Westchester To Host Regional Envirothon Competition For 1st Time

NORTH SALEM, NY — Westchester high school students will be able to compete for the first time in their own homefield in a major regional environmental sciences competition on May 13, at Sal J. Prezioso Mountain Lakes Park.

"Mountain Lakes Park in North Salem is one of our hidden gems of Westchester and I’m excited to welcome local high school students to explore the park while competing in the Envirothon," Westchester County Parks Commissioner Kathy O’Connor said. "I wish the participants the best of luck.”

The 2022 Regional Envirothon is open to all high schools in the county, both public and private. Each competing high school is eligible to send up to two teams, each composed of five students, up to two alternates and an adult advisor.

Registration is open from now until April 22.

The winning team will then be able to compete in the NYS Envirothon on May 25 and May 26, at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva. It is estimated that 500,000 students across the U.S. and Canada are vying to compete in the North American Envirothon, to be held this year at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio on July 24-30.

“I’m thrilled that the county’s high school students will have the opportunity to put their environmental science skills on display and partake in friendly competition," Westchester County Executive George Latimer said announcing the prestigious event. "Good luck to all participants."

Westchester County students used to participate in the now-defunct Hudson Valley Regional Envirothon in Dutchess County. However, the sponsoring county soil and water conservation districts decided to do away with the larger event in favor of smaller, local events. Westchester County has sent more high school teams to the regional event than any other county.

The Envirothon strives to encourage students to test their skills against their peers as well as to learn more about environmental sciences, particularly the conservation and management of soil, water and other natural resources and to become good stewards of the natural environment.

The competing teams will be tested on their knowledge of five environmental topics: soils, land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife; as well as a changing subtopic that focuses on a relevant environmental issue. 2022's environmental issue is about managing different types of waste generated by individuals, households, communities, businesses, manufacturing, agriculture, and industry. As the students prepare for the competition, they will develop research skills, practice team building and gain an appreciation for consensus decision-making.

“We have supported the regional and state Envirothons for many years," Westchester County Planning Commissioner Normal Drummond said. "It gives students experience working as part of a team and sharpens their knowledge of the natural environment, including key issues facing the world we live in today,”

This year, the event at Mountain Lakes Park is being hosted by the Westchester County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Westchester County Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation and the Watershed Agricultural Council.

Additional information about the competition can be found on the New York State Envirothon website.