Carroll County Envirothon Teams Prepare to Get Dirty

Last year's Carroll County Envirothon winner, Venturing Crew 202, will go up against seven Carroll County high school teams on April 24 to defend its county Envirothon Champion title. 

The Envirothon Competition is a national environmental education competition that awards winners with cash and scholarships. Teams compete by applying their knowledge and problem-solving skills in six different natural resource areas. The county team with the highest cumulative total wins.

“Teens competing in the Envirothon represent the future of Maryland agriculture and our natural resources protection efforts,” said Maryland Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance in a statement. “The program provides teens with an exceptional opportunity to work with environmental experts in the field to learn about Maryland’s natural resources.”

Carroll County Soil Conservation District Manager Ed Null said that April 24 eight Carroll County teams, each team with no more than five members, will compete at Hashawha and Bear Branch Nature Center for the championship title. 

Each team will be tested at six different stations that include aquatics, forestry and soil conservation. At the sustainable ranch lands station each group will be required to give a 10-12 minute presentation on a scenario they were given several weeks ago, Null said.

Each member of the winning team will receive a $100 check and the team will be listed on local Envirothon plaques and banners. The county team with the highest cumulative total wins the local or regional competition and advances to the Maryland Envirothon scheduled for June 19 and 20, at the Western Maryland 4-H Education Center in Garrett County. The winner of the Maryland Envirothon will represent the state later this summer at the 2013 North American Envirothon scheduled for August 4-9 at Montana State University where more than 250 teenagers from the United States and Canada will compete for $100,000 in scholarships and prizes.

Carroll County has been hosting the Envirothon Competition since 1992 Null said.

The Envirothon is sponsored by Maryland’s soil conservation districts and the State Soil Conservation Committee and supported by other state and federal programs. 

Null said Winters Mill High School did not enter a team in this year's competition.