A team from Ord High School represented Nebraska in the 2009 Canon Envirothon at the University of North Carolina - Asheville. The contest, held August 2nd through the 8th, featured teams from 45 states and 7 Canadian provinces.
The Ord team, who won the right to represent Nebraska by finishing first at the 2009 Nebraska Envirothon State Championship, finished 28th at the national event. Team members Aaron Kokes, Kris Hornickel, Amanda Duvall, Samantha Krikac and Debra Wray and their coach/advisor Dave Ference were accompanied to the contest by Alyssa Smola of the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts.
The Canon Envirothon is a national program for 9th – 12th grade students who compete in a wide array of subjects relating to natural resources and the environment. Each team’s knowledge is tested under the supervision of foresters, soil scientists, wildlife specialists and other natural resource professionals. Teamwork, problem-solving and presentation skills are evaluated as each team offers a panel of judges an oral presentation containing recommendations for solving the specific challenge that is presented during the competition.
The Canon Envirothon tests teams on their knowledge of soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife and a current environmental issue. The current issue for this year’s competition was Biodiversity in a Changing World. The competing teams analyzed the long-term and short-term impacts of natural environmental occurrences and human activities on genes, species and ecosystems, relative to how each may influence or directly impact their future.
A five-member team of high school students from Penncrest High School in Sanatoga, Pennsylvania, finished first at the national contest. The first-place Pennsylvania team received a total of $25,000 in Canon scholarships along with Canon video equipment for their advisor and sponsoring agency/organizations to use in science education. To see the final scores from the competition, click here.
