WNC teens strut environmental know-how
Teams of middle and high school students from across Western North Carolina went head-to-head over their knowledge of environmental science and natural resource management March 13, with students from Haywood, Swain and Macon counties all representing at the Area 1 Envirothon Competition.
The Canton Middle School team, “O’possum my possum” took first in the middle school competition, and the Mountaineer Mayflies from Waynesville Middle School took fourth. Haywood County teams also took fourth, ninth, 10th and 12th places out of 15. The Canton and Waynesville teams will advance to the State Envirothon April 24-25 in Burlington.
Transylvania County swept the high school competition, taking four of the top five places, but Haywood teams took ninth, 10th, 12th, 13th and 19th. Swain County took 14th and 15th, and Macon County teams took 16th and 17th out of the 20 teams.
The Envirothon is an annual competition in which teams of three to five students use their training and problem-solving skills to come out on top in five categories — soil and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife and environmental issues. In Haywood County, the program is funded through a grant from the Pigeon River Fund to the Haywood County Soil and Water Conservation District.
