Carmichaels team places in competition
A team of five Carmichaels Area High School students representing Greene County in the 2016 State Envirothon competition last week finished third overall at the event.
High school students from 65 counties in the state participated in the 33rd annual event May 24 and 25 at Susquehanna University and Camp Mount Luther.
The third place finish marks the seventh year in a row the Greene County team’s representatives placed in the top 5 at the state Envirothon. A team from Carmichaels represented Greene County in the state competition every year since 2003.
“It’s something unique,” said Kevin Willis, the team’s coach and a science teacher at Carmichaels. “They really have to want to do it. It’s a testament to the kids and to the school for their support.”
The team had the highest score in the current issue station, second highest in forestry and was only 25.6 points away from first place.
The team included Brady Watters, Blake Conard, Emma Lowry, Kaleb Wilson and Ryan Swartz. Their squad won the county competition held May 4 at Wana B Park to determine which school’s team would go to the statewide event.
“I’m always amazed at the effort they put in,” Willis said, adding some students pursue careers studying the environment because of the competition. “When you’re actually there and get to experience five-member teams from 65 counties, that’s a lot of people and the best in Pennsylvania. For my students, who were just 24 or 25 points away from first place, I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
Each team member received a $500 scholarship from the Envirothon. The team also was awarded a wooden plaque made from Pennsylvania hardwoods for its third-place finish, along with the Donna Hays Memorial Award plaque and preserved invasive species specimens and field guides.
Penncrest High School in Delaware County won the competition while Palmyra Area High School, in Lebanon County finished second.
During the Envirothon competition, five-member teams participate in a series of field station tests focusing on five topics that include soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife and environmental issues. This year’s competition focused on invasive species as its environmental issue. The teams also delivered presentations to judges, who evaluated 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.
The team from Delaware County will now represent Pennsylvania at the 28th North American competition planned next month in Peterborough, Ontario.