The 2021 Northwest Envirothon was held as a virtual event. Every school year, the Alexander Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) seeks out Envirothon teams from the local middle and high schools. The Envirothon is a five-member team, hands on, environmental science education program. It is a fun filled, back to nature, competitive event where the team members learn about their environment and associated environmental problems. This academic competition focuses on 5 different categories: Aquatics, Current Environmental Issues, Forestry, Soils, & Wildlife. Students put a lot of extra time into studying to prepare for trivia, identification, and skills in each category, and the advisors dedicate a lot of time in getting the teams ready for the competition. Local Soil & Water Conservation Districts administer the Area Event and sponsor teams at the Area, State, and National Envirothons.
Subject areas included:
Aquatics – covers ecology of water, stream improvement, water chemistry, plants and animals living in or around water, pollution and conservation
Current Environmental Issues – covers any current or newsworthy environmental issue
Forestry – covers tree identification, improvement of timber stands, forest ecology, insects and diseases, use of Biltmore Stick, best management practices, forest management, and forest measurements
Soils – covers classification, erosion, soil surveys, site suitability, profiles, soil texture, characteristics, and conservation practices
Wildlife – covers habitat, identification, foods, rules & regulations, bird calls, diseases, and management
This year, the Alexander Soil and Water Conservation District was represented by three teams from East Alexander Middle School, as well as one team from Alexander Central High School in the area level NW Envirothon. EAMS team advisors were Valorie Chapman and Tina Walker. Alexander Central High School FFA team advisors were Tyler Mitchell and Scottie Cook. The top 7 scoring teams in both the middle and high school competition advance on to the State Envirothon. The “Master Minds” placed 1st out of 21 area Middle School teams at the NW Envirothon. The Cougar FFA team was the highest scoring FFA team. Both teams competed in the State Envirothon, which was held virtually on April 16th. The “Master Minds” placed 9th out of 36 middle school teams at the State Envirothon.
The Alexander Soil and Water Conservation District would like to congratulate the four teams for their hard work and efforts this year!
Anyone interested in forming a middle or high school Envirothon team or in offering a donation to the Area event can contact Pamela Bowman at 828-632-0638 or ptbowman@alexandercountync.gov for contest details and local team contact information.
Pictures:
EAMS Envirthon Teams:
Forces of Nature: Krista Wacob, Emery Miller, Izzy Ayers, and Max Clair.
The Master Minds: Aaron McLain, Kayleigh Stafford, Samantha Vick, Griffin Duncan, and Weston Brown.
Eco Warriors: James Clair, Jacie Sweet, Cade Hartis, Janeth Cruz, Alexandria Garcia
Alexander Central High School:
Cougar FFA Team: Nolan Heath, Cheyenne Childers, Grace Taraban, Anna Taraban, Avery Cook, and Team Advisor Mr. Tyler Mitchell.
