St. Louis students put soil and wildlife knowledge to the test in Envirothon outside Pacific
Winning teams have the chance to go to the state level, the national and even international for the science competition
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Students gathered around small picnic tables near Pacific, fighting the rain and wet paper, as the clock ticked down on their final entries. These teams of students from the St. Louis area, all from different school districts, were racing the clock and each other to perform correct soil, water, tracking and other tests using the scientific method.
It’s part of the annual Envirothon, which is an annual tradition putting teams of high schoolers into a hands-on competition alongside career natural resource workers. Find more about the Missouri Envirothon at this link.
Hosted by St. Louis and St. Charles County Soil and Water Conservation Districts, alongside the City of Wentzville, this regional competition is designed to make students think critically about natural resources and sustainability.
“The Envirothon is a problem-solving, natural resource education program for high school students,” the Missouri Envirothon website states. “In the field, teams of students are challenged to hone critical thinking skills and work as a team. They answer written questions and conduct hands-on investigation at the five outdoor testing stations as mentioned above.”
It also offers them the chance to see what careers are available in environmental and natural resource areas -- or maybe even just a day to enjoy class time outdoors.
“In addition to a written test the teams also present an oral presentation solving a specific natural resource issue,” the website states. “The Envirothon stimulates, reinforces, and enhances students’ interest in the environment and our state’s natural resources. The concept was created by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts [PACD] as an outdoor hands-on competition.”
“What sets the Envirothon apart?” PACD materials state. “Envirothon is a hands-on challenge that pushes students to apply their knowledge of Wildlife, Aquatics, Soil, Forestry, and a Current Topic to real-world environmental issues. Students don’t just study environmental science—they experience it."
Winners of this competition in the St. Louis area have the opportunity to continue the competion at the state, national and international levels.
Avery Martinez covers water, ag & the environment for First Alert 4. He is also a Report for America Corps member, as well as a member of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk. His coverage ranges from EPA administrators to corn farms and hunting concerns, and local water rates to rancher mental health.
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