Pictured, from left, are Coach Emily Gough, Edward Robison, Valerie Tong, Piper Ellis, Cordelia Grandon and Keller Bailey. Photo provided by Warsaw Community Schools.

Press Release

WARSAW — On Wednesday, April 26, 10 students represented Warsaw Community High School at the state envirothon competition at Camp Illiana in Washington, Ind.

Envirothon promotes environmental education to high school students. The goal of this academic competition is to promote a desire to learn more about the natural environment and promote stewardship of natural resources. Teams compete by answering questions in five areas which include soils and land use, aquatic ecology, wildlife, forestry, and a current issue which is adapting to a changing climate.

They are tested both in a written exam and a hands-on field test. At the state level, teams also prepare an oral presentation with a proposed solution to an environmental problem related to the current issue.

The team of juniors included Caleb Aukeman, Var Bobba, Ana Brito, Bronwyn Harrison, and Ebonie Miller; they had an excellent showing at the northeast regionals, placing second. At the state competition they presented their project for a community-wide composting facility, with the judges commenting on their “very comprehensive plan” and “impressive amount of engagement with local organizations and professionals.”

The senior team consisting of Keller Bailey, Piper Ellis, Cordelia Grandon, Edward Robison, and Valerie Tong went into the state competition having won the northeast regionals. They scored highly in the written exam, including a perfect score in aquatic ecology. Their oral project of “Combating Climate Change Through Urban Development” was awarded first place with comments from the judges praising their “clean mission statement” and how “professional and knowledgeable” they were about all of the topics.

In the overall competition, the Warsaw seniors took the top spot. As the state champions, they are now eligible to represent the state of Indiana at the NCF Envirothon competition in New Brunswick, Canada, this summer.