A field trip to the historical Fairport Fish Hatchery took several MHSAP families on a road trip to a beautiful site near Muscatine, Iowa. We learned that the grounds we spent the day on housed the first interior research station for fish and mussels in the United States and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places! To top it off, we were the first official group of students to tour it! Sandy Stevens from the Friends of Fairport Fish Hatchery group shared the rich history and significance of the site, including the rise and fall of the Muscatine Pearl Button industry and the demise of the incredible mussel population that once made the Mississippi river safe to drink from. Andy Fowler, with the Iowa DNR, talked about the work he did at the hatchery to help raise warm-water angling favorites like bass and bluegill that are then used to stock lakes and rivers.
A unique opportunity to celebrate Earth Day at the Hatchery will be coming up on April 20. If you didn’t get a chance to join us on the field trip, find more information at https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=2082866575431236&set=gm.2371162126416717&idorvanity=1578932308973040
Find more information about the Hatchery at https://www.muscatinecountyiowa.gov/581/Fairport-Fish-Hatchery
Thank you Fairport Fish Hatchery for having us!