LOWER NAZARETH TWP., Pa. — Twelve teams from seven Northampton County schools will compete this month in an environmental competition.
“At the competition, the teams will rotate through five stations taking written tests with hands-on applications,” according to a Monday news release from county officials.
“The team with the highest cumulative score is the winner.”
"The envirothon is a free environmental education program that combines classroom learning and outdoor activities where students will compete for scholarships and prizes."Lehigh County Conservation District website
Held by the Northampton County Conservation District, the annual Envirothon is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, April 18, at Louise W. Moore County Park, 151 Country Club Road.
Teams will be tested in a handful of topics, including: wildlife, forestry, soils and land use, aquatic ecology and a current environmental issue.
Competing teams include: Bangor Area, Nazareth Area, Northampton Area and Pen Argyl Area high schools, Freedom and Saucon Valley high schools and Moravian Academy.
Lehigh County’s Envirothon is slated for April 23 and April 25 at Covered Bridge Park, South Whitehall Township.
"The Envirothon is a free environmental education program that combines classroom learning and outdoor activities where students will compete for scholarships and prizes," according to Lehigh County Conservation District's website.
"This exposure to nature and seeing how humans impact the natural world provide invaluable lessons for understanding ecosystems and our environment."
Scholastic scrimmage for science
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.
A team consists of five students and an adviser.
This year’s theme is “Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Future.”Northampton County officials
This year’s theme is “Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Future.”
Plaques, medallions and gift cards will be awarded to the top three scoring teams at the county competition, as well as prizes for the highest score achieved for each station test.
The winner will advance to the state competition, which is scheduled to be held May 22 at Camp Mt. Luther in Mifflinburg.
“We will also be giving a prize in honor of Chryss Buchman, our previous manager who passed away in 2016, to the highest-scoring team at the Current Issue Station,” officials said in the news release.
“We also provide an honor award to the team scoring the highest in the Soils Station in the name of the late Robert H. Jones, a previous board director of the Northampton County Conservation District.
“All participants will also receive event T-shirts and certificates of participation.”
Last year, Bangor Area High School’s team, the winner of the Northampton County competition, placed ninth in the statewide Envirothon competition.
The other team to compete from the Leigh Valley, with students from Emmaus High School, did not place in the Top 10.
