On August 2, Pennsylvania's Envirothon team from Carmichaels Area High School in Greene County took third place out of 53 teams from the United States, Canada and China competing in the 2019 NCF Envirothon at North Carolina State University!

Congratulations to team members Jacob Hair, Ryan Swartz, Christina Adams, Stephen Zacoi, Joey Kurincak and coaches Kevin Willis and Megan Patton!

This is the second year in a row a team from Carmichaels Area High School won the Pennsylvania Envirothon and then went on to the international competition!

The Carmichaels team bested 65 other Pennsylvania Envirothon teams to win the state title this year and 50 other international teams to win third place in the international competition!

“I’d like to congratulate the Jamestown team and all of the teams for their hard work and dedication,” NCF Chair Steve Robinson said. “Their knowledge about environmental and natural resource issues, as well as their commitment to these areas, have shown me that the future of conservation is in good hands.”

The winning NCF-Envirothon teams are awarded scholarships and prizes, with the top three scoring teams receiving $30,000 in total, thanks to the support of Smithfield Foods, Inc.

As the largest corporate sponsor of NCF-Envirothon, Smithfield donated a combined $120,000 to support regional, statewide and international competitions throughout the year.

In addition to financial support from the company, Smithfield employees donated their time and expertise to the program, serving as volunteer advisors to lead training sessions, facilitate program curriculum, and coordinate activities.

“Smithfield Foods is proud to support the NCF-Envirothon competition and award the next generation of natural resource professionals,” said Bill Gill, assistant vice president of sustainability for Smithfield Foods. “The dedication, passion and expertise of these high-schoolers is inspiring.”

Click Here for a quick look at the training the team did in North Carolina.

Send Congratulations!

Send the team a congratulatory email via Lorelle Steach, PA Envirothon,: lsteach@envirothonpa.org.

PA Envirothon

The Envirothon competition was first created in 1979 by the Fulton, Luzerne and Schuylkill conservation districts.  By 1984 the program expanded to a statewide competition and then went national and international.

At the Envirothon, five-member teams participate in a series of field station tests that focus on five topic areas – soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, and environmental issues.

The teams also prepare and deliver oral presentations to panels of judges who evaluate each team on its problem-solving capabilities, oral presentation skills and recommendations to help solve the specific environmental challenge, which relates to the current environmental issue.

At the state level, the Envirothon is sponsored by Pennsylvania’s sixty-six county conservation districts, the State Conservation Commission, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts.

The program is managed by a board of directors representing those sponsors.  Technical expertise is provided by the following partners:  Department of Agriculture, Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Game Commission, Fish and Boat Commission, and U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Sponsors and partners of the 2019 Envirothon are Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Education, National Energy Foundation, Shell Oil Company, PPL, The Hershey Company, EQT Foundation, Weis, Chief Oil & Gas LLC, UGI Utilities, Car Charging Group, Pittsburgh Regional Clean Cities, and National Conservation Foundation Envirothon

For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Envirothon website, call 814-310-3271 or contact Lorelle Steach by sending email to: lsteach@envirothonpa.org.   You can also contact your county conservation district.

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[Posted: August 3, 2019]

8/5/2019