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Volume XIX-Issue 1026
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May 7, 2024
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Lakeland College Hosts Envirothon
Students from across the province participated in the Alberta Envirothon at Lakeland College May 1–3. The students pictured are measuring tree diameter to calculate volume. Photo Caylie Gnyra (more photos on page 2)
Caylie Gnyra
able energy for a sustainable future. The topics, with one person per team taking on Mapy, a student from St. Albert Catholic sessions mixed students from different the responsibility of being tested for one High School whose team won the Alberta Seventy-eight students from 14 high schools, allowing them to work together topic. Envirothon last year and competed at interschools across the province travelled and get to know each other. Amongst other The winning team, from St. John Paul nationals in New Brunswick last summer, to Vermilion May 1–3 to compete in the activities, participants had the opportunity II High School in Grande Prairie, was said, “It gives us an opportunity to experiannual Alberta Envirothon hosted by Lake- to paint with soils to learn about soil texture awarded the opportunity to attend the ence different possibilities with the enviland College. and colour, make biodiesel in a lab, and National Conservation Foundation’s (NCF) ronment.” Her teacher and Envirothon The event began Wednesday evening use a clinometer to measure tree height, international Envirothon for free in Geneva, coach, Neil Korotash, enthusiastically with an opening ceremony in the Alumni nurturing the hands-on skills used by envi- New York in July alongside participants said, “I could talk this thing up all day.” He Hall theatre, including a prayer song, living ronmental and natural resource conserva- from across Canada, the United States, shared how several of his former students land acknowledgement, and smudge led tion professionals. Singapore, and China. The team also who were exposed to environmental fields by Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Later that afternoon, students contin- received a $1,000 cash prize, generously through previous Envirothons later went Keepers. Their involvement reflects the ued preparing the group presentations donated by West Fraser. on to complete degrees in forestry and Envirothon organizers’ desire to move they had begun working on prior to arrivThe Envirothon dates back to 1979, soil sciences, providing testimony to the toward reconciliation in a good way with ing at the event, which involved respond- when the Pennsylvania Soil and Water impact this event has on learners. the First Peoples of Turtle Island, the ing to a scenario-style question relating Conservation Districts created an “EnviThroughout the weekend, organizers land we now call Canada. Throughout to this year’s theme. Each school had ronmental Olympics” to help foster high remained adamant that this event could the weekend, Elders, Knowledge Keep- 5–6 students ranging from grades 9–12 school students’ interest in natural resource not have been possible without the generers, Traditional Knowledge Holders, and comprising a team. conservation and environmental careers. ous donations from conservation district Land Guardians were on hand to observe In the evening, students presented The event later became known as the associations and natural resource agenand provide input on how future provincial their scenarios to a panel of judges. This “Enviro-Olympics,” and was first known as cies, as well as the tireless work of volunand international Envirothons can better oral presentation was worth up to 200 the “Envirothon” in 1988, when it expanded teers from across the province. The investincorporate Indigenous perspectives and points. The three top-placing teams then to become a national event. A team from ment, they believe, is worth it: the critical wisdom. presented again, this time to the entire Nova Scotia was the first Canadian team thinking skills and hands-on involvement The next morning through the early Envirothon crowd. to participate in the event in 1992. Alberta’s fostered through this event encourage afternoon, participants took part in classOn the final day of the event, students first Envirothon ran in 1997. The province’s high-performing, motivated students to room and field learning sessions, brav- were tested on each of the five environ- highest national ranking was 13th in 2013, create inventive solutions to the critiing the wind and the snow to learn about mental topics, earning up to 100 points and Alberta Envirothon organizers and cal issues facing our world today, and to aquatic ecology, forestry, soils, wildlife, and per test for a total of 500 possible points. participants are eager to see that record pursue the higher education that will help the Envirothon’s theme of the year: renew- Students within each team divvied up the broken. them reach those goals. Reporter