Schuylkill Haven Area students release fish, enjoy outdoor fun at county fairgrounds

Apr. 26—SUMMIT STATION — More than 100 adult and fingerling trout were stocked Wednesday in Bear Creek, thanks to the efforts of Schuylkill Haven Area High School students.

As part of the Pennsylvania Trout in the Classroom program, students visited the Schuylkill County Fairgrounds to conduct their annual rendition of the event, which involves activities including trout stocking, seedling planting and hiking.

Students started the day by releasing 117 fingerlings — small, sub-legal trout — along a portion of Bear Creek that runs through the fairgrounds.

Having acquired the trout eggs through the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission, students had reared the fish to fingerling size during class over the past few months.

The students involved in Tuesday's initiative included current and former pupils of biology teacher Kaye Schwenk, as well as members of the school's biology club and trout committee.

"This is trying to expose (students) to the outdoors and to realize all that the outdoors has to offer, and all of the rich native species that we have here in Pennsylvania, as well as nonnative," Schwenk said. "I also want them to have an appreciation of the environment in general and what their role is in preserving and maintaining the environment."

After releasing the fingerlings, the students went upstream and stocked about 50 adult trout, which were provided by the Schuylkill Headwaters Association.

Saragrace Minnig, co-president of the school's trout committee, said that raising the trout in a controlled, monitored environment reminded students of the importance of tending to the natural environment.

"We learned how difficult it is to maintain the trout and maintain the levels of the nitrates and nitrites ... and all the chemicals that we have put in ourselves," Minnig said. "Obviously, in the wild, they don't have any of that assistance, so it really shows how important it is to conserve our watersheds and help combat the effects of pollution."

Other activities

After stocking the creek with trout, students participated in various activity stations provided by local and state organizations.

Members of the Schuylkill Conservation District offered a tree-planting station, which involved planting red pine and Norway spruce seedlings along the stream bank.

"We want to relate the importance of trees growing next to the stream in the riparian area," said Alexa Smith, natural resource conservationist.

Patrick M. "Porcupine Pat" McKinney, environmental education coordinator with the conservation district, conducted a nature walk along a portion of the fairgrounds, where he discussed things such as habitat, plants, birds and animal signs.

There was also a bucket-casting competition hosted by the Schuylkill Headwaters Association; a fly-casting and knot-tying demonstration from Schuylkill County Trout Unlimited; and a presentation on aquatic life from the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission.

Representatives from Cabela's also conducted a S.A.F.E. Archery station, demonstrating archery skills using a brand of non-lethal arrows.

At the end of the event, Peggy Hentz, founder of Red Creek Wildlife Center, gave a special presentation featuring animals, such as a porcupine and a possum.

Kyle Lipp, an officer with the trout committee, said he enjoys the variety of educational experiences offered at the annual Trout in the Classroom program.

"It's a pretty diverse set of stations, usually, that teach all sorts of different things that you can do and ways to participate in the outdoors," he said.

Contact the writer: hlee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6085