Magnetawan, ON – In partnership with the Almaguin Fishery Improvement Association (AFIA), Magnetawan Central School students and staff are thrilled to announce that they now have a micro-fish hatchery located right inside of their school!
Within the next couple of weeks, walleye eggs will be collected from Ahmic Lake and some of them will be transferred to the school’s micro-hatchery. Students will monitor pH levels and temperature of the water until the eggs hatch and are released back into Ahmic Lake. The micro-hatchery can be reconfigured to incubate brook trout during the fall and winter, creating a further learning experience for students of Magnetawan.
Even though the stocking of walleye is supported by natural reproduction, the AFIA and the school hatcheries provide opportunities to educate and engage the community in the importance of conservation.
“Students and staff of Magnetawan Central School have been observers of the egg collection and maturation process for many years and staff and the AFIA are excited about the opportunities for authentic, meaningful and deep learning relevant to the area in which they live, that having a micro-hatchery in the school will provide for students,” said principal Shannon Mahon.
Students also recognize and are excited to learn about local issues. “I feel good about the micro-fish hatchery because it is going to help the fish population in Ahmic Lake. It is also going to be a hands-on learning experience and it is exciting to be the first school in the Parry Sound area with a micro-hatchery in our school. We are going to be able to help to teach the community about the micro-hatchery,” said Grade 6 student Dominic Crnkovic.
The micro-hatchery located in Magnetawan Central School is an amazing opportunity for staff and students to work alongside community partners in order to continue to learn about and support a local issue. The school thanks the Almaguin Fish Improvement Association, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, members of the Almaguin Community and the Northern Power Corporation for assisting with providing students with this amazing learning opportunity.
