COLUMBUS, OH -- Teams of students from Logan High School in Hocking County and a team from Buckeye Career Center in Tuscarawas County placed first, second and third in the 2002 Ohio Envirothon, held at Hocking College June 9 through 11.
First prize, won by the Logan "Gold" Team, was a check for $250 and a chance to represent Ohio at the international Canon Envirothon, set for July 29 through August 4 at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts. It was the second consecutive first-place finish for a Logan High School team in two years.
The Logan "Blue" team finished second, taking home a check for $125. The team from Buckeye Career Center placed third, winning a check for $50 in the process. Each school received a plaque commemorating its winning performance.
Eighteen teams competed in this years Ohio Envirothon, an outdoor academic competition, testing the students' knowledge of soils, forestry, wildlife, aquatic ecology and current environmental issues. The annual contest was sponsored by the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
Each year, the Envirothon focuses on a specific environmental issue. This years topic centered on introduced species and their effect on biodiversity.
A team of five students, all from the same school, work cooperatively to answer questions at a series of five test stations. Competition questions were prepared by professionals from ODNR, the U.S. Department of Agricultures Natural Resources Conservation Service, the OEPA and The Ohio State University Extension and other agencies and institutions.
Each of the 18 competing teams in this years Ohio Envirothon earned the opportunity to compete at the state level by placing among the top four in its regional Envirothon, held in May.