Eighteen Teams Accept the Natural
Challenge of the 2015 SC Envirothon
Left to right: Bonnie Webster (coach), Ella Webster, Devin Srivastava, Jesseca Kusher, Alex Freedman and Sam Spencer.
On Friday May 1st, nearly two hundred high school students from across the state descended upon the Sandhill Research and Education Center, Columbia, SC to compete in the 19th Annual Envirothon. Students began their preparations for the testing in February, and competed with their peers at the test stations. Covering Aquatics, Forestry, Oral Presentations, Soils, Wildlife and Urban Forestry (the Current Topic, specific to each year), these brave and bright young adults made their mark, and three teams walked away with scholarships and cash awards. Spartanburg Day School took top honors, Dorman High School placed Second, and Spartanburg High School was in Third. Although teams from across the state attended the competition, it seems as though a bit of rivalry may be going on in Spartanburg!
In the nineteen years that the Envirothon has been in South Carolina, over $85,000 has been awarded to students pursuing their college education. Scholarships are available for five years and are valid for any institution of higher learning. The SC Envirothon is coordinated by the SC Department of Natural Resources, in cooperation with the SC Forestry Commission, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Central Carolina Technical College, Francis Marion University, Florence County Environmental Discovery Center, SC Soil and Water Society and Clemson University. Major financial sponsors are the SC Conservation Districts Foundation, Harry Hampton Memorial Wildlife Fund, SC Association of Conservation Districts, Richland Conservation District, SC Forestry Foundation and the Lowcountry RC&D. If you would like to become a sponsor, or if you wish to follow the successes of the SC Envirothon, visit the website at www.dnr.sc.gov/education/Envirothon, or contact the SC Envirothon by telephone at 803-734-4602. Congratulations to all the teams that participated this year.