BROOKVILLE, Ohio — The excitement was contagious as the students gathered on the morning of April 24 for the opening of the 2018 Area IV Envirothon, cheering the professionals who had prepared the tests that students would be taking a short bit later at the testing sites.
Not even the threat of rain, which thankfully never amounted to more than some misty conditions and a few drops here and there, dampened enthusiasm. Students and teachers who are veterans of the event know to dress for the weather.
“I am so excited to have this event in Montgomery County at this beautiful site,” said Kristen Lauer from the Montgomery Soil & Water Conservation District. “The Envirothon offers such a unique opportunity for students to learn from professionals who work in different aspects of natural resources conservation.”
Competition was intense. Each team consists of five students. An adult advisor must accompany the team, but is not permitted to assist the team during the competition. Students and their teachers had spent many hours preparing, pouring over study guides, participating in practice Envirothons in their home counties, securing busing and learning from natural resources professionals.
During the next few hours, 92 teams made up of over 450 students from an 18-county area in the southwest corner of Ohio worked to answer questions on the topics of Aquatic Ecology, Forestry, Soils, Wildlife and the Current Environmental Issue of Rangeland Grazing. Eleven teams from six Montgomery County schools took part in the competition. These included Archbishop Alter, Brookville, Centerville, Miamisburg, Miami Valley CTC and Valley View High Schools.
The 2018 Area IV Envirothon brought the contest back into Montgomery County for the first time in 25 years. Each year, a different team of SWCDs plan and host the event. This year, the Montgomery and Miami SWCDs collaborated to host the event at the beautiful and diverse Possum Creek MetroPark.
Possum Creek was a perfect fit, with its mix of high quality habitats all situated in close proximity to one another. The hosting Five Rivers MetroParks staff were very accommodating and worked with the committee closely to make sure the contest had what was needed and flowed smoothly.
Major sponsorship for the Area IV Envirothon comes from Cargill, Inc., Honda of America and the 18 Soil & Water Conservation Districts in Southwest Ohio. Test writers were professionals who represented Five Rivers MetroParks, the Miami Conservancy District, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Department of Agriculture.
A new component to the 2018 event was the addition of a Student Journalist. The first ever Area IV Envirothon ‘Student Journalist,’ Aaron Turner from Fayette Christian School, discretely circulated around the grounds, documenting the process. The goal of the Student Journalism component is to expand the reach of the Area IV Envirothon into the fields of journalism and public relations.
Through the professional and enthusiastic participation of students in this aspect of the contest, the Area IV Envirothon and the message of conservation can be further promoted. Additionally, this allows students to prepare the conservation message for their peers in innovative and creative ways.
The top scoring teams for 2018 were from Centerville (first and third), Beavercreek, and Russia High Schools. The top four teams from the event advance to the Ohio Envirothon, where they will compete with top teams from the other four areas in the state.
One or more teams from Montgomery County have progressed to the State Envirothon for at least twelve of the last sixteen years. This year continues that prestigious record. The winning team from the Ohio Envirothon then advances to the North American Envirothon, which in 2018 will be held in Idaho.
“This is a great opportunity for students to put concepts into practice in a true context,” said Lauer. “Concepts become very real when students get to use them outside while working on questions written by professionals in each area of testing. We are proud of the high skill level that Montgomery County students continue to show at this event, and excited for Centerville’s teams to compete at the State Envirothon.”
This event is a true example of many groups working together to provide a wonderful opportunity for students to learn through experience. These contests are open to any Montgomery County schools.
If you have never participated and would like to, please contact Education/Information Specialist Kristen Lauer at LauerK@mcohio.org or 937-854-7645 ext. 0521 with questions. Go to www.MontgomerySWCD.org for links to brochures and registration forms for these events. Feel free to share this with other interested teachers, and if you are outside of Montgomery County, contact your local SWCD for details on their events.
— Montgomery Soil & Water Conservation District