Team takes prize, but winning is elusive

Fourteen teams took part in the event that has been held in Nova Scotia since 1994, and dominated by teams from DRHS, which in the past decade have won every year but 2001 and 2004.

This year, the honour went to West Kings District High School, and its team will now represent the province at the North American Envirothon in Flagstaff, Arizona, from July 28 to Aug. 3.

Digby’s five-member team, which advisor Greg Turner says is in a rebuilding year, did make its presence felt at the event this year, winning Saturday’s main oral presentation.

Team members are Kayla and Casie Tidd, Kelly Thompson and newcomers Morgan Geauvreau and Rebecca Alexander.

The theme of this year’s competition dealt with recreational impacts on natural resources and the Digby team found its point of view in the affects on the environment of cottages on Porter’s Lake. They placed third in Thursday’s oral presentation.

The competition stiffened Friday when Digby scored 93.5, but still ended up in third place. “In the testing Friday they found some real challenges,” said Turner.

The team’s prize-winning oral presentation Saturday looked at handling the issues of rail bed use for recreation in the Coldbrook area, where there is a controversy over use of off-highway vehicles. “They had to develop a plan so everybody would be happy,” Turner said.

With the team’s rebuilding year completed, team members are already looking forward to next year’s competition, he added.

The Envirothon program is put on by the Nova Scotia Forestry Association and has played a part in fostering enthusiasm for science education, according to its sponsors.

Nova Scotia was the first province to get involved in the competition and the three-day event is based on four main topics: forestry, wildlife, soil and land use, and aquatic ecology. A fifth topic—this year’s was recreational impacts—is given to the students and they must work together to show how it affects the four main topics.

Eight provinces and one territory are taking part this year in the Envirothon, working towards the chance to represent their province or territory at the Canon Envirothon in Arizona.

Last year, more than 500,000 teenagers from across North America took part. Digby’s team was among 52, including eight from Canada, competed in the Envirothon in Geneva, N.Y.