A team of students from Penncrest High School in Delaware County is the winner of this year’s State Envirothon competition held May 19-20 at Penn State University, Centre County.

Led by team advisors Mark Samilenko and Chrissa Kuntz, and pictured in the photo, are winning team members Elizabeth Freeburg, Katie Ferguson, Katie Davis, Jennifer Walker, and Alex Senko.

Rounding out the top five teams were: Second place -- Northern York High School, York County; Third place -- North East High School, Erie County; Fourth place -- Warren Area High School, Warren County; and Fifth place -- Union County Homeschoolers, Union County.

High school students from 66 Pennsylvania counties participated in this year’s event. The Envirothon is designed to give students an opportunity to acquire and demonstrate their knowledge of environmental resources and their connection to each other and human activities. The students are challenged in the areas of aquatic ecology, forestry, soil/land use, wildlife and a current environmental issue.

An oral component event was held on the Monday before the testing event. The oral component consists of a team presentation to a panel of judges taking part in a question/answer session based on the current issue theme. A timed event, the competition tests a team’s ability to consider an environmental issue, discuss its likely ramifications and effects, develop possible solutions, and then make a presentation before a group of judges and answer their questions.

This year’s oral component scenario was based on recreational impacts on the natural environment. Participation was mandatory and was included in the overall competition score.

The top five teams in the oral competition are: First place -- Westmoreland Enrichment Classes, Westmoreland County; Second place -- Penncrest High School, Delaware County; Third place -- North East High School, Erie County; Fourth place -- Lackawanna Trail High School, Wyoming County; and Fifth place -- Union County Homeschoolers, Union County.

Teams participating represent the best and the brightest of the thousands of high school teens who have competed in county Envirothon competitions sponsored by conservation districts across the state. At the state level, the Envirothon is sponsored by Pennsylvania’s 66 conservation districts, the State Conservation Commission, and the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts.

The 2008 Pennsylvania Envirothon champions will represent the Commonwealth at the 21st Canon Envirothon North American competition July 28–August 3 at Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Ariz.

Pennsylvania has won the North American event 10 times in the previous 20 years, more than any of the other 48 states and eight Canadian provinces that participate.

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

Financial sponsors of the 2008 Envirothon are: Air Products and Chemicals, PPL Corp., Nestle Water North America, Recreational Equipment Inc., The AES Corp., Bayer HealthCare Consumer Care, First Quality Enterprises, Canon Envirothon, Conestoga Wood Specialties, The Hershey Co., the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association, Haines and Kibblehouse and International Erosion Control Association/Mid-Atlantic Chapter. The Hershey Co., Dwight Lewis Lumber, Lewis Lumber Products, and Cargill are “Corporate Station Sponsors.”

Scholarship prizes are sponsored by the Department of Agriculture in cooperation with the State Conservation Commission.

For more information, visit the PA Envirothon website, contact your local conservation district or contact the Pennsylvania Envirothon by phone 814-623-7900 ext. 111 or send email to: paenvirothon@pennswoods.net.

5/23/2008