Trout, Soil Science, and Alumni visit during 2025 Ornament Night fundraiser

Trout, Soil Science, and Alumni visit during Ornament Night fundraiser

Trout in the Classroom is a NJ DEP program that we participate in. NJ DEP and Trout Unlimited work together to bring us trout eggs in the fall. We raise them in a small basket and let them get stronger before we release them into the tank. Students learn to monitor, maintain, and feed the trout and what cold water species like these need to survive. Many other school programs in NJ also do this. We all release the trout into waters specified by NJ DEP with a license. This is a great opportunity for students to learn and apply lessons from curriculum to ecology. 

One of the topics first year students learn is soil science. In the photo above students are learning about pore space by observing and comparing air bubbles that emerge when submerged in water. Here students are comparing less organic soil (left) to more organic soil (right). In the photos below, students are learning how to determine soil texture by hand: a ribbon test. A golf ball sized sample from each collection is dampened and kneaded/ mixed in preparation for pinching into a ribbon. The ribbon is then measured and this information is helpful when determining what plants are suitable for the soil type.

                                        

Our FFA chapter student officers and members have been organizing a holiday fundraiser for the past three years. One the best parts of this is having Agricultural Science alumni join us for the event. It gives current students a chance to connect with graduates and enjoy painting ornaments for the upcoming holiday in December. Below is a photo of our December 2025 Ornament Night group.