News Release

(TRENTON) – Imagine having to identify the rose-breasted grosbeak from a snapshot or the Sassafras tree using just its bark. Try identifying soil types by jumping into a pit full of it. Hopewell Valley’s Envirothon Team was up to these and many more environmental challenges as they finished third at the 2004 Canon Envirothon held at West Virginia Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, West Virginia, July 26 to August 1.

The team, representing New Jersey after winning the earlier state competition, consisted of Chrissy Fairbanks, Adam Forbes, Jon Sellers, Hope Connolly, and Sami Nichols. They received the highest score and station award for the Soils study area, and the highest score for the second round of group presentations. Each student received a $1,000 college scholarship from Canon for the third place finish as well as honorary medals for the Soils competition award.

The team's knowledge was tested under the supervision of foresters, soil scientists, wildlife specialists and other natural resource professionals. Teamwork, problem solving and oral presentation skills were evaluated as the team offered judges an oral presentation of recommendations for solving an environmental challenge that was presented during the competition.

“New Jersey can be proud of the strong showing by the Hopewell Valley High School team,” said New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture Charles M. Kuperus. “It bodes well for our state that these students take such an intense interest in the environment.”

On the days when the team was not testing, they visited the largest wind farm east of the Mississippi River and toured a coal-fired power plant. They also learned about the natural history, geology, flora and fauna of West Virginia while hiking in Blackwater Falls State Park.

The Canon Envirothon is North America's largest high school environmental education competition. Fifty-one teams, 44 from the U.S. and seven from Canada, comprising more than 250 students competed for a share of $30,000 in college scholarships and prizes. Organized through the National Association of Conservation Districts in the United States and the Canadian Forestry Associations, the competition tests teams on knowledge of soils/land use, forestry, aquatic ecology, wildlife and this year's current issue, conservation management in urban areas.

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 an oral presentation, the team from Hopewell Valley placed first at the New Jersey Envirothon competition in May 2004, winning the distinction of representing their state at the Canon Envirothon. Team members also were awarded $1,000 scholarship for their performance at the state competition from the New Jersey Association of Conservation Districts.

The New Jersey Envirothon is sponsored by the N.J. Association of Conservation Districts, N.J. Department of Agriculture / State Soil Conservation Committee, USDA- Natural Resources Conservation Service, N.J. Department of Environmental Protection and Rutgers Cooperative Extension. For more information on the New Jersey Envirothon, please contact Rich Belcher, Envirothon Coordinator at (609) 633-2549.

Click here for photo: Left to Right -- Hope Connolly, Jon Sellers, Adam Forbes, Sami Nichols and Chrissy Fairbanks.