Over a dozen students from Senator Allen Memorial Bird School at Montreal Lake went on a special field trip last Friday. (submitted photo/Rae Kingdon)

By Nigel Maxwell

Environnment

Montreal Lake students assist biologists with fish study

Sep 9, 2019 | 4:57 PM

There’s something fishy going on with the lake trout population at Kingsmere Lake, and biologists have been working hard to get to the bottom of it with some help from students at Senator Allen Bird Memorial School.

The students were invited to come see up close how a walleye sampling study is conducted. Biologists have been trying to determine if the predator fish is responsible for the lake trout’s ongoing population decline over the past decade.

“What they’ve done is they have set up nets and they are catching some walleye and then they do some sampling on the fish; size, age, gender of the fish and examine the stomach contents,” Public Education and Outreach Officer Scott Nesbitt said.

A student analyzes his catch. (Submitted photo/ Rae Kingdon)

For their part, the students from Grade 7-9 learned how to identify several species of fish, how the netting equipment works, and they also observed fish dissection.

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“By encouraging young people to discover and connect with Canada’s incredible nature and our fascinating history, we are hoping that we inspire the next generation of stewards who are going to help Canada protect its national treasures like Prince Albert National Park,” Nesbitt said.

Grade 9 teacher Corrina Nelson said the students really enjoyed being able to see something they had learned about in the classroom.

“Just to be able to go out there and say ‘I know I can find this and I can learn how to do this’ and knowing that those jobs are available for them once they get to wherever they want to get,” she said.

Nelson said she spoke with a parks official and learned there may be future similar opportunities down the road for students. All the walleye caught and monitored by the students on Friday was frozen and donated back to Senator Allen Bird Memorial School for a special fish fry feast.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell

by Nigel Maxwell

Montreal Lake students assist biologists with fish study

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