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Goodbye, Flapezoid!" "Hang in there, Tiny Tyler!" "Smell you later, Triton!" Hikers on the nature trails at Schramm Park State Recreation Area in Gretna were probably startled to hear these lighthearted farewells echoing from the canyon last May. A peek into the canyon would reveal a group of students seated along the rock ledge that borders ponds built into the hills. Each student held a cup and, one by one, slowly poured its contents into the water below their dangling feet. After each cup emptied, students leaned forward and peered into the pond for a glimpse of a tiny rainbow trout. The students were wrapping up their school year with the release of juvenile trout they had carefully raised from eggs during the previous three months. They were participants in an aquatic education program, new to Nebraska in 2014, called Trout in the Classroom. The program is a unique way to bring lessons about aquatic ecosystems, water quality, life cycles, food webs, fi sh biology and fi shing recreation into the classroom. Trout are an ideal subject to introduce these topics. The timeline of a trout's development syncs well with the school year calendar. Eggs hatch and fi sh grow while school is in session, providing students the opportunity to experience life cycles as part of their lessons. As an indicator species, trout abundance directly refl ects the quality of the water in which they live. After a successful pilot year, Trout in the Classroom is set to expand statewide in 2015. Julie McKeone, second-grade teacher at Papillion-LaVista Public Schools Patriot Elementary, which was one of the pilot schools, noted "the most positive aspect the program is that it takes science out of the text book and makes it come alive for students. Children often struggle to connect classroom science lessons with real world application. Trout in the Classroom gives students an opportunity to apply what they have learned in a real world setting. That doesn't happen enough." ● Trout in the Classroom 2014 Annual Report • Nebraska Game and Parks Commission 21