Sligo Creek's Fish Story
Spring 2003
[Note: You can link to the Web sites of the organizations or topics which appear as highlighted text and to pictures taken by Dr. Gale.]
One again this year, Sligo Creek participated in the Schools In Schools Project sponsored in part by the Anacostia Watershed Society (AWS), the Living Classrooms Foundation and the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB). You can visit our Web page from last year's fish/herring project by clicking here.
This year's story began on March 22 when Dr. Gale attended a refresher workshop along with other teachers from the area. On April 7, Jim Connolly from the AWS came to Sligo Creek to talk with the fourth graders. The fourth graders were an integral part of this project because they had studied "Ecosystems" as a science unit earlier in the year. Our special fish tank setup was provided by the AWS with funding from the Chesapeake Bay Ttust.
After several weeks of delays due to spring vacation and bad weather, on April 22 a team of fourth graders, one from each classroom, travelled to the northeast branch of the Anacostia River in Riverdale. The students were able to watch and help a team of scientists led by Jim Cummins of the ICPRB procure eggs from adult female alewife - a type of herring. Unfortunately, it seems the eggs were not viable and none of the herring eggs hatched. Perhaps it was too late in the spawning season. This was a big disappointment for everyone.
However, the following Monday, April 28, Ric Zeller from the AWS brought us some shad eggs that had been collected from shad earlier that morning in a tributary of the Potomac River in Virginia. Shad and alewife are both a type of herring. These eggs were viable and began to develop in the science lab. Some classes got to watch the daily changes in the eggs. On Friday the eggs began to hatch and some fifth graders examined the young shad (now called fry) under the microscope.
The day finally came when the fry had to be released into their natural habitat. Another group of fourth graders took a trip on May 5 to the confluence of the Northeast and Northwest branches of the Anacostia River. The students slowly added water from the river to the tanks/bags so the fry could acclimate to the temperature of the river water as well as to various chemicals that were in the river. Mr. Connolly estimates over five thousand fry were released into the Anacostia that day!
The day finally came when the fry had to be released into their natural habitat. Another group of fourth graders took a trip on May 5 to the confluence of the Northeast and Northwest branches of the Anacostia River. The students slowly added water from the river to the tanks/bags so the fry could acclimate to the temperature of the river water as well as to various chemicals that were in the river. Mr. Connolly estimates over five thousand fry were released into the Anacostia that day!