On July 28, the 2021 National Conservation Foundation Envirothon announced Pennsylvania’s Envirothon Team from Pleasant Valley High School in Monroe County placed seventh in the international Envirothon competition held in Nebraska this week.

The Pleasant Valley team captain is Emma Barrett, and team members are Zachary Dooner, Reece Kresge, Megan Chechel and Benjamin Keppel. They are advised by Maricatherine Garr.  [Read more here]

The team will receive a $2,500 scholarship as a result of their seventh place win.

The virtual international competition attracted 41 teams from across the United States, Canada and China who demonstrated their knowledge of soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry and wildlife management.

The teams also prepared oral presentations on this year’s current issue, “Water Resources Management: Local Control, Local Solutions"

Click Here for the complete announcement on the international competition.

2021 PA Envirothon

Pennsylvania also held a virtual Envirothon competition in 2021.  Click Here for the complete state results.

Envirothon History

The first-ever Envirothon competition was created in Pennsylvania in 1979 by the Fulton, Luzerne and Schuylkill conservation districts and by 1984 the program expanded to a statewide competition and then nationally and internationally.

Now more than 15,000 high school students across the state compete in 67 county Envirothons.

Pennsylvania has won the International Envirothon competition in 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2009 and 2017 and frequently places in the top 10 finishers.

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, U.S.D.A. Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Penn State Extension. 

Sponsors and partners of the 2021 Envirothon are Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Department of Education, PSECU, Shell Oil Company, PPL, EQT Foundation, Weis, Chief Oil & Gas LLC, UGI Utilities, PA Trappers Association, Mid-Atlantic Chapter International Erosion Control Association, and National Conservation Foundation Envirothon. 

For more information, visit the Pennsylvania Envirothon website.  Click Here to sign up for email updates.  Questions should be directed to Lorelle Steach, Executive Director, PA Envirothon, by calling 814-310-3271.

(Photo: Wilkes-Barre Times Leader.)

[Posted: July 28, 2021]

8/2/2021