Connecticut Team Takes Top Honors At 2007 Canon Envirothon
From left to right: Taylor Shoulders, Natasha Bell, Maryam Aly, Maria Nayfa, Rebecca Lever, and Advisor Vaughn Vick
Teams from more than 40 States and Nine Provinces Competed in One of North America's
Largest High School Environmental Education Competitions.
Lake Success, N.Y., August 6, 2007 - A five-member team of high school students from Housatonic Valley High School in Falls Village, Connecticut, are the winners of the 2007 Canon Envirothon. The winning team was announced on Friday, August 3rd, during closing ceremonies of the weeklong North American environmental education competition held at Hobart & William Smith College in Geneva, N.Y, and sponsored by Canon U.S.A., Inc.
More than 260 teenagers from more than 40 U.S. states and nine Canadian provinces studied environmental issues and resource conservation, while competing for a share of more than $100,000 in scholarships and prizes.
The first place Connecticut team received a total of $25,000 in Canon scholarships along with Canon photographic equipment for their advisor and sponsoring agency/organizations to use in science education. Northern York High School from Dillsburg, Pennsylvania ($20,000 and Canon equipment), and the Charter School of Wilmington, Delaware ($15,000 and Canon equipment), placed second and third, respectively. The fourth place team, Parkway North High School from St. Louis, Missouri, received $10,000 and Canon equipment. The fifth place team, High Tech High School from North Bergen, New Jersey, received $7,500 and Canon equipment. The list of schools/organizations finishing in the top 10 appears at the end of this announcement.
The National Association of Conservation Districts in the U.S., the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A) Forest Service and the U.S.D.A Natural Resource Conservation Service, are Canon Envirothon partners, along with provincial Forestry Associations in Canada.
The Canon Envirothon tests teams on their knowledge of soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife and an additional current environmental issue. The theme of this year's competition was Alternative/Renewable Energy, an issue that has attracted worldwide attention. The competing teams focused on the efficient use of energy generated from traditional sources and the development of renewable energy resources.
"Canon would like to congratulate all of the teams competing in this year's competition," said William Reed, senior vice president and general manager, Corporate Communications, Canon U.S.A. "It has been truly inspiring to witness the commitment demonstrated by the teams, who are so dedicated to helping preserve North America's most valuable resources for future generations."
The Canon Envirothon is the culmination of a series of competitions that began during the past school year and involved more than 500,000 teenagers throughout North America. In written tests and oral presentations, starting on the local level, winning five-member teams from schools and organizations competed for the distinction of representing their state or province at the Canon Envirothon.
Each team's knowledge is tested under the supervision of foresters, soil scientists, wildlife specialists and other natural resource professionals. Teamwork, problem solving and presentation skills are evaluated as each team offers a panel of judges an oral presentation containing recommendations for solving the specific challenge that is presented during the competition.
The 2008 competition will be held at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Arizona, July 28th through August 3rd, 2008.
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. The Company is listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America and is on the 2006 BusinessWeek list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), is a top patent holder of technology, ranking third overall in the U.S. in 2006†, with global revenues of $34.9 billion. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the company's RSS news feed.
The top 10 teams at the 2007 Canon Envirothon:
First Place: Housatonic Valley Regional High School, Falls Village, Connecticut
Second Place: Northern York High School, Dillsburg, Pennsylvania
Third Place: Charter School of Wilmington, Wilmington, Delaware
Fourth Place: Parkway North High School, St. Louis, Missouri
Fifth Place: High Tech High School, North Bergen, New Jersey
Sixth Place: Harrisonburg High School, Harrisonburg, Virginia
Seventh Place: Candor High School, Candor, New York
Eighth Place: Swan Valley Regional Secondary School, Swan River, Manitoba, Canada
Ninth Place: Conserve School, Land O'Lakes, Wisconsin
Tenth Place: 4H Bristol County Envirothon Team, Berkley, Massachusetts