Summit students have officially entered the world of The Envirothon, which is an academic competition and leadership experience focused on environmental conservation and natural resource management for high school students in the U.S., Canada, China and Singapore. The competition combines STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) principles with hands-on learning and outdoor field experiences, which helps students develop their knowledge in soils, wildlife, aquatics, forestry and a rotating current environmental issue. This marks the first year The Summit has ever fielded a team, with eight students, seven of them freshmen.
The team visited Bahr Farm, where they worked with professionals in natural resource management to prepare for the competition. They studied soil samples, identified fish species from a pond, examined animal pelts and skulls and practiced classifying ecosystems, which are all key skills that they will be tested on at the District IV competition in Troy on April 29.
“Having led Envirothon teams in Kentucky and South Carolina, I am excited to grow this nascent program at The Summit,” says Upper School science teacher and team leader Mr. Duncan. “Already we have seen students excited at their ability to know what species are when they encounter them and empowered to make positive changes in local ecosystems. We have high hopes for a fun and challenging competition this April 29 and encourage interested students to join the program next year!”
The team’s long-term goal is to grow their skills and impact to become confident naturalists, who can lead environmental efforts at Summit and outside the classroom.
Read more about the Envirothon competition here.
