Native Fish in the Classroom
LDWF and Louisiana Sea Grant partnered to create Native Fish in the Classroom—a hands-on, classroom-based aquaculture stewardship project for middle and high school students to learn about fisheries management, fish biology, and aquatic natural resources by growing native Louisiana fish (Paddlefish) from eggs to fingerlings (fingerlings are juvenile fish, about the size of a finger). Toward the end of the school year, the fingerlings will get released in a pre-approved riverine habitat.
The application period is currently closed. It will reopen in mid-March 2025 for the 2025-2026 school year. The deadline to submit the application is June 1, 2025.
How to Participate
Any 6th through 12th grade teacher in Louisiana can apply to participate; however, this program is geared more towards science-based content. The teacher’s school must show support for the teacher and the project; principals must submit a letter of support with the application.
Approved teachers must attend a training workshop at the Booker Fowler Fish Hatchery in Forest Hill covering biology, fisheries management, aquaculture maintenance, the importance of native species, and stewardship. LDWF provides teachers with a manual that covers background information, lessons, and aquaria setup & maintenance. They also provide equipment (tank, tank accessories, and supplies) and support (contacts for LDWF biologists and past Native Fish in the Classroom teachers). School proximity to the hatchery is preferred (150-mile radius) but not required. Teachers are responsible for picking up eggs and returning fingerlings to a site selected and approved by LDWF.
For more information contact Lindsay Seely at lseely@wlf.la.gov or 225.765.2375.
Classroom Timeline
- August: teachers attend training workshop
- Fall: teachers/students set up and maintain classroom tank with native fish (bluegill or catfish) provided by LDWF
- January: teachers attend winter workshop to prep for the spawn event
- March: teachers/students attend a field trip to the Booker Fowler Fish Hatchery to observe the Paddlefish spawn event and receive eggs
- March through April/May: rearing of fish to fingerling size
- Late April/early May: teacher/students attend the release event in the Mermentau River Basin in Jennings, LA
Why Paddlefish?
- Their spawning cycles coincide with the spring semester of school year.
- Their eggs are large enough to view with the naked eye.
- They have distinctive life-stages and develop into fingerlings in about 1-½ months.
- They are a protected species of conservation concern in Louisiana.
- They are a living fossil—they have evolved with few changes since their earliest fossil records dated back to 70 to 75 million years ago.