Brought to you by WBIW News and Network Indiana
Last updated on Sunday, March 25, 2018
(BEDFORD) - A Washington High School team coached by Elizabeth Schaffer, placed first earlier this month at the South Central Regional Envirothon Competition held in Bedford.
Twenty-one teams of high school students from throughout southern Indiana competed in the contest. Winners of the regional contest will go on to compete at the state contest in Lafayette on April 25. The winning team at the state level represents Indiana at the North American competition at Idaho State University in Pocatello, Idaho.
Envirothon is a competitive learning event for high school-aged students. The event tests the student's knowledge of environmental resources including aquatics, soils, forestry, wildlife and a current environmental issue. In 2018 the current issue was pasture and range. The regional contests also include presentations by local professionals in each of these resource areas.
The Washington High School team placed first. It is coached by Elizabeth Schaffer. She is proud of her team and all they learned. One of the students, Brady Turner, said of the contest: "The Envirothon atmosphere furthered my interest in environmental science and conservation and influenced my decision to pursue a major in the field at IUPUI this fall."
The Eastern High School FFA team from Pekin placed second. Coach Adam Conklin said "This group of seniors has always excelled as part of Eastern FFA. They have all been to State in Soils Judging and Forestry, and the Envirothon provides an opportunity to further advance their well-rounded knowledge and appreciation for our natural resources."
Mitchell High School placed third in this highly competitive contest. A Mitchell High School team has placed in the top three for the last five years which is an incredible run of success. Mitchell Coach Robyn Embry noted, "My AP Environmental Science students enjoy the challenge of the Envirothon competition every year. They get to hear from professionals who deal with environmental issues on a daily basis, and it helps them apply the theoretical knowledge they've learned in practical ways."
Each of the teams will not only work on their resource areas for another written test at the state competition but they'll also work on preparing for their oral presentation. At the state contest the teams will present a strategic plan on pasture management in a specific place in their area before a panel of judges. The contest is always good experience for the teams and the winning team will move on to the competition in Idaho where they will compete with teams from throughout the United States and Canada.
Washington High School Team - First Place. From left to right: Marcus Thorne, Brady Turner, Kaely Morrison, Tia Webb and Devin Lett.
Eastern High School FFA Team in Pekin - Second Place: From left to right are: Kathryn Smith, Emily Russell, James Donoho, Hayden Bobo, and Chandler Beach.
Mitchell High School Team #1 - Third Place: From left to right: Zach Young, Jessica Autrey, Annabelle Zile, Sarah Bredeweg, Zach Chastain
1340 AM WBIW welcomes comments and suggestions by calling 812.277.1340 during normal business hours or by email at comments@wbiw.com
© Ad-Venture Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.