Opening slide reads "Native Fish in the Classroom - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service New Mexico Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office." with emblem for USFWS and Conserving Americas Fisheries"
Narration "New Mexico the Land of Enchantment is made of diverse aquatic habitats from
high mountain streams to lowland river valleys freshwater lakes to Playa Lakes
to ephemeral streams and salty sinkholes this habitat diversity makes New Mexico
home to approximately 66 native fish species like these Rio Grande silvery
minnow unlike many of our fish biologists few people have the
opportunity to see many of our native fish just like this Sonora sucker each
fish has a place and a purpose within our five major river basins and while
each fish belongs 14 New Mexico fish are struggling for existence and are now
threatened or endangered just like this endangered loach minim that is about 21
percent of our native fishes
Screen text and narrator "it's time we introduce our stewards to our native fish"
Graphic for Native Fish in the Classroom. Narrator says "we are introducing students our future stewards to native fish of New Mexico
with the help of the native fish in the classroom program NFI C for the past
seven years biologists have used the program to allow students to see our
native fish up close and personal students learn about their life history
their needs and how they can help our native fish persist into the future two
of our five river basins are now represented with the native fish in the
classroom program the Rio Grande and the Gila River eleven schools participated
in the NFI sea program during the 2017-2018 school year with approximately
481 students ranging from kindergarten to seventh grade our seventh year was
one to remember
each year begins at an introduction of the NFI sea program to the students
biologists emphasize that the care of the incoming fish will be their
responsibility once students agree to take on the task they sign a pledge
accepting their role as stewards students learn the ins and outs of their
new aquarium system the halfway home for their native fish students also learn
about the nitrogen cycle and its role in their aquarium in addition to testing
methods to monitor their water quality as a team the class designs a background
for their aquariums to help make their fish feel at home
and last but not least they learn necessary maintenance tasks such as
siphoning and water changes biologists are met at the door with students
eagerly awaiting the arrival of their new charges asking did you bring them
once students have finished with all of their preparation it's finally time to
bring in the fish some classes receive Rio Grande cutthroat trout the state
fish of New Mexico and a species of concern these fingerlings are provided
by the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish seven springs hatchery other
classes receive small fishes of the Rio Grande students have the chance to learn
about seven different fish species which all coexist with our endangered silvery
minnow these fish are collected with the aid of high school students from Bosque
school who have the opportunity to learn fish survey methods used on the Rio
Grande and most recently our threatened Gila trout have made it into the
classrooms with the help of more National Fish Hatchery in the u.s.
Forest Service schools within the Gila River Basin have a chance to work with
this native trout and even hatched a couple hundred eggs teachers use guides
filled with background information and activities throughout their time with
the fish
and although we have a guide teachers often show off their creativity and come
up with additional projects of their own design for their students when
biologists get the opportunity they visit the classroom for special
presentations and although biologists have fun with students figuring out the
population for our Pinto fish Frijole Pinto I that live in Frijole Canyon we
have to admit the students get far more excited about fish anatomy
after several months with the students it's time for our fish to go home
students write a goodbye poem to their fish poems are chosen to be read along
the shore during one of our many and
5th Grader Noah Street of Monte Vista Elementary School reads his poem titled "River"
"Just a young fish in a glass tank. I was cramped up, wanna be free. I was dreaming of big rivers. And I wanna leave my old tank behind
"Not a rainbow, I'm a cutthroat, In a class, in a tank, swimming around bored, I want a river"
"I was in a tank before the river, River, feel the water, water and the river, river, Water and the River."
Narration continues "usually every fish is released back to the river this year was different for
the first time San Antonio elementary students were unable to release their
fish instead of releasing their fish into the Rio Grande they handed them
over to the visitor center at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge and said
their goodbyes
5th Grader Richard Baker of San Antonio Elementary reads his poem, "Greetings. first I said hi now I say bye, as your steward I will cry, as I have to say goodbye."
[Applause]
Narration: "I'm sure you're wondering why these students couldn't release their fish the answer is simple: their section of the Rio Grande was dry."
4th Grader Esparanza Lopez of Antonio Elementary reads her poem: "Long nosed dace, I know you are sick and I
hope won't die, and now we say goodbye. White suckers you would say as the
bottom and speed away fast. Western Mosquitofish, I like all you with all your terminal mouth.
I hope you don't die because the river is dry.
Narration: "the students have now said farewells the NFI c program is coming to an end for the school year
now students wrap up their time at the river visiting various learning stations
led by our partners to learn more about other aspects of the landscape the
the release of fish is the culmination of the NFI C program the students now know
the river where their fish will live out their days thank you to all our n fic
filled day host sites thank you to all those who provided resources such as
funding for buses equipment and fish and last but not least thank you to all who
helps make our n fic field days memorable
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