Around 100 students representing high schools from all over the state of Minnesota gathered at the Wolf Ridge Environmental Learning Center in Finland, Minnesota to test their knowledge of conservation and the environment during the 2024 State Envirothon competition.
The Envirothon is an outdoor, hands-on learning competition for high school and middle school students. It centers on five different learning stations, including soils, wildlife, water resources, forestry, and a current environmental issue. Each station consists of a short presentation about the topic by a resource professional, followed by a test taken by the students. Across Minnesota, around 1,000 students participate in the Envirothon every year.
Two high school teams from Northfield High School represented Rice County at the state competition this year. The teams finished in 8th and 12th place out of twenty-four teams at the competition.
The teams earned a chance to compete at state after finishing in first and third place at the Area VII competition, which was held in early May at the Byron Sportsmen & Conservation Club near Byron.
During the Envirothon competition, students answered “hands-on” test questions which required them to identify trees, determine soil texture, and analyze resource maps. High school teams also prepared an oral presentation about a current environmental topic and answered questions from a panel of judges.
For over thirty years, the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts (MASWCD) has held the Envirothon competitions across Minnesota, with the exception of 2020, when the event was canceled due to Covid-19. In 2021, the event was held virtually.
The Rice SWCD congratulates all the students from Rice County who took the time and effort to compete in the 2024 Envirothon. The District also thanks teacher Mark Auge who organized this year’s team from the Northfield High School.
