A five-member team from Craig County High School took second place in the Mountain Castles Soil & Water Conservation District (MCSWCD) Envirothon on Thursday, April 12, at Fenwick Mines Recreation Area near New Castle.
Cole Saunders, Michael Hinson, Will Looney, Briana Charlton and Meaghan Looney went on to represent the school at the Area I Envirothon competition May 2 at the Cyrus McCormick Farm at Steeles Tavern in Rockbridge County.
The CCHS #2 Team placed second in the district high school competition behind a Lord Botetourt High School team. A James River High School team placed third among the five high school teams in the competition.
Nine middle school teams also participated in the Envirothon, but only high school teams move on to the area competition.
The top three high school teams from each SWCD competition qualified for the May 2 area competition. Six districts make up Area I and it includes the counties and cities of Rockbridge, Lexington, Buena Vista, Rockingham, Page, Harrisonburg, Warren, Shenandoah, Clarke, Frederick, Bath, Alleghany, Highland, Covington, Botetourt, Craig, Augusta, Staunton and Waynesboro.
The top three teams in each of the six area competitions qualify for the May 20-21 state competition at Ferrum College in Rocky Mount.
Envirothon consists of five “in-the-field” test stations – soils, wildlife, aquatics, forestry and a current environmental issue – where teams answer questions in both written and hands-on formats. During an oral presentation at the area and state competitions, teams brief their solution to the current environmental issue before industry and natural resource professionals who serve as judges. The issue for the 2018 Envirothon is “Pastureland Management.”
Students work in teams of five and are encouraged to work throughout the school year to prepare to compete at the local district level to qualify to compete at the area level. While the Envirothon events are competitive, education is the bottom line.
Team members from Craig County High School #2 work on answering questions at the Wildlife Station during last week’s district Envirothon. (From left are Michael Hinson, Briana Charlton Meaghan Looney and Will Looney.
A $50,000 annual grant has made Dominion Resources the primary state sponsor for the program throughout Virginia.
Envirothon is run by the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (VASWCD) and Virginia’s 47 Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
Individuals interested in volunteering or learning more about starting an Envirothon team at their high school, 4-H, FFA, Ecology club or homeschool group should contact their local Soil and Water Conservation District or the VASWCD at (804) 559-0324.
