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Top Headlines:
SHS Wins State Envirothon Title- April 1, 2008
Cienega High School Wins 10th Annual
Arizona Envirothon-April
1, 2007
Valley Forward Honors Arizona Envirothon
with Crescordia Award-
October 13, 2006
Twenty-one Teams Enter 2007 Arizona Envirothon-Jan.
3, 2006
University High School Wins, Twenty Teams Compete
in Arizona Envirothon-April 8, 2006
Flagstaff Lands Envirothon-Nov. 18, 2005
Arizona Wins Bid to Host 2008 Canon Envirothon-July
27, 2005
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SHS
Wins State Envirothon
Title
By
REBECCA JACOBS
Sun Staff Reporter
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
Five Sinagua High School
"envirothoners" are
proof that living in
northern Arizona may be
the key to comprehending
the environment.
Ten teams from eight
Arizona high schools
addressed a challenge
central to Arizona's
tourism-driven industry
-- the effects of
recreation on natural
resources -- during the
state envirothon
championship this past
Friday and Saturday at
Dead Horse State Park on
the Verde River.
Following exhaustive
examinations in
wildlife, forestry,
soils, aquatics, grazing
and environmental
management, SHS
prevailed and advances
to the Canon Envirothon,
hosted at Northern
Arizona University this
summer.
"I think I really
learned the things that
we need to focus on to
try to protect the
environment from being
totally destroyed," said
SHS envirothoner and
team captain Rachel
Stringer. "It's really
about how things are
interconnected."
Teammate Zach Hare said
weekly practice at the
SHS Envirothon meetings
made him realize the
diversity of interest
groups weighing in on
each and every
environmental issue.
"The challenge is being
able to take all of
these parties into
account and realizing
that if you do one
thing, it's going to
impact everyone --
business, economy and
environmental areas."
On Day 1 of the Arizona
Envirothon, the two SHS
Envirothon teams
competed in three
separate Ecostation
assessments: wildlife
and forestry, soils and
aquatics.
At the first station,
students were asked to
identify local plants,
birds and skeletons. At
the second, the
eco-scholars measured
the angle of declination
through a clinometer to
determine the slope of
the hill leading into
the riverbed and
identify soil structure
by touch alone. At the
third Ecostation,
students tested the
oxygenation, pH and
temperature of water
samples.
Performance in these
segments contributed to
each teams' total score
and gave SHS Team One an
edge.
That night, teams were
given two hours, a
detailed environmental
science text (reportedly
several inches in
thickness) and a
hypothetical problem:
how to manage 3,000
acres along a river used
for camping, kayaking,
hiking, grazing and
more. With these tools,
they devised an
environmental plan to be
presented on day two.
Following its work,
again, SHS team one rose
to the top.
"We developed a
sophisticated map with
key access points for
various types of day
use," Michelle Schmoker
said. "We had one formal
campground with
restrooms and trash
facilities and allowed
grazing only on the
southern portion of the
river. ATV use was also
limited."
Based upon their
true-to-life knowledge
of U.S. Forest Service
budget operations, the
team wrote into the
policy day-use fees that
equaled the amount spent
by the land management
body.
"The Forest Service
brings in only 14 cents
for every $1.20 spent,"
Schmoker said. "Our
thought for implementing
fees was that the
revenue would match the
cost."
Team coaches Kathy
Flaccus and Julie Vlieg
said it was this type of
critical thinking that
set the SHS team apart.
From now through July
27, when the national
competition will be
held, the team will meet
several times each week,
mainly during lunch
hours and after school
to practice. With
resources such as the
Envirothon Web site,
aquifer model, public
speaking activities and
a two-day camping trip
to Fossil Creek, the SHS
students will hone in on
the environment.
Other winning team
members include senior
Zach Hare and Clint
Hales and junior Natalie
Lucas. SHS team two
members, who also
participated in the
competition include:
Dusty Hamilton, Stephen
Hopkins, Greg Porter,
Jack Darnell and Gayle
Owen.
This is the 10th year
SHS has entered the
Envirothon and the
fourth year an SHS team
has reached the national
level.
Following the SHS team,
Tucson's University High
School earned second
place and Home Educators
of Yuma finished third.
