Students release thousands of young trout into Chattahoochee River
Students release baby trout
Students from Warren T. Jackson Elementary School released thousands of baby trout into the Chattahoochee River on Friday. The students grew and cultivated the fish from the fertilization of the eggs to adulthood.
ATLANTA - If you’re planning to fish for trout in the Chattahoochee River, you may want to thank the fourth-grade students at Warren T. Jackson Elementary School.
What we know:
On Thursday, 100 students gathered along the riverbank to release thousands of trout they had raised as part of their schoolwide spring STEAM project. The hands-on science initiative spanned months, allowing students to experience every stage of the trout's lifecycle — from egg fertilization to adulthood.
Students cultivated the trout in custom-built "labitats," or aquatic laboratory habitats, which they constructed and maintained at the school.
Last year, the school’s fall trout release had to be canceled after many of the eggs and larvae mysteriously vanished. The young scientists investigated and discovered birds were responsible for the loss. This year, they put their problem-solving skills to the test by designing and building protective screens to safeguard their labitats — a solution that paid off.
The successful trout release marked both an educational milestone and a meaningful contribution to the local ecosystem.