Utah students raise and release trout in hands-on learning program – Trout in the Classroom

by: Kayla Baggerly of ABC Channel 4

Posted: May 7, 2025 / 04:33 PM MDT

Updated: May 7, 2025 / 06:46 PM MDT

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — It was a bright and sunny morning as students from Uintah Elementary released trout that they had spent months raising into Fairmont Park Pond in Sugarhouse.

Wednesday, May 7, the Uintah Elementary second-grade students gathered around the trout fingerlings, which were swimming in a tank in the classroom.

It’s part of the national aquatic biology program, Trout in the Classroom, which provides a hands-on learning experience for school-age children as they raise native trout from fertilized eggs, then release them as fingerlings into local waterways.

In Utah, the program is a partnership between the national conservation organization Trout Unlimited, the Utah Division of Natural Resources, and local school teachers.

“The kids are so interested in observing and seeing all the changes that the trout go through in their development, and learning a lot about habitats and what trout need and how we can help them,” said second-grade teacher Ruth Hansen.

Hansen shared that this is the fifth year that the class has joined the program. She noted that it looked different every time, adding that the trout seemed to grow bigger this year compared to the past.

“I would highly recommend it. The kids are so engaged. Every single kid is engaged with watching this and experiencing it,” she said. “They have lots of questions and they learn all kinds of things, but it’s all integrated. We did science, we did math, writing, talking to each other, social skills. It’s great.”

David Leta the statewide coordinator for Trout in the Classroom, said he hopes it can help students develop a better appreciation and understanding of nature.

“It’s just fun. It’s rewarding. The excitement is just infectious, and it’s great to see the kids learn new things — and to learn it by doing, rather than just having someone, a talking head, talking to them about it, or reading it in a book. They can actually experience it,” he said.

Leta said that it’s a volunteer program, and he loves being a part of it to give back to the community and environment.

“I’m a fisherman myself, so I love it to see the fish population thrive in our streams and rivers, and I like to see the next generation of young people grow up to appreciate fish and learn how to fish and just enjoy the outdoors,” he said.

During the 2025-2025 school year, 72 Utah classes participated in the program, with 4,700 students joining in. Over 10,000 fertilized trout eggs were delivered to these classrooms in early January 2025 to be released this month.

To learn more about the organization and the programs it offers, visit the Utah Council of Trout Unlimited website.

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