Ecostation awards were
won by Gilbert's
Highland High School for
expertise in soils and
land use and SHS for
aquatic ecology, and
wildlife and forestry.
Teams from Vail (Cienega
HS), Goodyear
(Millennium HS), Mesa
(Red Mountain HS),
Tucson (University HS),
and Prescott (Tri-City
College Prep) also
participated.
The nationals will be
July 27- Aug. 3 in
Flagstaff. During that
time, eco-scholars will
tour northern Arizona
and the Grand Canyon
area studying the
environmental effects of
recreation and vying for
over $75,000 in
scholarships plus Canon
products.
Rebecca Jacobs can be
reached at 556-2250 or
rjacobs@azdailysun.com.
Article Courtesy of the
AZ Daily Sun. |
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Cienega
High School Wins 10th Annual Arizona Envirothon
Tempe, Ariz. In an era when energy
is important in politics, economics, natural resource planning and our
every-day life, Arizona high schoolers dedicated their energy to solving
a renewable energy dilemma Friday in Tempe. Sixteen five-member teams
competed at Tempe Kiwanis Park in the tenth annual Arizona Envirothon.
Vail, Arizona’s Cienega High School took top honors and will represent
Arizona at the Canon Envirothon competition in Geneva, NY, this summer.
Cienega High Schools team coach, Renee Ochsner,
noted that the four seniors on her winning team plan to pursue majors in
natural resource studies when they enroll in colleges next year.
“Alternative energy is a huge concern to us,”
said Flagstaff’s Sinagua High School team captain Rachel Stringer.
“It’s necessary to decrease our reliance on foreign oil. Our generation
knows this and we’re looking to make a difference.”
Sixteen teams from 11 high schools from, ,
Mesa, Peoria, Glendale, Buckeye, Goodyear, Tucson, Vail, Prescott, Chino
Valley and Flagstaff tested their field skills in wildlife, forestry,
soils and land use, agriculture and aquatic ecology. Teams also
developed a solution to a scenario in which a rural, economically
depressed, Arizona town sought revitalization by developing a renewable
energy industry.
Cienega High School seniors Marina Fisher
Phelps, Amber Campbell, Alex Kresin and
Stacia Turner, and
junior Cody Banzack will travel, expenses-paid, to Hobart and William
Smith College in Geneva, NY, July 29-Aug 4 to compete for scholarships
and prizes at the North American Canon Envirothon. More than 500,000
Canadians and Americans compete annually to advance to the international
competition – the largest environmental competition in North America.
Arizona will host the 2008 Canon Envirothon in Flagstaff.
Flagstaff’s Sinagua
High School was runner-up, taking numerous individual competition
prizes. Third place went to University High School of Tucson and Mesa’s
Red Mountain High School was rookie team of the year. Prescott’s
Tri-City Preparatory High School coach David Sommerville received the
Spirit of Envirothon Award.
Major contributors
to Arizona Envirothon are U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Arizona
Department of Environmental Quality, Arizona Department of Water
Resources, Arizona Water Protection Fund, Salt River Project, Central
Arizona Project, Natural Resources Conservation Service and Agua Fria –
New River Natural Resource Conservation District.
-30-
NOTE TO EDITORS: A complete list of competing teams and
contacts accompanies this news release. Digital photos of the
competition and all teams are available by contacting
Renee Bodine
602-280-8778 or
Jeff Humphrey at 602-242-0210.
Other award winners were:
Soil and Land Use
1st – Sinagua High School
(Flagstaff)
2nd – Red Mountain High School (Mesa)
3rd – University High School (Tucson)
Aquatic Ecology
1st – University High School
(Tucson)
2nd – Cienega High School (Vail)
3rd – Tri-City Preparatory High School (Prescott)
Wildlife and Forestry
1st – Tri-City Prep (Prescott)
2nd – Three-way tie – Cienega (Vail), University (Tucson),
Sinagua (Flagstaff) high schools
Energy and Waste Management
1st – Sinagua High School
(Flagstaff)
2nd – University High School (Tucson)
3rd – Two-way tie – Flagstaff High School and Cienega High
School (Vail)
Posters
1st – Cienega High
School (Flagstaff)
2nd – University High School (Tucson)
3rd – Millenium High School (Goodyear)
Twenty-one Teams Enter 2007 Arizona Envirothon
Twenty-one teams from 15 schools across Arizona registered for the 2007
Arizona Envirothon. More than 100 students will be learning about the
environment and natural resources to prepare for the competition.
