NORTHUMBERLAND -- More than 50 teams totaling 250 high school students from Columbia, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and Union counties participated in the annual Susquehanna Valley Envirothon on Tuesday at the Shikellamy State Park Overlook.
Students in grades nine through 12 were tested at five stations on aquatics, forestry, wildlife, soils and a current issue, alternative and renewable energy.
Lewisburg's team learned about log rafting with their teacher, Van Wagner, on Tuesday morning, while a few yards away, some students slaved over their first test of the day at the current issues station, although for some, it was a good start to the morning.
"It was very easy. I think we passed with flying colors," said Scooter Gass, of the Lewisburg team.
Across the overlook, more students examined trees and tried to identify them.
Most of the students at Tuesday's event weren't looking forward to hitting the soil test because it's a difficult one, consisting of work with buckets and in a trench to examine the various layers of soil.
"It's pretty challenging," said Carlie Chiavaroli, of Our Lady of Lourdes Regional High School, Coal Township. "They get into a lot of detail about the local environment. If you want a challenge, if you really want to test yourself, this is a good test to take."
The overall winner of Tuesday's competition was the Future HOPE team, a group of home-schooled students from Snyder County. This is the sixth consecutive year that the team has won the event.
"It's hard work," said Michael Hoffman, 16, of Mount Pleasant Mills.
He and his advisers, Barbara Angstadt, of Middleburg, and Jennifer Caplinger, of New Berlin, said work to prepare for the event is ongoing through independent study and field trips.
"We all have an interest in the outdoors," said Daniel Wise, 16, of New Berlin. "That's why we do it."
Other members of the team are Kelcie Angstadt, 15, of Middleburg; Miriam Wise, 17, of New Berlin; and Nathaniel Wise, 16, of New Berlin.
Individual county winners were Southern Columbia High School, for Columbia County; Sunbury Christian Academy, Northumberland County; Future HOPE, Snyder County; and Mifflinburg Area High School, Union County.
Teams that ranked high at individual stations were Future HOPE in soils and forestry, Southern Columbia in aquatics and wildlife and Shikellamy High School in current issues.
The top five teams from Tuesday's competition will advance to the state competition, to be held this month at Pennsylvania State University.
And while the students who move on to states will see the same five main stations, they also will have to tackle another obstacle that they didn't encounter Tuesday: an oral presentation.
Winners of the state competition will advance to the Canon Envirothon this summer in New York.
n Chris O'Rourke is the news director at CCN News 8 in Danville.
News
Related Photos
Related Links
Discussion
Home-schooled students are tops at Envirothon
Home-schooled students are tops at Envirothon
- News
-
-
Storms pound region
A series of thunderstorms prompted flash-flood warnings across the Susquehanna Valley Sunday night.
-
Drizzle doesn't stop Mazeppa parade, service
MAZEPPA — Small-town American spirit was on display in Mazeppa at the community’s annual Memorial Day parade on Sunday.
-
Lions raffling premium tickets
Two lucky people will win Philadelphia Phillies Diamond Club seats for a September game.
-
Dial 211 matches callers, agencies
SELINSGROVE — The Union-Snyder Community Action Agency is preparing to launch Dial 211 in July, but if you call it now, it works.
-
Pastor: Some twist Scriptures for own ends
During the 2012 United Methodist Church General Conference held in Tampa, Fla., earlier this month, church leaders chose to maintain the wording in their Book of Discipline, voting down motions that would have approved same-sex marriages and the ordination of homosexual ministers.
-
Burgers, people sizzle
SUNBURY -- Under clear skies Saturday, the temperature felt like 100 degrees, more like the Fourth of July than the Memorial Day weekend, according to a meteorologist who said the sticky, stifling conditions will persist for several days.
-
It pays to monitor accounts
Several people responded to the scam alert story which appeared last Sunday in The Daily Item to say they too have been recent victims of scams involving the theft of their identities and bank card information.
-
Teens go for baroque
A sonata plays from a Mac book in the music room at Lewisburg Area High School. It’s a baroque-style composition with flavors of Beethoven’s First symphony. Senior Sean Swartz, 18, hums along and does a little conducting with a pen as the music plays.
-
'To Do': Concert
WEST MILTON - Buffalo Valley Singers presents a concert at 7:30 p.m. May 27 at Central Oak Heights, 75 Heritage Road.
-
Firefighter union may char pacts
LEWISBURG — Paid members of the William Cameron Engine Company have voted to unionize under the International Association of Fire Fighters, a move believed to stem from internal tension between paid and volunteer members of the department, according to various sources.
-
M-W rule on drug testing is area’s boldest
MIDDLEBURG — Midd-West is the only school district in the Central Susquehanna Valley that requires students interested in participating in extra-curricular activities to agree to submit to random drug testing.
-
New shelter exec gets busy
When Cathy Teisher stepped down as executive director of Haven Ministries, in March, Pamela Steffen stepped up.
- More News Headlines
-
Storms pound region
