Westfield State field hockey player Kate Moss, along with Chester Elementary School students Cami Rock, Meghan Main and Jess Van Heynigen, stocks the Westfield River with salmon fry.
Several members of the Westfield State field hockey team recently assisted students at the Chester (Mass.) Elementary School with an interesting class project - re-stocking the Westfield River with salmon.
The third and fourth grades at the elementary school had been raising salmon in their classroom since the eggs were delivered in early spring. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provided all equipment needed for classrooms to participate in a restocking effort throughout the Connecticut River Watershed.
The class recently released the fry into the West Branch of the Westfield River, which is located directly behind the elementary school. With the help of Westfield State professors Michael Young and Michael Vorwerk, several parents, and Westfield Sate field hockey members Kate Moss and Taylor Murray, about 125 fry were released safely.
"It was a very educational and unique project," said Chester Elementary School teacher Heather Cabral, who also serves as the Westfield State field hockey head coach.
Later that same evening, the Chester PTO held its annual spaghetti supper fundraiser, and four more field hockey team members - Alyssa Wesoly, Libby Bouley, Amanda Burns, Christina Connolly - joined Moss and Taylor. The field hockey players helped with set up and clean up, delivered desserts, sold baked goods, and collected money and tickets at the door.