This spring, 14 public and private high schools from throughout Westchester and Putnam counties formed 22 teams to compete in the 2023 regional Envirothon. The Envirothon is a collaborative academic competition that encourages hands-on learning about aquatic ecology, forestry, soils and land use, wildlife, and current environmental issues. This year’s topical issue was climate. The competition was held at Sal J. Prezioso Mountain Lakes Park in North Salem, on Friday, May 12.
11 students from Rye Country Day School split into two teams to participate, and one of these teams was advised by Friends of Rye Nature Center. Our students built problem-solving and critical thinking skills as they worked within their team to resolve environmental questions. They moved among stations led by experts in different environmental fields, including FRNC’s very own Jax Mack, who helped run the Forestry test. One of the administrators of the Envirothon was Taro Ietaka, a former FRNC staff member who now works as Recreation Supervisor for Westchester County.
Our students’ dedication, ingenuity, and teamwork paid off: they placed first in the “soils” category and second overall. We are so proud of their hard work, and we can’t wait to get started on this year’s Envirothon! If you’re interested in learning more about Envirothon, visit their website here.