Wyoming Wildlife May 2024 - 23

Conservation Education in Schools package comprising
of four programs that allow schools and teachers
to bring conservation education into the classroom.
Game and Fish worked with education partners,
such as the Wyoming Department of Education,
State Board of Education and the Professional Teaching
Standards Board to ensure the conservation programs
embodied the recognized standards expected
in Wyoming classrooms. Schools can select all, one,
a couple or none of the conservation education programs.
The goal is to provide the opportunity and
ease to integrate the programs as schools see fit and
thus far, they have proved to be wildly successful.
TROUT IN THE CLASSROOM
Last year Game and Fish launched Wyoming
Trout in the Classroom with a pilot program in 28
schools around the state. Trout in the Classroom
is a nationally recognized program that has been
around for more than 30 years and allows schools
to raise fish, in our case rainbow trout, from eggs to
fingerlings while students learn about fish biology
and freshwater ecosystems. The Wyoming program
is a partnership between Trout Unlimited and Game
and Fish. Teachers have customizable lesson plans to
guide their students through the life cycle of trout
and the role people play in ecosystems in a semester-long
program.
The first eggs, provided by the Dubois Fish HatchStudents
from St. Mary's Catholic School release the fish they raised through the Trout in the Classroom
Program into Sloan's Lake in Cheyenne. (Photo by Stephanie Estell/WGFD)
ery, arrived in schools in January. All the schools
operate under a special permit and follow strict protocols
for maintaining and eventually releasing the
fish into designated locations. The majority of the
release locations are community fishing ponds with
the first releases occurring this month.
Inspiration, education and connecting the two are
what create the moments we remember forever -
and Trout in the Classroom is a gateway course in
fishery biology that students from elementary school
through high school can now experience in Wyoming,
watching fish hatch, develop and be released
as part of a real-life education process.
NATIONAL ARCHERY
IN SCHOOLS PROGRAM
This is another national program Game and Fish
Through the National Archery in Schools Program, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department offers
opportunities for teachers to become NASP instructors and supports their acquisition of archery equipment.
(Photo by Emalee Smith/WGFD)
had in the past. However, due to some budget restrictions
several decades ago, the program diminished.
In 2023, the department regained coordination of
the program in Wyoming. To create longevity, Game
and Fish offers opportunities for teachers to become
NASP instructors and supports their acquisition of
archery equipment through grants, fundraising or
community donations. Currently, 19 schools are
engaging in NASP programs around the state. This
year, there was a virtual, statewide archery tournament
for participating schools to qualify students
for nationals.
Wyoming Wildlife | 23

Wyoming Wildlife May 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wyoming Wildlife May 2024