On the banks of the Saugatuck River Thursday afternoon, Staples High School students released Brown Trout they had raised from eggs since November in their Advanced Placement Biology classes.

They received the fertilized eggs from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. The program under which the trout are being raised is "Trout in the Classroom" (TIC), sponsored by Trout Unlimited.  This is Staples High School's second year in which the fish eggs have matriculated into fingerlings. The culmination of the program is the release of these fingerlings into the trout waters of the Saugatuck River where they may grow into adult fish.

The purpose of the program is to educate young people as to the importance of clean water and the fact that clean water is often taken for granted while in fact it must be protected, according to a news release. Trout are the indicator species for clean water, because unlike most all other fresh water species, trout are the most demanding of clean, aerated, cold, and unpolluted conditions. In today's world, development and population density constantly threaten trout habitat. Runoff of fertilizer, road salt, and silt, and the cutting down of trees along stream banks which are necessary to provide thermal protection to stream waters are constant threats to water quality.

ABOUT TIC:

TIC was started by Trout Unlimited (TU), a nationwide cold water conservation organization, in New York City schools under a grant in the 1990s and today involves more than 500 classrooms in about 20 states. Beginning only four years ago in Connecticut, the program has been warmly received and there are now some 70 classrooms operational throughout the state. At Staples, the program was funded by the Staples High School Parents Teachers Association and coordinated by Nutmeg Chapter, the local chapter of Trout Unlimited comprised of Westport and 12 surrounding towns.

ABOUT TROUT UNLIMITED:

Trout Unlimited is a nationwide conservation organization whose mission is "to conserve, protect and restore North America's coldwater fisheries and their watersheds."  The organization was founded in 1959 and comprises 150,000 grass-roots volunteer members in 450 chapters in 40 states. Nutmeg Chapter, serving Fairfield and surrounding towns, is Connecticut's first and oldest continuously active Trout Unlimited chapter.