Eleven teams from seven different school districts participated in the annual Westmoreland County Envirothon that covers a range of environmental topics.
The event, now in its 28th year, is hosted by the Westmoreland Conservation District. It was held at Twin Lakes Park in Greensburg.
"The envirothon has pretty much stayed the same over the years," Westmoreland Conservation District Assistant Director Tony Quadro said. "The one thing that has changed is the issues with the environment. We have one current event topic every year and some of these topics are things that we weren't even aware of years ago."
Each team consists of four to five members. The students travel from station to station, spending 35 minutes at each. The five stations featured at this year's event included wildlife, aquatics, forestry, soils and the current event.
"This year's current event is a dual topic," Westmoreland Conservation District landscape architect and storm water technician Kathy Hamilton said. "This year it's non-point source pollution and low impact development."
Each station offers challenges to the students. Students work with identification or hands-on activities that define that particular subject.
At the end of each station, students are required to complete testing. The results of the testing are the determining factor to decide the event winner. The winner will then go to the state competition on May 22 at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.
"This event is important because it teaches these students the importance of the environment," Quadro said. "All of these kids are the decision-makers of tomorrow and it's good for them to be aware of the environment and of environmental issues and concerns."
Some schools bring students who have certain classes that qualify them; some schools ask for volunteers or students interested in the envirothon; and other schools, such as Southmoreland, bring students from their gifted programs.
"This is a fun event," Southmoreland student Maddy Nelson said. "We get to learn about the environment and we spend a day outside. It's a fun day and a good learning experience."
