SOUTH WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. — A team of students from Emmaus High School has advanced to the state Envirothon competition after placing first in Lehigh County’s contest.
- A team of students from Emmaus High School won this year's Lehigh County Envirothon
- The team will advance to the state competition May 24
- Among other county-level winners, Emmaus will compete against a team from Bangor Area High School
The school’s team included Quinn Peck, Catherine Samer, Reagan Breisch, Kara Liu, Maryn Schellenberg and Anisha Kundu. Held the last week of April at Covered Bridge Park, the Lehigh County Conservation District’s Envirothon theme was “Adapting to a Changing Climate.” Students were tested in five areas: wildlife, forestry, soils and land use, aquatic ecology and a current environmental issue.
LehighValleyNews.com has reached out to the team’s coaches for comment.
The Emmaus team will compete May 24 against other county-level winners at the state Envirothon at Camp Mt. Luther in Mifflinburg, Union County. A team from Bangor Area High School won the Northampton County competition for the eighth consecutive year.
Eight high schools and five middle schools from around the county participated in the free, outdoor environmental education event, said Laura Hopek, environmental education and outreach coordinator for the Lehigh County Conservation District.
"Students were able to get their feet wet in the creek to identify different aquatic species, and got their hands dirty in the soil pit, which was dug by South Whitehall Township staff."Laura Hopek, environmental education and outreach coordinator for the Lehigh County Conservation District
“Students were able to get their feet wet in the creek to identify different aquatic species, and got their hands dirty in the soil pit, which was dug by South Whitehall Township staff,” Hopek said.
Essentially a scholastic scrimmage for environmental science, the Envirothon combines classroom learning and outdoor activities so high school students “think critically about the natural world and their roles in it,” according to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
