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June 18, 2007
CHARDON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WIN 2007 OHIO ENVIROTHON
Wynford High School team finishes second; Fort Jennings High School places third
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| Chardon High School Team |
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| Wynford High School Team |
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| Fort Jennings High School Team |
COLUMBUS, OH - A team of Chardon High School students placed first in the 2007 Ohio Envirothon, held at Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware June 10-12. This year marks the third consecutive first-place win for the Chardon team.
Twenty teams from 19 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 registration as Ohio’s representative to the North American Canon Envirothon, set for July 29-August 4 at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. There, students will compete for $107,500 in academic scholarships. Students from 52 states and provinces are expected to participate.
The Wynford High School team from Crawford County finished second in the competition, taking home a check for $200. This was the first time a team from Wynford High has been represented at the state-level contest. They also took honors as the high scoring “rookie” team in the event. A team from Fort Jennings High School in Putnam County placed third, winning a check for $100. Each of the teams also received a plaque to display at their school.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (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. In all, 348 teams competed for a chance to attend the state event.
Each year, the Envirothon focuses on a specific environmental issue. This year’s topic, alternative and sustainable energy, encouraged students to study biofuels, wind, solar, hydro, and other non-fossil sources of energy. In addition to a field-testing exercise, each team prepared a five-minute oral presentation, which was delivered to a panel of experts.
Professionals from ODNR, Seneca and Union Soil and Water Conservation Districts, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and Forest Service, Clean Fuels Ohio, and Ohio Department of Development’s Office of Energy Efficiency prepared questions for the contest.
High scores in the individual contest components were:
- Chardon team Wildlife, Current Environmental Issue;
- Wynford High Soils;
- Fort Jennings team Aquatic Ecology;
- Jackson High School - Forestry;
- Edgewood High (Ashtabula County, and another “rookie” team) - Oral Presentation.
The Ohio Envirothon is funded by donations from individuals, soil and water conservation districts, local businesses, agencies and organizations. Donors for the 2007 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, International Paper, the Ohio Federation of Soil & Water Conservation Districts, and Canon Envirothon.
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