CA Team Takes Third at 2016 Envirothon

High School from Toronto Takes Top Honors at 2016 Envirothon

52 student teams representing the United States and Canada, plus a guest team from China, put their skills to the test at the world’s largest high school-level natural resources education competition.

A five-member team of high school students from the University of Toronto Schools has been named the winner of the 2016 Envirothon, a leading environmental education program run by the U.S.-based National Conservation Foundation (NCF). The top three scoring teams were awarded a total of $30,000 in cash prizes at an awards ceremony at Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, on Thursday.

The 2016 NCF-Envirothon’s cash prizes were sponsored by Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer and supplier. Other event sponsors included the National Association of Conservation Districts and Forests Ontario. Each year, NCF-Envirothon is organized with the assistance of numerous local conservation districts, forestry associations, educators, and cooperating natural resources agencies. This year, over 4,000 high schools across North America participated in Envirothon at the state/provincial, regional, and international levels.

“The National Conservation Foundation congratulates not only the winning team, but all the students who participated in this year’s competition,” said Tim Reich, vice chair of the NCF Board of Trustees. “We are so proud of all of the students’ efforts and their commitment to helping preserve our natural resources.”

The NCF-Envirothon tests teams on their knowledge of soils, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, and a current issue – like this year’s “invasive species.” Each team’s performance is evaluated and judged by professional foresters, soil scientists, wildlife specialists, and other natural resource experts. The teams are also asked to demonstrate their critical thinking skills by giving an oral presentation that details the specific management strategies they would use to address a given natural resources issue.

“We are proud to have represented Pennsylvania and thankful to all our state personnel, including teachers, advisors, and technical specialists who gave us so much support,” said Chrissa Kuntz, a student on the second place team.

The top 10 teams from the 2016 NCF-Envirothon were:

The 2017 Envirothon will be hosted in Emmittsburg, Maryland. For more information about Envirothon, including additional sponsors, visit www.envirothon.org.