Levin school trout-raising project ends with successful release of fish

Kowhai, Kerri Vickers' class from Levin North School, travelled to Makahika Outdoor Pursuit Centre for lunch and to release their cherished trout into the Gladstone River.

Levin North School has successfully closed off its trout raising project with a picnic lunch at Makahika Camp, where pupils also released the trout they had raised from eggs into the Gladstone River.

The project started in May with the arrival of a tank suitable for hatching and growing trout, courtesy of Fish & Game. The project was financed by the Southern Trust.

Kerri Vickers and her class, Kowhai, were particularly involved with the project which meant hatching trout eggs, keeping an eye on the temperature of the water in the tank, feeding the fish regularly and cleaning the water. That work continued during any school holidays.

At least once the water had to be refreshed, despite the tank's elaborate water cleaning system.

The children enjoyed learning about the trout life cycle. They wrote stories about their observations and made drawings. Other classes also joined in, by researching river water quality for example.

The school received 100 trout eggs in June and about 25 of those survived until the moment of release.

Dan Brizzle, from the Horowhenua Freshwater Anglers Club, was delighted when the school said yes to this project.

He said, for freshwater anglers, water quality was crucial and he was hoping the children would come to understand the importance of clean water in our waterways through this project.

The trout raising project was so popular with the students that Levin North School will do this again next year.