Nevada Department of Wildlife: Trout in the Classroom

Margaret Lord is the Wildlife Education Coordinator for the Western Region Conservation Education Division of the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW), an OTR Partnership Council Member. She runs many educational programs for our community’s youth out of the Oxbow Nature Study Area, including the year-round Know Your Nevada program, where kids learn about our state’s animal symbols, the habitats they live in, and conservation efforts.

Every winter, Margaret gets to focus on one of her favorite programs, Trout in the Classroom, where 1000+ students get to raise rainbow trout from eggs, learning about their lifecycles before releasing them into the Truckee River. Teachers choose to participate, and 70 classrooms in our region and 40 classrooms in Reno are a part of the program.

Trout in the Classroom begins in January, when classes set up their tanks and prepare to receive their eggs. Over the next 6 weeks, students raise their Rainbow Trout while joining weekly webinars to check in and further their education about the fish, their habitat, and their role in our ecosystem – including a dissection workshop! In early March, once the trout have reached the fry stage (and are about 1-2 inches long) students get the opportunity to visit the Oxbow Nature Study Area on field trips and send their fish down the “trout slide” as they release them into the Truckee River. Lord shares, “It’s my 5th year doing Trout in the Classroom. For most kids, this is their first opportunity to engage with and learn about the Truckee River, understand what the river ecosystem looks like, and see the role they’re playing in it. It’s so exciting to see the kids’ excitement for the fish they raise and for releasing them into a real ecosystem.”

Looking to learn more? Are you a 4th grade teacher interested in signing your class up to participate next year? Click the button below.