O.H. Anderson (OHA) Elementary School students recently swapped their Science classroom for ice-covered White Bear Lake. Students dressed in their winter gear walked the snowy path out to the pop-ups on the lake to try out an experience that, for many, was the first time: ice fishing.
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The opportunity was made possible through ELPIS Enterprises, a non-profit organization that aims to get 10,000 youth anglers to experience ice fishing. A “No Child Left Inside” grant from the Department of Natural Resources funds their efforts. They are also supported in their efforts with staffing from nonprofits, Baztec Fishing & Outdoors, and Ardent Outdoor Group. All instruction, fishing poles, and pop-up tents are provided through the program. Family volunteers assisted the guides with instruction and support. Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office provided safety support and provided Polaris vehicle rides for students who needed physical assistance reaching the ice houses. The Mahtomedi Area Educational Foundation (MAEF) provided bus transportation to and from the school to Bellaire Beach, the launching point for the fishing lesson.
OHA Science teacher Katie Swarthout secured the opportunity by working with Karl Erickson from ElPIS. Erickson recently worked with OHA on their third-grade in-house field trip to build bird feeders. During the event, students could fish directly on the ice or in pop-up houses. Some of the pop-ups had fish finders so students could see the fish moving right under the houses.
Not only did students reel in some new science-related skills, but they did pull a few fish out of the lake. A couple of lucky anglers caught fish, and each time a fish was caught, there were loud cheers to be heard from that pop-up on the lake. Most of the catches were panfish, but there were several northern pike pulled out of the lake during the visit!