South Haven's Chapter 2010 Tournament Schedule

South Haven Steelheaders Host

“Salmon in the Schools”

Left to right: Mark Wilson, Kevin Powell (holding the container of eggs), and Bob Filbrandt.

Left to right: Mark, Kevin and Bob placing the eggs into the 50 gallon aquarium. Note the chiller tubing at the rear of the aquarium.  The water needs to be kept at around 50F and free from any contaminants.

Tuesday, November 13, 2007 was the official kickoff day for a new “Salmon in the Schools” program at South Haven High School.  The program provides fertilized salmon eggs to a high school biology classroom, and the teacher and students provide the support and care of the eggs until they become fish 3-4 inches long and are released into the Steelheaders’ net pen to begin their life cycle in the Black River and Lake Michigan .  The local Steelheader chapter provided financing for all of the equipment and supplies, but the job of monitoring and rearing of the salmon belongs to the teacher and students.  The Salmon in the Schools program started in early 2007 with Bud Potts who consulted with South Haven regarding the Salmon in the Schools programs that had been sponsored in the Grand Rapids Schools over the past several years.  Bud headed up the effort and still does. South Haven then asked Bud to a meeting to explain the program, and a decision was made to participate.  The program is new to our area, and biology teacher Kevin Powell is very excited to have this new “live” teaching program available to his classes.  Kevin recently joined the local Chapter and immediately volunteered to host the program.  Mark Wilson, a local entrepreneur and spouse of a South Haven math teacher, and Bob Filbrandt of Bob’s Processing in South Haven, got the ball rolling and both played significant roles in procuring the equipment and helping to set up the program. 

The students will observe the salmon go thru a series of developmental stages from egg to fish in the next 4-5 months before they are placed in the net pen in the Black River in mid-April.  They will then be released from the net pen in early May to complete their life cycle in Lake Michigan .  Powell says, “this program will help students to learn biological processes as well as to become acquainted with the fishery and its importance to South Haven as a fishing and tourist destination.”  With the success of the program at the high school, the local Steelheaders Chapter hopes to expand the program in the future.

Minutes from South Haven Steelheader Meetings

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