Bobcat Stories

By Kim Fike
Field Science Educator

How do we connect kids to an endangered animal that is out of sight and out of mind? How do we ignite curiosity and passion for protecting our local habitats? We bring the endangered Rio Grande silvery minnow to our school and into our classrooms! Students then care for and eventually release these fish by hand into their natural habitat, the Rio Grande. 

Currently, we have 70 silvery minnows in two classrooms on campus. In partnership with the Albuquerque BioPark and with permission from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, we have begun the first steps of a much larger project involving the silvery minnows on our campus. This little fish is found in only about 7% of its historic range, from Cochiti Dam to Elephant Butte. Due to persistent drought conditions and habitat alteration, this fish would likely not exist in the river without human intervention. Therefore, we will do what we can to help the species to survive.

Our long-term goal is to build a breeding facility in collaboration with the Albuquerque Water Utility Authority to rear tens of thousands of silvery minnows on our campus. These fish will then be released by our Bosque School students, alongside thousands of other students from the Albuquerque area. Every year, the Water Utility Authority works with all of Albuquerque’s 4th graders, around 5,800 students each year. All of these small hands will have the opportunity to do their part as stewards and help preserve this endangered species.

These fish are much more than just cute little slippery swimmers. They are teachers. They teach us the value of coming together as a community to collaborate on big ideas. They teach us that though conservation can sometimes be complicated, it is possible. They teach us the value of resilience—despite all of the challenges they face, the minnows persist. Finally, they teach us to slow down, to pay attention to the little things, because they matter too. 

In these times of a changing climate, as Bosque School teacher Dan Saw says, “We will do all in our power not to leave our kids with a dry river inheritance.”