On Wednesday, April 24th, eight students from Warsaw Community High School (WCHS) represented the school at the State Envirothon competition held at Purdue University’s Beck Agricultural Center.
The Envirothon promotes environmental education among high school students through academic competition. The goal is to foster a deeper understanding of the natural environment and encourage stewardship of natural resources. Teams compete by answering questions in five categories: soils & land use, aquatic ecology, wildlife, forestry, and a current issue, which this year is renewable energy for a sustainable future. The competition includes both a written exam and hands-on field tests. At the state level, teams also prepare an oral presentation offering solutions to an environmental problem related to the current issue.
The team comprised of Natalie Boley, Evan Hand and Griffin Roe had an excellent showing despite being limited to three members, competing against other teams of five. They proposed expanding solar panels within Warsaw Community Schools, including at Warsaw Community High School, impressing the judges with their “very nice presentation” and teamwork.
The second team, consisting of Caleb Aukeman, Sydney Clark, Titiksha Gorhe, Bronwyn Harrison and Elizabeth Osborn, entered the state competition after winning the Northeast regionals. With the support of alternate Kevin Gough, they excelled at the state level. Their oral presentation, which proposed creating a Green Energy Park in Warsaw, scored an impressive 99/100. Judges praised their project as “usable and relevant…could be implemented tomorrow” and noted their “great attention to detail.” Their strong performance in the written exam helped them secure first place overall. As state champions, they are now eligible to represent Indiana at the NCF Envirothon Competition in Geneva, New York this summer.
A special thank you to the Kosciusko Soil and Water Conservation District for sponsoring both teams in this competition.