Trout Stocking at Bear Rock Lake in Valley Grove Spawns Discussion
Nearly 100 students from Ohio and Marshall counties stood in a long line in the pouring rain Friday eagerly awaiting the chance to carry buckets of flopping trout to release them into some of the fishing holes at Bear Rock Lake.
The annual stocking of the lakes in the state wildlife area in eastern Ohio County allowed the students to learn more about conservation and how the food chain can be disrupted if one species is endangered.
But for some of the students carrying their blue buckets of fish, they were more worried about the trout flopping out before reaching the water.
"It was weird because I felt like the fish was going to flop onto me," said Samara Eller, a fifth grader at Elm Grove Elementary School.
She went back for another bucket as her concerns were resolved when she learned that the trout don't bite.
"I'm going to do it again because I want to free the fish," she said.
Andrew Swauger and Jalique Dunnallen wondered why the fish came from fresh water tanks in a pickup truck, and learned that the trout are grown on hatchery farms and then transported to lakes for stocking.
"I thought one of those fish was trying to smack me in the face," Jalique said after he released his trout. "It was fun."
While the field trip was meant to be fun, it also had educational purposes. Students from Cameron High School and Sherrard Middle School in Marshall County and Elm Grove Elementary in Ohio County spent time preparing by learning more about the environment.
Lee Ann Wainwright, a spokesperson with Chevron, which sponsored the event, said the company hopes the students walk away from the day with "a true appreciation of the outdoors and land." It was the fifth year of the student stocking program, and the second one Chevron has sponsored.
"These are all things that we want to appreciate and be good stewards of the land," she said.
Members of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources visited their classrooms leading up to the trip to discuss conservation initiatives. It's also an opportunity to get the students outdoors and think of nature in a different way and "give kids another recreation opportunity," she said.
Stacy Dormas, a fifth grade teacher at Elm Grove, said when the buses came to the lake, a conservation officer wearing his uniform was one of the many people to greet them. The students wondered why a "police officer" was there and whether one of their fellow students was in trouble, Dormas said.
"Why would they be in charge of the outdoors?" Dormas said some of the students wondered aloud.
That gave the educators an opportunity to teach them more about the importance of conservation.
"It's taking a lot of different content and programming," Dormas said.
They also taught them about the importance of fish and how the food chain works. Removing one animal from that chain can cause catastrophes for others higher up the food chain.
"We're trying to get them to learn there are things in nature," she said. "The kids don't realize you have to stock trout. You need to replace the fish."
Representatives from the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh and various emergency management officials in the region also attended. The weather service workers taught the students about weather patterns and how it can affect trout season and the environment. Students went from station to station to learn more about the environment.
Woody Yoder, assistant superintendent at Marshall County, said field trips such as these are an important component of the learning experience.
"We do a lot of book work," Yoder said. "This is just another opportunity for students to have a chance to think of bigger questions. (The stocking process) is foreign to them unless they have a family member."
There are other aspects, such as career possibilities in the drilling industry and wildlife conservation, he said. But Yoder's main take away is that the students left with memories that will last a lifetime.
"I hope they go away with a story. I hope it spawns a discussion," Yoder said with a punny laugh. "Students - rain or shine - they enjoy this day."