond our current 64 tanks is no longer a daunting task, but a welcome one as we focus on reaching as many NJ students as possible about the need to protect our coldwater resources.  Of course, many, MANY thanks to all "my" teachers for your support, understanding, patience and inspiration over the past few years!  Without you this program would not be what it is today!!!   

Brian Cowden - Trout Unlimited

PS - I will NOT be disappearing and can always be contacted in Jessica’s absence should you have a question or concern.  I also plan to remain as a TU volunteer to deliver eggs and onion sacks, etc.  Many of you will see me at the FREC on May 29th for your release day activities and many of you currently in the Musconetcong Watershed area will be seeing me in class for years to come.   I would like to engage those in the Musconetcong watershed in my future projects such as riparian tree plantings, river clean-ups and other community based activities designed to protect and restore this Wild & Scenic river system.

Bedwell Elementary School now has a fishcam ……See the trout swimming live 24/7 at:

http://tinyurl.com/28w4mj

Check out real time brook trout in our largest tank, a 150 gallon beauty in the Somerset Hills area.  Right now (12/6/07)  you are looking at free swimming fry still in their breeder nets.  Because this tank is so large, these fry will remain in the nets for several more weeks before being released into the tank.  Check back often to see their growth and to watch them inhabit their new domain!

Today we welcomed back as a second year teacher Eileen Antonison who transfered to a new school district this year.  Eileen was able to secure funding and purchase her tank recently and becomes our 64th tank in New Jersey this school year!  Who would have thought that we would go from 1 program prior to last year to 25 in 2006-2007 and now to well over 60 in our second year of focus?  Not me, that I can assure you.  I am now enforcing a hard cut-off so any newly interested teachers should be encouraged to go ahead and purchase their equipment knowing that we will include your school for the 2008-2009 school year.  As always, brook trout eggs are delivered in mid-October every year when they reach the "eyed" stage of development.  New Jersey continues to lead the nation in TIC volunteer based, largely school funded programs with our sixty four tanks!  

Here is a photo taken of the artwork of Bedwell Elementary School in Bernardsville by TIC teacher Jim McCarron.  I think I see some entries for the Pequest Hatchery’s annual trout stamp art contest!    

The new school year brings with it something near or above 54 schools with 60 tanks and over 70 teachers that will teach TIC to more than 8,000 students all across the state of New Jersey.  With egg delivery set for Wednesday, October 17th, we need to ask any remaining school that is working on funding to contact Brian Cowden ASAP if you are planning to participate this school year.  In another week, there will likely not be enough time to purchase the tank and related equipment and get it operational in front of the egg delivery on the 17th.  If you are still interested in TIC but are not yet funded, please contact Brian about the ‘08-’09 school year and be placed on a list of interested teachers that receive periodic updates about the program.  Thank you!