This year, 9 WA State high schools – including 66 students and team advisers participated in the Washington State Envirothon, hosted by the King Conservation District in North Bend. The team from Okanogan HS won and represented Washington State at the National event in Maryland.
Check out the event report and more details here!
Washington State Envirothon 2017 Report
Current Issue: Agricultural Soil and Water Conservation Stewardship
Host: King Conservation District
Winning team: Okanogan High School
Participants: 9 high schools, 10 teams, 54 students, 12 advisors, 23 volunteers
Event Overview
The 2017 Washington State Envirothon Competition was held at Camp Waskowitz in North Bend, WA on Thursday, May 18th from 8:00 AM-2:30 PM. Teams from all over Washington arrived Wednesday afternoon for registration followed by a forest scavenger hunt. During the scavenger hunt, students were encouraged to take photos of the natural resources listed on the scavenger hunt, such as invasive plants, erosion, plant ID, etc. Following dinner on Wednesday, students listened to presentations around the current issue topic, which were given by Erin Ericson of the Snoqualmie Valley Preservation Alliance and Paul Borne, a resource specialist at King Conservation District. The night ended with prepping for oral presentations and S’mores down by the fire along the Snoqualmie River. Participating competitors and volunteers were provided meals and lodging on-site, with teams graciously sponsored by Conservation Districts (CDs) from corresponding regions. Many WA State CDs and natural resource organizations worked with the host CD, King Conservation District, in order to create a successful and enjoyable event. This remarkable competition provides high school students with an opportunity to challenge their understanding of critical Natural Resource topics including: Aquatic Ecology, Current Issues (updated annually), Forestry, Soils/Land Use, and Wildlife. In addition to testing in each of the categories, students were also asked to complete presentations based on a provided scenario focused upon the Current Issue, this year it was Agricultural Soil and Water Conservation Stewardship. The students received the scenarios two weeks prior to the competition and were given the opportunity to do research and include technology to have a visual aide.
The students that compete in this event are incredibly inspiring- they work VERY hard to prepare, are impressively intelligent, and are often extremely respectful during the event. Many Natural Resource professionals contributed their time to help make this event possible, including professionals from various Conservation Districts, the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), and Environmental Consulting organizations. Students are offered a chance to network with these respected professionals and learn more about potential career fields for the future. In total, 9 WA State high schools participated in the competition- including 66 students and team advisors. The top placing teams were very close and the tests had to be reviewed a few extra times before a winner was announced, but Okanogan H.S. won first place in the competition with additional “best test” awards in Aquatic Ecology. The Science and Math Institute in Tacoma (SAMI) came in a close second, with Tekoa H.S. not far behind. This event was made possible by 23 volunteers, who worked as presentation judges, test writers/proctors, scorekeepers, and any other task that came up. Donor organizations included: The Washington State Conservation Commission, The Washington Conservation Society, Washington Association Conservation Districts, Washington Society of Professional Soil Scientists, and Washington Foresters. As event coordinator, it was an absolute pleasure to witness so many individuals and organizations work together to contribute to such a crucial component of natural resource integration within secondary education- Thank you very much!
Zorah Oppenheimer of Clark CD interviews Jon Wilkus, a student from Okanogan.
Students try to identify plants in the wildlife station led by Denise Smee and Stu Trefry.
Students from SAMI try to identify the soil profile at the soil station led by Toby Rodgers.
The Second Place Team from SAMI in Tacoma pose with their awards and KCD Supervisor, Dick Ryon.
The Third place team from Tekoa High School pose with their awards and KCD Supervisor, Dick Ryon.
Results:
| Award | High School |
| 1st Place | Okanogan H.S. |
| 2nd Place | Science and Math Institute (SAMI) |
| 3rd Place | Tekoa High School |
| High Score Aquatic Ecology | Okanogan H.S. |
| High Score Current Issues | Center for Agriculture, Science, and Environmental Education (CASEE) |
| High Score Forestry | Center for Agriculture, Science, and Environmental Education (CASEE) and Mercer Slough |
| High Score Presentation | Tekoa High School |
| High Score Soils | Science and Math Institute (SAMI) |
| High Score Wildlife | Okanogan H.S. Alternates Team |
Participation:
| Sponsor Conservation District | High School |
| Palouse CD | Garfield-Palouse |
| Pine Creek CD | Tekoa |
| Okanogan CD | Okanogan |
| King CD | Mercer Slough |
| Pacific | Llwaco |
| Pierce CD | Science and Math Institute (SAMI) |
| Grant County CD | Quincy |
| Foster Creek | Bridgeport |
| Clark CD | Center for Agriculture, Science, and Environmental Education (CASEE) |
Washington State Envirothon 