11 year raises money for Lake Sturgeon

[kickingfrog]

http://www.nugget.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1478534

 

 

Nothin' fishy about this

HELPING OUT: Students raise money to adopt lake sturgeon

Posted By JENNIFER HAMILTON-MCCHARLES, THE NUGGET

Updated 1 day ago

 

 

Lake sturgeon can't cry for help, so Mackenzie Willis is advocating on their behalf.

 

The 11-year-old suggested the idea to raise enough money to adopt a lake sturgeon and his campaign took off immediately.

 

The Grade 6 class at Vincent Massey Public School jumped on board and started to fundraise.

 

Hundreds of candy-cane-o-grams were sold throughout December for 50 cents each, raising more than $600.

 

Lauren Daniels loves animals so much she gave up her lunch-hour recess for a month to help raise money.

 

Every day we would wrap candy canes. It was a sacrifice, but it was worth it."

 

The 12-year-old said she's never seen the monster fish.

 

We have a chance to go out in a boat this spring. I can't wait to see them up close."

 

Not only were they able to adopt two fish, there was money left over to donate to the Polar Bear Centre in Cochrane.

 

The Greater Nipissing Stewardship Council arrived at the school Friday morning to accept an oversized cheque for $200.

 

The money will be used to monitor lake sturgeon, which have been classified as a species at risk for almost two decades.

 

 

Scott Kaufman, Ministry of Natural Resources biologist specializing in large lakes, said without the help of schools like Vincent Massey, monitoring the fish wouldn't be as extensive and detailed.

 

He said there are about 400 adult lake sturgeon in Lake Nipissing, which is an improvement from several years ago.

 

He said the season for lake sturgeon has been closed since 1991, which helped increase their numbers.

 

Anyone can adopt a sturgeon for $100. Adopters receive a certificate with a photo of them holding their fish along with biological information and tag number. When a fish is recaptured, they receive an update.

 

Scott Kaufman, a Ministry of Natural Resources biologist specializing in large lakes, demonstrates to the students at Vincent Massey Public School some of the ways lake sturgeon are monitored. The school adopted two sturgeon.

 

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About sturgeon

 

Lake sturgeon is the largest freshwater fish in North America.

 

They are an ancient species whose fossils date back more than 65 million years.

 

The largest lake sturgeon on record was 2.4 metres and 140 kilograms. The largest sturgeon caught on Lake Nipissing weighed 88.9 kg near Umbrella Island in 1955.

 

A 94.3 kg sturgeon taken from Lake of Woods in 1953 was estimated to be 154 years old, born in 1799.

 

Ministry of Natural Resources assessments are conducted at Chapman's Chutes in South River and in Sturgeon Falls. Each fish is identified by a microchip.

 

Source: Lake Sturgeon and Adopt a Sturgeon

 

Article ID# 1478534