PennWest Clarion, Clarion Conservation District and the Iron Furnace Chapter of Trout Unlimited teamed to coordinate Earth Day learning activities for nearly 200 high school students from Clarion, Venango and Forest counties April 18 at Cook Forest State Park. The day began with the release of more than 500 fingerling rainbow trout that were raised by students participating in the Trout in the Classroom program. Students then participated in sessions on fish ecology, benthic macroinvertebrate sampling and fly fishing.

PennWest science faculty Dr. Andrew Turner and Dr. Kurt Regester, along with six PennWest students, helped to run the events.

It is estimated that 20 million people turned out for the first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, to celebrate our environment and learn about the science of ecology. Fifty-four years later, the tradition is ongoing.