INVERURIE Academy pupils have been taking part in a Trout in the Classroom initiative in association with the local angling association.
In February this year Inverurie Angling Association's Dr Sam Martin set up a state of the art tank and cooling system in the Biology Lab at Inverurie Academy and Jim Kerr of the Don and District Fishing Board provided a batch of native brown trout eg
gs from the hatchery at Strathdon.
Dr Janet Duncan and her S2 Biology Class hatched, fed and monitored the young fish until they were ready for release back into the Don on Friday (May 22).
Jim Kerr and Sam Martin gave the school several presentations on the Trout Life Cycle and importance of a healthy eco-system to its survival. The Trout in the Classroom initiative, which is sponsored by British Telecom under the Community Champions Award, is to be rolled out across Aberdeenshire with the aim of bringing living nature into schools.
Peter Dow, President of the Inverurie Angling Association said: "Pupils learn how critical water temperature, water quality, and the availability of a healthy supply of food are to a sustainable eco-system.
"The trout have it hard enough with predators in the form of animals, birds, and even aquatic fly nymphs without the effects of global warming and human pollution. We have a responsibility to protect and sustain this ecosystem and in order to do this we must first understand how it works."
He added: "Hopefully the pupils of the Academy now have a clearer understanding how important we are in sustaining this fragile and wonderful world and our part in preserving the future.
"Next year we will move on to another school in the local area and continue to spread the word about local wildlife, why it should be preserved, and how important we are to the whole system."
