FALLS VILLAGE — The Envirothon team from Housatonic Valley Regional High School, the 2009 state champions, heads to Killingworth, Conn., on Thursday, May 20 to go head-to-head with more than 200 students from 31 high schools.
The teams will be in the field to test their knowledge of five key areas of environmental science. Students will be standing shoulder deep in soils pits, investigating animal skulls and pelts, cross sections of trees and invasive plants in the name of furthering their environmental IQ.
Each five-student Envirothon team demonstrates their training and problem-solving skills in four disciplines: aquatic ecology, forestry, soils/land use, and wildlife. Additional preparation for a panel-judged oral presentation on this year’s current issue (Conserving Water Resources) will play into the final scoring. The teams have been attending workshops for each discipline since October.
Objectives of the Connecticut Envirothon include fostering the widespread acceptance of an environmental studies curriculum in high schools, developing students’ critical thinking and decision-making skills, and presenting balanced options for management of our natural resources.
