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June 15, 2006
CHARDON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WIN 2006 OHIO ENVIROTHON
Fort Jennings High School team finishes second; Carrollton High School places third
COLUMBUS, OH - A team of Chardon High School students from northeast Ohio placed first in the 2006 Ohio Envirothon, held June 11-13 at the University of Findlay, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
Twenty teams from 18 Ohio high schools participated in this year’s outdoor competition, which tested students’ knowledge of soils and land use, forestry, wildlife, aquatic ecology and current environmental issues.
First prize was a check for $300 and a chance to represent Ohio at the North American Canon Envirothon, set for July 23-29 at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada. Each student on the winning team also received a $1,000 scholarship to The Ohio State University School of Environment and Natural Resources.
The Fort Jennings High School team from Putnam County finished second in the competition, taking home a check for $200 and a $750 scholarship for each participant. A team from Carrollton High School in Carroll County placed third, winning a check for $100 and $500 scholarships in the process. This year marked the first time that a team from Carrollton High School participated in the state-level contest. They also took honors as the highest scoring “rookie” team. Each school received a plaque commemorating its winning performance.
The ODNR Division of Soil & Water Conservation and the Ohio Federation of Soil & Water Conservation Districts sponsor the annual event.
Each participating team earned the opportunity to compete at the state level by placing among the top four teams in five regional Envirothons that were held in April and May.
Each year, the Envirothon focuses on a specific environmental issue. This year’s topic centered on water stewardship in a changing climate. In addition to the field testing component, each team prepared a five-minute oral presentation about protection of the Sandusky State Scenic River and its watershed.
Professionals from ODNR, the University of Findlay, Seneca County Soil & Water Conservation District, U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency prepared the competition questions.
The Chardon High School team scored highest in the soils and oral presentation portions of the competition and tied with Fort Jennings High School on the current environmental issues portion. The Fort Jennings team scored highest in aquatic ecology. The Logan High School FFA Gold team from Hocking County topped competitors in the wildlife portion. The Triway High School team from Wayne County scored highest in forestry.
The Ohio Envirothon is funded by donations from individuals, soil and water conservation districts, local businesses, agencies and organizations. Donors for the 2006 Ohio Envirothon included American Electric Power, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Education Fund, the ODNR divisions of Wildlife and Forestry, the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation, Pheasants Forever, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, LaFarge Corporation, the Ohio Federation of Soil & Water Conservation Districts, The Ohio State University School of Natural Resources and the Canon Envirothon.
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