By Craig Forrest
The Tuckaseigee Chapter #373 is a North Carolina chapter of Trout Unlimited serving Jackson and Swain counties in the western part of the state.
Trout Unlimited was founded over 50 years ago on the banks of the Au Sable River near Grayling, Michigan. It was founded to ensure that wild and native trout populations would be allowed to thrive, as nature intended. Over the years, Trout Unlimited has evolved into a leading coldwater conservation organization with chapters across the country dedicated to helping to protect and preserve our coldwater resources and educate the public regarding the importance of clean water.
Regarding education, TU has a program called Trout In The Classroom (TIC) that is an environmental education program in which students in grades K-12 …
• raise trout from eggs to fry
• monitor aquarium water quality
• engage in stream habitat study
• learn to appreciate water resources
• begin to foster a conservation ethic
• grow to understand ecosystems
The Tuck chapter currently sponsors 5 programs in 5 different schools in the two counties we serve. The school year starts with the students getting their equipment ready to receive their eggs from, in our case, the Bobby Setzer Hatchery near Brevard, NC. TU volunteers go to the hatchery on “egg day” to pickup and transport the eggs to the various schools.
Students place the eggs in an egg basket in their aquarium and the process begins. Water chemistry is sampled daily and the students keep records of the results of their sampling, noting any concerns which might mean the need for cleaning gravel, doing a water change or adding chemicals to the tank to make necessary adjustments.
Teachers use the program to enhance their curriculum and can take advantage of lesson plans and resources provided by the TIC website. Also, for NC teachers ,there is a state forum for teachers to use to communicate with each other regarding their individual programs. If they have questions or experience problems, they are encouraged to communicate and assist one another. Of course, Tuck chapter volunteers stand by for needed assistance as well.
During the year, each teacher tailors the program to fit his or her curricular needs. Therefore each program is unique. TIC has interdisciplinary applications in science, social studies, mathematics, language arts, fine arts, and physical education.
At the end of the school year, schools are provided release permits by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission to be able to release their fingerling trout into streams approved for release by the commission. Permits from the Commission are required for the release of any fish in mountain trout water in North Carolina. Without the help of NCWRC and its staff, the TIC program would not be possible in North Carolina.
Anyone living in the Tuck TU service area interested in volunteering to assist with the TIC program can contact our TIC coordinator, Shannon Messer through his email: appalachianflies@gmail.com