Kendellhurst students release baby salmon into Credit River

As part of Kendellhurst Academy's science curriculum our grade 3 to 7 students have a classroom fish hatchery.  Each winter we receive fertilized Atlantic salmon eggs from the Bring Back the Salmon program to be raised by students and then released into the Credit River.  Students monitor the eggs development, observe the various life stages of the eggs and baby fish as they hatch, feed the fish and monitor water quality in the special aquarium.  Students learn about salmon, how they spawn, develop and grown.  They also learn about habitat, water quality, endangered species, reintroduction of lost species, the importance of natural habitat and protecting our water and wildlife.  Each May or June the students have a field trip where they release the baby salmon into streams that flow into the Credit River.  The baby salmon will live in the stream for two years before migrating to the lake where they grow to adults.  Students are engaged with hands on learning about soil erosion, habitat loss and tree planting and how these will affect their baby salmon.  Students also learn about invertebrates and wildlife in or near the streams.  Atlantic salmon are a native salmon to Lake Ontario and were extirpated in 1896 due to habitat loss, dams and over fishing.