Eighty students from eight area high schools are in the final days of preparation for the annual Westmoreland County-wide outdoor environmental competition known as the Envirothon.

This exciting academic event, which has been hosted by the Westmoreland Conservation District since 1986, pits teams of ninth- to twelfth-grade students against each other in outdoor settings that test their knowledge of the natural world. 

This year’s competition will be held at Twin Lakes Park in Greensburg on April 27, beginning at 9:00 a.m. and concluding with an awards lunch.

During the hands-on competition, students may be asked to measure a tree, analyze organisms from a stream, or feel handfuls of soil to identify the type.

They will work as a team to answer questions of fact and use their critical-thinking skills to find solutions to reality-based challenges, such as how to balance use and conservation of our natural resources.

Topics include forestry, soil and land use, aquatic ecology, wildlife, and this year’s environmental issue: community and urban forestry.

Area teachers coach the student teams, with materials provided by the Envirothon.  This year, one of those teachers, Amy Kerschner of Franklin Regional High School, is attending the event for the first time as a teacher coach. 

But it’s not the first time she’s participated in an Envirothon.  In 2007, she was a student on the Franklin Regional team that took second place in that year’s Westmoreland County event.  Her teacher coach was Tom Pearson, an outdoor enthusiast who brought winning teams to the Envirothon for more than 20 years.

The 80 students scheduled to participate in this competition represent Burrell High School, Franklin Regional High School, Greensburg Central Catholic High School, Greater Latrobe High School, Mount Pleasant Area High School, Norwin High School, Southmoreland High School, and Yough Senior High School.

Westmoreland County Commissioner Ted Kopas will present awards to the top three teams.

The winning Westmoreland County team will go on to compete in the Pennsylvania State Envirothon at the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown and Windber Recreation Park on May 19 and 20.

This year’s Westmoreland County Envirothon received funding support from Pennsylvania Envirothon, Inc. and Apex Energy, LLC. 

A number of cooperating agencies also assist the Westmoreland Conservation District in hosting the event, including: Penn State Cooperative Extension, the Game Commission, Fish and Boat Commission, the DCNR Bureau of Forestry, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Westmoreland County Bureau of Parks and Recreation, and the Department of Environmental Protection.

To learn more about Envirothon activities statewide, visit the PA Envirothon website.

4/20/2015