Last Friday and Saturday, May 2 and 3, Enloe’s Envirothon teams competed in the statewide NC Envirothon competition. All four of Enloe’s teams ranked in the top ten, and one team took first place, qualifying for the international championship in Calgary, Canada, from July 20 to 26.
Envirothon is an international environmental science competition club. This year’s theme is Roots and Resiliency: Fostering Forest Stewardship in a Canopy of Change. The theme revolves around protecting and promoting indigenous values and traditions (roots) and adapting to changing ecosystems and global warming (resiliency). Team members study five topics during the school year, including Aquatic Ecology, Current Environmental Issues (CEI), Forestry, Soils and Land Use, and Wildlife. During the competition, they are given one hour to prepare a 10-minute oral presentation that provides a resource management plan with a visual aid, answering a prompt including all five subject areas.
Envirothon begins with area level competitions where Enloe earned four of the seven available spots in area four. 52 teams from ten area districts across North Carolina’s counties competed at the state competition.
The first place team was Subchronic Exposure, consisting of five talented juniors: Claire Skinner (Captain), Danica Cheaz, Angelina Li, Iris Wang, and Saya Newton. Enloe’s various teams also brought home medals for the highest scores in CEI, Forestry, and Oral Presentation.
They leave for the international competition in late July where they will compete against teams from across the world. More than that, the team gets to apply all of their hard work while traveling and spending time with people that have similar interests. “I get to spend the summer with eight really cool kids,” says Mr. Ogren, Enloe’s Envirothon advisor. When asked about what she is looking forward to at Internationals, Danica Cheaz, third year Envirothoner and member of Subchronic Exposure, says, “I’m really excited to have a sleepover with the girls … [and] bust it down on the dance floor afterwards.”
Mr. Ogren has been leading Envirothon teams since 1998, and Enloe has since made internationals eight times, the most out of any school in the state. It is no surprise then, that they have formed decade-old traditions like listening to their theme song, “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor, before each competition.
Envirothon is more than just a competition, it is a great networking opportunity where you meet various professionals, train with graduate students, go on hands-on field trips, and apply your knowledge to real-life experiences. “The idea is that we learn a lot, and we have a lot of fun along the way … we become an Envirothon family,” says Mr. Ogren. With its structure and team environment, Cheaz emphasizes that Envirothon is open to people of all skill levels. She also explains, “Everyone should care about the environment because we are the ones living in it and it’s our responsibility to stay informed and make good decisions.”
Envirothon is perfect for those interested in science and the environment. They will be holding interest meetings next year in the early fall; all you have to do is fill out an interest form and commit your time. Congratulations to our Envirothon team! If the topic of the environment interests you, consider submitting an interest form next school year!
