Manahawkin: MATES Envirothon Team Places In International Contest

RALEIGH, NC — Some students at the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Sciences (MATES) get competitive about environmental preservation. The school's Envirothon team placed 15th out of 53 teams last month at the International Envirothon Finals at North Carolina State University.

The MATES squad already won the New Jersey state title. The team consisted of Brady Nichols, Jillian Peslak, Anastasia Shehady, Erin Forman and Steven Holmberg.

Teams across the U.S., Canada and China participated in the week-long competition. Students displayed knowledge on soils and land use, aquatic ecology, current environmental issues, forestry and wildlife management through written tests and interactive stations featuring North Carolina’s natural resources.

The teams prepared oral presentations on this year's current issue, "Agriculture and the Environment: Knowledge and Technology to Feed the World."

The top five teams in the competition were from Virginia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, New York and Mississippi.

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