PHOTOS: Trout Unlimited, Roaring Fork Conservancy lead trout release with third graders
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
Over this past school year, third graders from Two Rivers Community School in Glenwood Springs have watched as their little rainbow trout went from eggs to fingerlings — essentially baby trout — inside a tank in their classroom.
Then came Wednesday, when 102 of the fingerlings were released into the Roaring Fork River in Basalt with help from the Roaring Fork Conservancy.
“Classes will raise rainbow trout from the egg stage to fingerling, which is what we are stocking today, and that’s about an eight-month-old trout, about two-and-a-half to three inches long,” said Rick Lofaro, the conservancy’s executive director.
“We have a community tank here at Roaring Fork Conservancy. It’s an exciting program for us to work with the kids and really teach all about river ecology.”
The trout release was part of a special educational program by the nonprofit, Trout Unlimited, which helps get fish tanks into classrooms across the country. The young trout were released one by one into the river by the students via plastic cups.
The eggs originally came from the Crystal River Fish Hatchery near Carbondale. The trout were safely released into the 44-degree water.
“It’s a program designed to help educators teach aquatic ecosystems in their classroom,” said Reyna Schedler, the western Trout in the Classroom coordinator for Trout Unlimited, who was on hand to help with the release.
“It culminates with this release event at the end of the school year,” Schedler added. “The purpose is to understand the aquatic ecosystem, the trout life cycle, and also help kids get inspired to be river stewards and conservationists.”
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Jayla Brown, right, and Matthew Anderson with the Roaring Fork Conservancy talk to students from Two Rivers Community School in Glenwood Springs as they take part in a trout release alongside Trout Unlimited on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Basalt.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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A third grader from Two Rivers Community School in Glenwood Springs takes part in a trout release alongside the Roaring Fork Conservancy on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Basalt.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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A fingerling, or a baby rainbow trout, awaits release by students from Two Rivers Community School in Glenwood Springs on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at the Roaring Fork Conservancy in Basalt.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Taylor, a third grader with Two Rivers Community School in Glenwood Springs, watches as her young rainbow trout swims away during a trout release with the Roaring Fork Conservancy on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Basalt.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Educator Jayla Brown talks to students from Two Rivers Community School in Glenwood Springs as they take part in a trout release alongside the Roaring Fork Conservancy on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Basalt.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Rick Lofaro, the executive director of the Roaring Fork Conservancy, shows off a stonefly to students from Two Rivers Community School on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Basalt.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Rick Lofaro, right, the executive director of the Roaring Fork Conservancy, with Chad Rudow, left, and Matthew Anderson, leads a trout release alongside Trout Unlimited on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Basalt.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Third graders from Two Rivers Community School in Glenwood Springs help with a trout release with the Roaring Fork Conservancy on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Basalt.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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A fingerling, or a baby rainbow trout, awaits release by students from Two Rivers Community School in Glenwood Springs on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at the Roaring Fork Conservancy in Basalt.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Rick Lofaro, the executive director of the Roaring Fork Conservancy, shows off a stonefly on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Basalt. Stoneflies are a favorite food for trout.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Educator Jayla Brown, left, and Chad Rudow, right, help a third grader with Two Rivers Community School in Glenwood Springs during a trout release with Trout Unlimited on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Basalt.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Rick Lofaro, right, the executive director of the Roaring Fork Conservancy, leads a trout release alongside Trout Unlimited on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Basalt.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Matthew Anderson, left, and Chad Rudow of the Roaring Fork Conservancy monitor the water temperatures during a trout release alongside Trout Unlimited on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Basalt.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Water temperature is monitored as students from Two Rivers Community School in Glenwood Springs take part in a trout release alongside the Roaring Fork Conservancy on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Basalt.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Rick Lofaro, right, the executive director of the Roaring Fork Conservancy, and educator Jayla Brown talk to students from Two Rivers Community School in Glenwood Springs as they take part in a trout release alongside Trout Unlimited on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Basalt.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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Lillian, a third grader with Two Rivers Community School in Glenwood Springs, watches as her young rainbow trout swims away during a trout release with the Roaring Fork Conservancy and Trout Unlimited on Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Basalt.
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
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