Students arrived at King’s Landing Park by the busloads on Friday, April 25 for the 2009 Calvert County Envirothon. Students taking Advanced Placement Environmental Science classes in Calvert’s four high schools, got a chance to show off their skills during the day at the park.
Linda Subda, the Envirothon Coordinator and part of the program for 18 years stated that she plans the events with the support of the Calvert County Soil Conservation District. CCSCD, Manager, Bill Clark explained, funds the program through the Calvert Environmental Trust for Youth and with the help of private and corporate donations.
The Envirothon combines class curriculum with a hands-on learning approach in order to provide students a greater understanding of environmental principles and practices. Subda said approximately 140 Calvert County high school students were involved this year.
The students worked in teams to complete tests of their knowledge in five areas of study, including forestry, wildlife, soils, aquatics and biodiversity. Each testing station was overseen by the volunteer natural resource experts that supported the program throughout the year.
Andy Brown, a Senior Naturalist at the Calvert County Department of Natural Resources, had students identify eight different species of animals native to the area. Brown said he has enjoyed his participation in the event, “These kids are interested, they’re excited … they’re into it!”
Students were asked to measure slope and texture of soils, while applying best management practices to answer test questions. Gary Wynn with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and volunteers from the Calvert Soil Conservation District required a truly hands-on approach, supplying buckets, tools and instructions to go digging.
For the aquatics portions of studies, coordinated by University of Md. Chesapeake Biology Laboratory, teams were given water samples to examine and were asked to apply their knowledge regarding the Bay and other waterways.
After the five sets of tests and a quick break for pizza and drinks, the results were compiled and the winning teams were announced. Four young men from Calvert High School won top honors with 450 out of a possible 500 points overall and will go on to represent the county at the state Envirothon competition in June. Second place went to another CHS team and third place went to a group from Patuxent High School.
Many students said they enjoyed the competition of the Envirothon and the opportunity to get out of the traditional classroom and spend time outside. Subda said, “I think the biggest benefit of the program is that students get to interact with professionals in different environmental fields.”
Huntingtown High School junior, Karlene Happell told TBN, “the Envirothon has, given me a good idea of what field research is like.”
For more information about the programs that support the Envirothon and other environmental efforts in Calvert County, check out the following links:
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