The Rangeley Guides and Sportsmen’s Association held their annual membership potluck on July 20th. Highlighting the evening was a presentation by RLRS sixth grade science teacher Sarita Crandall, assisted by student Kala Brewer, of this past springs “Fish Friends” project. A program of the Atlantic Salmon Federation, the project entailed the raising of eyed salmon eggs to the fry stage and then releasing them in the Sandy River. As sponsor of this project, RRG&SA provided the chilled aquarium and other specialized equipment from profits of our first landlocked salmon derby.  Although the same species as our local landlocked salmon, Atlantic salmon have a very different lifecycle, occurring partly in fresh water and partly in salt water. They differ from Pacific Salmon which die after spawning and feed numerous grizzly bears. Our landlocked salmon return to the ocean after spawning and return to streams to spawn again. This unique lifecycle provides many multidisciplinary educational opportunities for students to learn basic biological concepts.

This year Ms. Crandall’s class released 183 fry into the Sandy River in Madrid. Through raising these salmon to fry stage, the students gained hands on experience of the biological conditions that must exist for the eggs to mature as well as having fun observing egg development, hatching as well as the behavior of this special specie.

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