Training sessions for the registered teams are scheduled. Exact
locations will be announced, but the dates are as follows:
-
Saturday, January 20
(Prescott)
-
Saturday, January 27 (Tucson)
-
Saturday, February 3 (Phoenix)
Congratulations to the following schools for
registering for the 2007 Arizona Envirothon.
NORTHERN REGION:
Sinagua High School (2 teams)
Flagstaff Arts & Leadership Academy (1 team)
Chino Valley High School (2 teams)
Tri-City Prep School (2 teams)
Mohave High School (1 team)
CENTRAL REGION:
Buckeye Union High School (1 team)
Sunrise Mountain High School (1 team)
Ironwood High School (1 team)
Peoria High School (1 team)
Millennium High School (2 teams)
McClintock High School (1 team)
Red Mountain High School (1 team)
SOUTHERN REGION:
Cienega High School (2 teams)
University High School (2 teams)
Home School team (1 team)
All of these schools have been involved in the Arizona Envirothon in
previous years. Twenty teams competed last year, a record for the event.
Tempe's Kiwanis Park will be the host site for the competition on March
30.
University High School Wins
Arizona Envirothon
Record Number of Teams
Compete in Arizona Envirothon
 Mesa, April 8, 2005 – A team of five
ecoscholars from Tucson’s University High School demonstrated their
environmental field skills, problem solving expertise and presentation
abilities to win the ninth annual Arizona Envirothon. They have earned an
expense-paid trip to the North American Canon Envirothon at the University
of Manitoba in Winnipeg in July.
Home School Yuma – Arizona Envirothon’s first home school team – was
runner-up, taking numerous individual competition prizes including Rookie
Team of the Year. Third place went to Prescott’s Tri City College Prep High
School.
Twenty teams from 17 high schools from Yuma to Flagstaff and Bullhead City
to Bisbee assembled at the Gilbert Riparian Institute and a Mesa hotel for
the two-day competition, testing teams’ field skills in wildlife, forestry,
soils and land use, agriculture and aquatic ecology. Team’s then developed a
solution to a drought scenario affecting ranchers, forest managers, farmers
and wildlife.
“This year’s theme and the competition challenge – water stewardship in a
changing climate – is a very real issue that this generation will have to
grapple with,” said Rodney Held, Arizona Envirothon Executive Director.
“Holding the event at the suburban wastewater wetland in Gilbert was an
inspirational setting for thinking creatively about water for agricultural
and urban uses, recreation and wildlife habitat.”
The University High School team of senior Dorothy Chen and sophomores Andrea
Byrne, Nima Sekhadia, Roseanne Delgado and Matthew Hom was coached by Tom
Tobin. They will compete against other state and provincial champions at the
Canon Envirothon for college scholarships of up to $5000 each from Canon.
More than 500,000 compete annually to advance to the international
competition – the largest environmental competition in North America.
The water and climate change is especially relevant to the desert Southwest.
University High’s Matthew Hom emphasized during the competition that “we
have to work with what we have; we’re not able to manufacture water.”
The winning team presented their solution to the water challenge as “a
holistic approach rather than putting a bandage on a problem that results in
the need for two bandages elsewhere,” said Hom. They referenced actual
regional and community water planning efforts and water-use statistics from
Arizona communities, demonstrating their advance preparation and grasp of
the breadth of information needed to address complex water and climate
change issues.
Tobin, who has coached four Arizona and a North American Envirothon
championship teams before, noted that his team was composed of four rookies
but “this is a good group with high enthusiasm. Between now and the
competition in Canada we’ll have to become experts in northern biomes; we’ll
be getting a hold of forestry experts and people familiar with northern
latitude soils and agriculture to help us prepare.”
Major contributors to this year’s Arizona Envirothon are U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Arizona
Water Protection Fund, Salt River Project, Central Arizona Project, Natural
Resources Conservation Service and Agua Fria – New River Natural Resource
Conservation District.
