Team #1 comprised seniors Eleanore Woodruff, a resident of Weehawken, and West New York resident Amir Mustafa, who earned a 10th place win in the state, and in spite of possessing only two members in a five-member team competition, Team #1 placed 2nd in the Team Presentation category.
Team #2 consisted of seniors Alex Seth Becerril of Bayonne and North Bergen resident Soham Shah, with juniors Aubrey Beam, a resident of Jersey City, and Sarah Bacha and Zhixiu Zhang of North Bergen. Team #2 earned a 5th place win in the state. and placed 2nd in the Wildlife category.
Meanwhile, in a segment celebrating the 25th anniversary of the New Jersey Envirothon, a camera crew from NJEA’s Classroom Close-Up NJ followed Team #2. Classroom Close-Up NJ, a half-hour television program, features innovative projects in New Jersey public schools, the only program in the country devoted to featuring positive happenings in public schools.. The 15-time Emmy®-winning show, now in its 24th season, airs on NJTV every Sunday at 7:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 7:30 p.m, and the segment featuring Team #2 will air in October 2018.
In preparing for the New Jersey Envirothon competition, high school students pursue in-depth knowledge about New Jersey’s natural resources and gain skills needed to navigate the complex environmental issues of today and tomorrow. Guided by a local teacher or parent, the participants employ online study guides and attend in-person training workshops provided by natural resource professionals from the various sponsoring organizations.
Early in May, teams of five students convene for a day-long, problem-solving competition, with honors, prizes, and scholarships at stake. Areas of competition include Aquatics, Forestry, Soils, Wildlife, Team Presentation, and a Current Environmental Issue. One week prior to the event, students receive an environmental issue or real-life scenario for which they must (1) explore the natural resources, implications, and stakeholders involved, (2) collaborate to devise a solution, and (3) give a team presentation to a panel of judges on the day of the competition.
