Baby brookies logo collage

On January 8^th 2009 the year started out with much excitement at the Jordan River National Fish Hatchery. Bellaire Conservation Club members in partnership with Pack #15 Tiger Cubs from Bellaire, Michigan toured the hatchery. Fifteen tiger cubs and their parents along with representatives from the conservation club received an orientation to the Baby Brookies program. The group was led through the hatchery by fish biologist Tim Smigielski. Tim acquainted everyone with the fish that they will help to raise over the next couple of years.  Since the hatchery just received about 7000 brook trout eggs, the group was able to view them in a hatching jar.  You could tell the kids were pondering the idea of these eggs becoming the large brookies that they will be so happy to donate and fish for in the up coming years.  There were lots of questions about the hatchery and brook trout but the most asked question was “When do we get to come back?” just what we wanted!   These scouts join with Mancelona and Concord schools Imaginature program students and pack #17 cub scouts from East Jordan, Michigan as current participants in the Baby Brookies program.