Holy mackerel, the PA Brookies students just wrapped up an exciting week of field school! This week, the students engaged with professionals and immersed themselves in brook trout biology, stream ecology, habitat, watersheds, and cold-water fisheries conservation. As we celebrate this week’s class of Conservation Ambassadors, take a look at the highlights from PA Brookies!
On Tuesday, the Brookies students settled into field school and got acquainted with their peers. They jumped right into lectures on brook trout natural history, general ecology, and brook trout monitoring and research. The group ended their first day of field school with a macroinvertebrate survey and an engaging riparian walk.
On Wednesday, the students learned about trout anatomy with a necropsy, a lecture on health and disease, and a session on why water quality matters for brook trout. The afternoon featured our classic “Tips and Tools of Being a Naturalist” session, where students learned about the importance of connecting with their surroundings. They applied those tips while nature journaling and capturing nature photography. Their day ended with team building and an exciting round of trivia!
The third day of field school was one to remember! The group spent the morning constructing habitat with Trout Unlimited. The students built a modified mud sill to prevent bank erosion and provide overhead cover for fish. The afternoon featured a field trip to a nearby fish hatchery for a tour and chat with the hatchery’s staff. After a fly-tying session and casting lessons at Bald Eagle State Park, they spread out along the lake for an evening of fly fishing.
Friday morning kicked off with an insightful mock town hall meeting, where students worked together in their teams to present public support or opposition to a pipeline project in a local community. The Brookies students blew us away with their debate and ability to support their arguments. They continued learning how to spread the conservation message with sessions focusing on communicating with the media and giving professional presentations. They will use all these new skills after field school while completing their outreach projects as Conservation Ambassadors.
Once again, we are so proud of this week’s group of Brookies students. They have exceeded our expectations, and we can’t wait to see what they accomplish as Conservation Ambassadors. We’d like to thank all the staff, mentors, volunteers, and instructors who made this week a success!
2026 Brookies Field School Recap
Posted: July 11, 2026 by Katie Mace
Holy mackerel, the PA Brookies students just wrapped up an exciting week of field school! This week, the students engaged with professionals and immersed themselves in brook trout biology, stream ecology, habitat, watersheds, and cold-water fisheries conservation. As we celebrate this week’s class of Conservation Ambassadors, take a look at the highlights from PA Brookies!
On Tuesday, the Brookies students settled into field school and got acquainted with their peers. They jumped right into lectures on brook trout natural history, general ecology, and brook trout monitoring and research. The group ended their first day of field school with a macroinvertebrate survey and an engaging riparian walk.
On Wednesday, the students learned about trout anatomy with a necropsy, a lecture on health and disease, and a session on why water quality matters for brook trout. The afternoon featured our classic “Tips and Tools of Being a Naturalist” session, where students learned about the importance of connecting with their surroundings. They applied those tips while nature journaling and capturing nature photography. Their day ended with team building and an exciting round of trivia!
The third day of field school was one to remember! The group spent the morning constructing habitat with Trout Unlimited. The students built a modified mud sill to prevent bank erosion and provide overhead cover for fish. The afternoon featured a field trip to a nearby fish hatchery for a tour and chat with the hatchery’s staff. After a fly-tying session and casting lessons at Bald Eagle State Park, they spread out along the lake for an evening of fly fishing.
Friday morning kicked off with an insightful mock town hall meeting, where students worked together in their teams to present public support or opposition to a pipeline project in a local community. The Brookies students blew us away with their debate and ability to support their arguments. They continued learning how to spread the conservation message with sessions focusing on communicating with the media and giving professional presentations. They will use all these new skills after field school while completing their outreach projects as Conservation Ambassadors.
Once again, we are so proud of this week’s group of Brookies students. They have exceeded our expectations, and we can’t wait to see what they accomplish as Conservation Ambassadors. We’d like to thank all the staff, mentors, volunteers, and instructors who made this week a success!
Category: Youth Blog Tags: brook trout, Brookies, featured, field school