Our education team is hard at work prepping five new trout tanks for our schools. Each tank setup needs a filter, thermometer, foam board insulation for all six sides, and a specialty chiller that can keep the tanks around 3-4 degrees Celsius/37-39 degrees Fahrenheit to mimic our Maine winter stream conditions. These tank setups are expensive (~$2,000), so the District annually raises funds through community donations, grants, and partners to provide these supplies and lessons to schools for free.

In winter and spring 2024, we’ll have 19 tanks scattered throughout schools in Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland, Gorham, Old Orchard Beach, Portland, Saco, South Portland, Westbrook, and Windham. These schools receive curriculum training, trout eggs, tank technical assistance, lesson kits and resources, and trout release field trip assistance from us and Portland Water District.

Did you know?

Each tank starts with about 300 eggs so we’ll be delivering 5,700 brook trout eggs to classrooms in early February!