From school to stream: Westman raises trout in classroom

Galen Westman stands in front of a tank where dozens of trout hatched in his classroom. This spring, he and some Handley students will release the trout into a local stream. It's part of a conservation project through the organization Trout Unlimited.

By Oliver Friend

Raising trout is by no means an easy task according to Galen Westman. The conditions have to be perfect for the trout to survive. The pH, water quality, and temperature all have to be within specific ranges to keep the trout alive. If the power were to go out in a building where trout were being raised, they would likely all die due to temperatures being too high. 

For the past couple of years, Mr. Westman has been raising trout in his classroom at Handley High School, involving students in the project along the way. This spring, they’ll release a school of young trout into a local stream. These are trout that hatched from eggs in a tank in Westman’s classroom as part of a project for Trout Unlimited. Trout Unlimited is a national nonprofit organization that works to conserve North America’s coldwater fisheries and watersheds. Mr. Westman has been a member for around 15 years, serving as president for about four years until he recently stepped down from that position. 

“I grew up fishing and wanted to be involved in conservation,” Mr. Westman said. 

Raising trout requires at least a 50-gallon tank, a biofilter, and a chiller. The tank needs to be at least this large to compensate for the amount of trout you’ll have and how much waste they’ll produce. The biofilter serves as a place for beneficial bacteria to grow, breaking down some of the waste the fish produce, and keeping the water safe for the fish. The chiller keeps the temperature low, which is a crucial part of the trout’s survival, probably the most crucial part of all. 

If all this sounds like too much work, there are other ways to get involved in conservation with Trout Unlimited. Some members and groups work on cleaning up polluted streams and rivers. For more information, visit the organization’s website at tu.org.