Ballston Spa team wins Envirothon
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> A team of Ballston Spa students has earned a trip to state Envirothon competition by winning a regional event at Saratoga Spa State Park.
Envirothon, founded in 1979, is a science-oriented program for students in the U.S. and Canada.
Teams meet after school and spend all year preparing for the competition, which includes an oral presentation.
Each year, student are tested on a different environmental issue such as invasive species or the impacts of rapid development on open space, streams and forests.
This year, students were challenged to develop a stewardship plan to preserve and implement best practices for an 810-acre farm.
The Ballston Spa “Envirodorks” out-scored 10 other teams from Washington, Fulton, Montgomery and Saratoga counties including Galway, Schuyerlville and Saratoga Central Catholic schools.
Winning Ballston Spa team members, advised by Linda Rose, are Ben Balet, Reilly Battease, Gabe Baskin, George Danison and Emilee Meadors.
State competition is scheduled for May 24-25 at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva. The winner there will advance to nationals.
Envirothon is organized locally by Saratoga County Soil & Water Conservation District.
Oral presentations are judged by people who have environmental-related careers such as Soil & Water district board members, Saratoga County Planning Department staff and state Department of Environmental Conservation workers.
This gives students a chance to meet and interact with people who can provide valuable career information and guidance.
In addition to oral presentations, teams are also quizzed on topics such as wildlife, aquatics and soils.
Statewide, 214 schools in 56 counties are taking part in regional competitions.
State Department of Agriculture and Markets Commissioner Richard Ball praised the program for helping train and develop the next generation of environmentally-concerned citizens.
“Our department’s Land and Water Resources Division works hard to help the agricultural community be even better stewards of the environment by focusing on issues like water and soil quality and climate change,” he said. “I’m proud to know that we have so many young people in our state who are excited about the environment and protecting our natural resources. I wish all of the participating students well during their county competitions and look forward to seeing them advance to the national competition this summer.”
Last year’s state champion was from Mount Academy in Ulster County. Each member of the team received a scholarship.
Skaneateles High School in Onondaga County and Candor Central School in Tioga County came in second and third, respectively.