The Northampton County Conservation District (NCCD) held its 25th annual Envirothon competition at Louise Moore Park in Bethlehem and Lower Nazareth Townships on April 21, 2022. The Envirothon is an environmental competition for students in grades 9 through 12. A team consists of five students and an advisor. Each team was given materials and study objectives in advance which they used to prepare. The students were tested in five areas: Wildlife, Forestry, Soils and Land Use, Aquatic Ecology and a current environmental issue (this year’s topic was ‘Waste to Resources’).

This year, six schools competed with a total of ten teams from Bangor Area High School, Freedom High School, Nazareth Area High School, Northampton Area High School, Pen Argyl Area High School and Saucon Valley High School.

At the competition, the teams rotated through five stations taking written tests with some hands-on application. Bangor Area High School Team Maroon – Harper Steele, Abigail Duyssen, Logan Rusche, Matt Vidal and Sarah Knitter – had the highest cumulative score and was the 1st place winner. Freedom High School Team Black placed second, and Bangor Area High School Team White placed third. Plaques, medallions, and gift cards were awarded to the top three scoring teams. County Executive Lamont McClure and Jeffrey Keifer, Chairman of the NCCD Board of Directors, presented the awards.

The event was sponsored by the NCCD, Northampton County Division of Parks & Recreation, The Pidcock Company; J.G. Petrucci Co. Inc., Joe Correia, Base Engineering, Inc., Commerce Construction Co., L.P., Majestic Realty Co., Ott Consulting, Inc., Chrin of Delaware, Bohler Engineering PA, LLC, Serfass Construction Co., Pennsylvania American Water, Schlouch, Inc., Hanover Engineering Associates, Inc., T & M Associates, Lehigh Valley Site Contractors, Inc., Wegman’s and PA Envirothon. The Conservation District receives assistance from the following agencies who are responsible for preparing, administering and correcting the tests: PA Game Commission, PA DCNR-Bureau of Forestry, PA Fish & Boat Commission, and Penn State Extension. Volunteers from the Northampton County Conservation District and Farmland Preservation. Majestic Realty and Commerce Construction Company, LLC also assisted.

Following the competition, Brad Kunsman of Penn State Extension provided a presentation on reptiles for the students.

In memory of the Conservation District’s late manager, Chryss Buchman, the District also presented “The Chryss Buchman Memorial Current Issue Award” to Pen Argyl High School’s Team Green Knights for having scored the highest at the Current Issue Station that did not place. The team was awarded a framed certificate, a gift card to purchase items for their Envirothon library, and the advisor and each team member received a Regal Cinemas gift card.

In memory of the services of long-time District Board member and Chairman, Bob Jones, the District also presented “The Robert H. Jones Memorial Soils & Land Use Award” to Northampton High School’s Team #1 for having scored the highest without placing at the Soils & Land Use Station. The team was awarded a framed certificate, a book entitled ‘Roadside Geology of Pennsylvania’ for their Envirothon library, and the advisor and each team member received a NCCD hat.

Resources and gifts from the Cooperating Agencies were also presented as station awards to teams scoring the highest at the Aquatics (Saucon Valley), Wildlife (Saucon Valley) and Forestry (Nazareth Area High School’s Team #1) stations. Annual Envirothon T-shirts and NCCD mugs were also provided to everyone who participated.

Bangor Area High School’s Team Maroon will advance to the State competition. The state competition will be held in two parts. A virtual segment consisting of the students presenting a 10 minute video followed by a 10 minute Q & A session will be scheduled for one of four days from March 16 through 19. The in-person station testing segment will be held at Camp Mt. Luther, in Mifflinburg, PA on May 25, 2022. Bangor Maroon won the county event last year and placed 4th at State competition. Good luck, Bangor Maroon!

Information provided to TVL by:
Becky Bartlett
Deputy Director of Administration
Northampton County Government Center
669 Washington Street
Easton, PA 18042
https://www.northamptoncounty.org/

 

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