As the students and volunteers gathered at Priest Point Park in Olympia on the morning of April 19th, they kept an eye on their weather apps. Heavy rain and lightning were forecast for the day, threatening to throw a wrench in this year’s regional Envirothon* competition - the first in-person competition in the South Sound since 2019.

Thankfully the rain stayed away, and the seven teams put their natural resources knowledge to the test. The right to represent their county at the next round of the competition was on the line. During the competition they

• used forestry tools
• identified aquatic insects
• matched tracks to their animals
• tested soil samples
• and presented their plans to reduce the impacts of waste in their communities.

The Results

When the pencils were down and the points were added up, Stadium High School from Tacoma won first place. They will represent Pierce County at the Washington State Envirothon competition in late May. Avanti High School was the top finisher from Thurston County, and Cedar High School placed first from Mason County. Puyallup High School placed third overall, just behind CASSEE from Clark County. An honorable mention goes to Lakes High School who was among the Pierce County teams competing that day.

It was great to have in-person Envirothon after two years away, and we wish all those competing at the state event the best of luck!

*What is Envirothon? It is a competition for high school students interested in natural resources and environmental science. Teams of five students are tested on forestry, wildlife, aquatic ecology, soil, land use, and current environmental issues. The winning team from each county advances to the state event, and finally the North American competition.