Teens go green at Pike/Wayne Envirothon

By SANDY LONG

GREENTOWN, PA — A wide-eyed group of nervous high school students watched with fascination as Wildlife Conservation officer John Cummings lifted the rattlesnake from the large container with the words, “Danger! Venomous reptile!” written on the side. As the snake moved slowly through the grass, Cummings shared information to enhance the students’ knowledge of the reptile.

The ninth through twelfth graders had just completed the aquatics section of a five-part test which is part of the Pike/Wayne Envirothon, an annual competition for high school students designed to test their knowledge, skills and problem solving abilities related to the earth’s natural resources.

Coordinated by the Pike and Wayne County Conservation districts, the event was conducted on May 3 at Promised Land State Park in Greentown, PA. Teams from high schools in Pike and Wayne counties in Pennsylvania prepared for the competition by studying field guides, identifying aquatic macro invertebrates, learning about soil structure and more. This year’s special question focused on alternative and renewable energy.

In addition to the special question, students must demonstrate knowledge of aquatic ecology, forestry, soils and wildlife by completing both oral and written components of the competition.

During the event, students receive hands-on instruction from aquatic biologists, foresters, soil scientists, wildlife specialists and environmental technicians from county, state and federal agencies as well as other environmental organizations. This year, guided by Promised Land State Park environmental education specialist Jen Naugle, students enjoyed a special opportunity to view a pair of nesting eagles and their young from an observation deck.

The Pike/Wayne Envirothon has been conducted for 17 years, according to Michele Ulmer, education coordinator of the Pike County Conservation District (PCCD). “This is a great event for students who have a strong interest in their environment and the abundant natural resources of our region. It provides students an opportunity to meet with cooperating agency personnel for some hands-on experiences in the great outdoors,” said Ulmer. “This enhances their appreciation for our natural world and hopefully helps them carry these experiences into their adult life to become responsible stewards of the environment.”

With team names like the Geo-Thermal Maniacs, the Solar Winds and the Sunburnt Hornets, and prizes like tree seedlings and hand-cranked flashlights, the event encourages and rewards student creativity.

“They study for this event all year and it’s great to see that hard work pay off for the winners of the competition,” said Ulmer. “Each year I am impressed with the students who participate; they truly enjoy the outdoors and look forward to this event.”

The flag competition, where students design and create a flag using their team name and concept, was won by the Enviro-Freaks of Lake Wallenpaupack High School, Hawley, PA. First place overall was won by the Austinators of Honesdale High School, who will represent Wayne County in the statewide competition to be held on May 21 and 22 at Penn State University in Centre County. The Enviro-Freaks will represent Pike County.

Sixty-five teams are expected to compete in the Pennsylvania Envirothon. The winning team will represent Pennsylvania at the 2007 Canon Envirothon on July 29-August 4 in Geneva, NY.

Pennsylvania’s 66 county conservation districts, the State Conservation Commission and the PA Association of Conservation Districts sponsor the Pennsylvania Envirothon program, which also awards scholarships to the top three teams at the statewide level.