Flagstaff Lands Envirothon
 By ERNY ZAH
Arizona Daily Sun Staff Reporter
11/18/2005
www.azdailysun.comFlagstaff will be the site for the 2008 Canon Envirothon, a potential $1.5
million boon to the local economy when the international competition for
high school students comes to town.
Betty Holley, Canon Envirothon executive committee chairperson confirmed
Flagstaff’s selection Thursday. It’s the first time the international
competition will be in Arizona.
The Envirothon is an annual high school competition that tests students in
wildlife, forestry, soils and land use, agriculture and aquatic ecology.
The Envirothon’s executive committee was in
Arizona earlier this month to explore and determine which Arizona City would
host the 2008 event. Flagstaff beat out Tucson for the honors.
“We pretty well knew when we left Arizona,” Holley said.
Holley said the committee was impressed with the facilities and hospitality
of Northern Arizona University.
According to Clay Burns, Envirothon executive director, during his visit
earlier this month, the Envirothon could pump as much as $1.5 million into
the local economy.
With at least 600 Envirothon participants, the economic impact will come in
a variety of ways.
First, there are the five member teams and their advisors that will flock to
Flagstaff for at least one week in late July or early August.
They and their supporters will be tourists, said Holley.
Supporters will stay in local hotels, and it isn’t uncommon for families to
arrive early or leave late for the competition, Holley said.
“I know for myself, my husband will be coming out with me before the
competition,” Holley said.
In addition to the tourist revenue, Burns said the competition makes a
concerted effort to hire local businesses for their needs. Some of the needs
include printing, transportation and catering to name a few.
Aside from the money, a local teacher is excited for the potential the event
could have for students.
“I’m excited,” said Kathy Flaccus, Sinagua High School science teacher. She
is also an Envirothon coach for Sinagua’s team, which has represented
Arizona in the international competition for the last three years.
“I just think it’ll be great for our students to be exposed to that,” she
said.
Flaccus said she has had a few people call her asking how they can help out
with the Envirothon.
Some of the other deciding factors for the committee were housing and food
services for the students, and community involvement. And since the event is
in the summer, the weather played a factor as well.
“The temperature is cooler than Tucson. That gave us something to talk
about,” Holley said.
The exact date of the event is yet to be determined.
Erny Zah can be reached at 556-2250 or
ezah@azdailysun.com
Arizona Wins the
Bid to Host the 2008 Canon Envirothon
PHOENIX, July 27, 2005
– Arizona will host North America’s
largest high school environmental competition, the Canon Envirothon, in July
2008. The announcement was made at the 2005 Canon Envirothon, which was held
July 18-24 at Southwest Missouri State University.
More than 500,000 students compete each year in the United States and Canada
for the opportunity to compete in the Canon Envirothon.
The Canon Envirothon is
an educational program leading to a competition that has hands-on field
testing of environmental issues. The outdoor testing stations include
wildlife, soils/land use, aquatics, forestry, agriculture, and a current
issue that changes annually. The 2005 current issue at Canon Envirothon
addressed the management of cultural landscapes and focused on restoring the
Wilson's Creek National Battlefield (U.S. Civil War) to its 1861 conditions.
“Hosting the Canon
Envirothon is an opportunity for us to share the beauty of our state and
expose the students to the issues that come from living in a desert
ecosystem,” said Rodney Held, Arizona Envirothon Chairman.
Five-member teams from
schools or organizations compete in preliminary rounds for the distinction
of representing states and provinces at the Canon Envirothon. University
High School from Tucson has twice won the Canon Envirothon, and Sinagua High
School from Flagstaff represented Arizona at the 2005 Canon Envirothon.
“We are giving Arizona
high schools and other Arizona Envirothon participants a great opportunity
by hosting the Canon Envirothon in our state,” said Kristen Wieland, Arizona
Envirothon Coordinator. “We will also get to expose Arizona’s unique
landscape to hundreds of high school students from the U.S. and Canada who
will be here for the competition.”
The 2006 competition will be held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and the
2007 competition will be held in Geneva, New York. The top five teams
receive college scholarships totaling $75,000 in addition to Canon products
for their schools.
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