Kindergarten students make exciting catch on Rabbit Lake

Kindergarten students make exciting catch on Rabbit Lake
Posted on 07/03/2019
Students holding pictures of fishes

Armed with only butterfly nets and a sense of curiosity, Kindergarten students from École Ste Marguerite Bourgeoys made an interesting discovery in Rabbit Lake during the last week of school.

"We pulled up the net from the water and discovered there was a minnow inside. It wasn't until we put it in the container that we noticed the beautiful colours on it and thought it was odd that it was in Rabbit Lake. We're used to walleye, perch and jackfish," said teacher Kat Kerns.

This fish had bright orange and blue stripes on it that were quite noticeably different from the typical brown and green on fish found in Rabbit Lake and Lake of the Woods. So, Kat Kerns passed on their discovery to the experts.

"We know Sarah Pyzer, who is the daughter of Gord Pyzer, so she sent him an email with the video and he reached out to Dr John Casselman who is a fisheries expert at Queens University. He sent us the information to help us identify the fish," said Kerns.

Kerns helped the students properly study the fish by counting the dorsal fins and stripes along its body. Once they'd completed their research they realized they had found an Iowa Darter. The fish is used as a bait fish and is not native to Rabbit Lake.

"How it got there is still the mystery, whether someone was stocking the lake or they dumped their bait, we don't know," said Kerns.

Both Pyzer and Dr Casselman were impressed by the work that the students had completed and their story is now being featured on OutdoorCanada.ca

Kindergarten student Miles, spoke about the research they did.

"We figured out that some things were the same and some were different. There was a line on the Iowa Darter and there wasn't on the other fish. There were 10 fins on the Iowa Darter and 12 on the other one. It was fun!" he said.

Kerns said she hopes that this whole experience gives students a love for getting outdoors and exploring.

"I'm hoping that it instils an excitement or passion for learning more about the outdoors," she said. "Maybe one day these students will be the local fishermen, the scientists or biologists or even teachers to help pass on that love."

Read the article on - OutdoorCanada.ca

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