ALBANY — State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard A. Ball today announced that county competitions to qualify high school students for the 28th annual New York State Envirothon contest are underway. Teams of students at 214 schools in 56 counties are competing for a chance to move up to the state, and ultimately national, environmental science competition. Envirothon challenges students on their knowledge of natural resource science, public speaking, and civic engagement. The state competition will take place at Hobart and William Smith Colleges on May 24 and 25, 2017.
Commissioner Ball said, “The Department of Agriculture and Markets, through its Land and Water Resources Division, works hard to help the agricultural community be even better stewards of the environment by focusing on issues like water and soil quality and climate change. I’m proud to know that we have so many young people in our State who are excited about the environment and protecting our natural resources. I wish all of the participating students well during their county competitions and look forward to seeing them advance to the national competition this summer.”
Sponsored by New York State’s Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the Envirothon Competition tests students’ knowledge and understanding of natural resource and environmental issues within New York State. Students compete in a series of hands-on, field station tests in the areas of soil/land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, and an emerging environmental issue. The 2017 environmental issue focuses on agricultural soil and water conservation stewardship.
The list of schools competing in the county-level contests can be found here.
In 2016, more than 48 teams from across New York State moved on to the two-day state competition. The teams were made up of five students from 9th to 12th grades. The team from Mount Academy in Ulster County was named the New York State Champions. Skaneateles High School in Onondaga County and Candor Central School in Tioga County were awarded second and third place.
As the State Envirothon Champion, the team from Mount Academy competed in the NCF-Envirothon. They placed 9th out of 52 teams representing the United States and Canada. Each member of the team received a scholarship.
The 2017 New York State Envirothon is made possible through the contributions of several sponsors and partnering agencies, including the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets and the NYS Soil and Water Conservation Committee. The Department’s Land and Water Division works to protect New York’s land and water resources through farmland protection, farmland conservation and proactive environmental stewardship.
Many federal and state environmental agencies, soil and water conservation districts, and higher education institutions provide expertise and help organize the event.
About NYS Envirothon
The New York State Envirothon is coordinated by the New York State Envirothon Committee consisting of members of the NYS Conservation District Employees’ Association, NYS Soil and Water Conservation Committee, NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets, and USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service. The program services hundreds of high school students throughout New York State and the five city boroughs. Winning teams from regional and county Envirothon competitions advance to the state and then to the national Envirothon, earning awards and scholarships at each level. The program is funded from contributions and grants from individuals, businesses and organizations. Contributions are tax deductible through the NYS Environmental Education Foundation and 100% of all contributions go towards the program. Additional information and sponsorship opportunities can be found at www.nysenvirothon.net.
Sponsors of the 2017 NYS Envirothon include:
Environmental Education Foundation, NYS Conservation District Employees’ Association (NYSCDEA), NY Association of Conservation Districts (NYACD), NYS Soil & Water Conservation Committee (SWCC), USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Dominion Gas Transmission, Meadowview Tree Farm Nursery LLC., Lamb & Webster Inc., Serendipity Expressions, Seneca Meadows Landfill, Terrell’s Potato Chip Company, Price Chopper, Stewart’s Shop.
—NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets
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