Preschool students from the Cornerstone Learning Centre check out a Rainbow Trout – photo 250News

Prince George, B.C. – Around 15 pre-schoolers caught their first glimpse of a Rainbow Trout at the Spruce City Wildlife Association’s (SCWA) hatchery on River Road this afternoon. 

“Basically this is our first field trip of the year,” says president Steve Hamilton. “We’re going to get them interacting, talking a little bit about the fish and feeding them.”

The trip comes three weeks after the Freshwater Fisheries Society of B.C. dropped off 100 trout at the hatchery – the first such delivery in about a decade.

Hamilton says the goal is to help reconnect kids to the great outdoors.

“One thing we keep going back to is more tackle boxes and less Xboxes. Get them outdoors and show them about wildlife and environmental stewardship.”

He says the tours will kick into high gear next week when around 600 more kids are expected to pass through.

Hamilton encourages anyone interested in bringing their kids to contact the SCWA through their Facebook page.

He says on June 9^th they will be also hold a trout release and family barbecue from 5-7pm at Shane Lake at Forests for the World.