Charter School of Wilmington Team A won the school’s 22nd straight Delaware Envirothon championship today at Abbott’s Mill Nature Center in Milford. Left to right are team members Siddhi Dinavahi, Arya Gupta, Eesha Sagiraju, Dharshini Senthilnathan, Amber Wong and Elaine Zuo (Alt.) /DNREC photo.

Charter’s Team A Claims School’s 22nd Straight Victory in Statewide Environmental Competition

Charter School of Wilmington Team A is the winner of the 2024 Delaware Envirothon competition held today at Abbotts Mill Nature Center in Milford, the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts announced today. The latest state Envirothon championship marks Charter School of Wilmington’s school’s 22nd win in the event’s 28-year history, highlighted by an unbroken winning streak in the Envirothon competition since 2002. Odessa High School FFA came in second place and Wilmington Charter School Team B placed third in the Envirothon competition.

Sponsored by the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the annual environmental education competition is open to high school students statewide.

The 16 competing Envirothon teams representing nine high schools and one 4-H club statewide – Calvary Christian Academy, Charter School of Wilmington, Middletown High School FFA, Newark Charter High School, Odessa High School FFA, Polytech High School, Smyrna High School FFA, Sussex Central High School, Sussex Tech High School FFA and Peach Blossom 4-H Club – worked hard all school year to prepare for the 2024 event held at Abbotts Mill Nature Center in Milford.

Each team answered questions, reviewed specimens, and took measurements in topics dealing with aquatic ecology, soils/land use, wildlife, forestry and the current environmental issue of “Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Future.” Teams also had to give a seven to 10-minute oral presentation of a scenario based on the current issue.

After more than three hours of testing, Charter School of Wilmington Team A was crowned the 2024 state champion. The first-place team will represent Delaware at the 2024 National Conservation Foundation (NCF) International Envirothon to be held at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York, from July 28 to Aug. 3.

Each member of the winning team earned a $500 scholarship from the Delaware Envirothon and other prizes. The winning team will also receive an award plaque for their school. The second through seventh place teams received more than $1,300 in special team awards and cash prizes.

Prizes in the form of gift cards and ribbons were awarded to the top seven teams. The official results are as follows:

• First place – The Charter School of Wilmington Team A: Siddhi Dinavahi, Arya Gupta, Eesha Sagiraju, Dharshini Senthilnathan, Amber Wong and Elaine Zuo (Alt.)
• Second place – Odessa High School FFA: Zachary Binnie, Joseph Delaney, Kalena Diaz, Natalie Holdren and Nate Sutton
• Third place – Saathvi Arunkumar, Rujula Borkar, Finnigan Carroll, Subiksha Srinivasan Vidya, Dhriti Tattari and Jane Oommen (Alt.)
• Fourth place – Peach Blossom 4-H Club: Ava Gallo, Aidan Garey, Mason Hay, Kaylyn Jones, Justus Moritz, Sofia Marquez (Alt.) and Lexi Hay (Alt.)
• Fifth place – Newark Charter High School Aquaholics: Zahra Ali, Anavi Chintam, Nina Moses, Ritisha Sarbajna and Aaliyah Sheikh
• Sixth place – Sussex Tech High School FFA: Hayden Chisenhall, Johnna Hataway, Morgan Lowe, Brock O’Day, Trent Ruark, Jack Willin (Alt.) and Connor LeCates (Alt.)
• Seventh place – Polytech Future Fertilizer: Christopher Clay, Aiden Clough, Abigail Masterson, Aiden Taylor and Emma Vernon

Since its inception, the Delaware Envirothon has awarded $70,000 in scholarships to 140 students. The event is hosted by the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts (DACD), a voluntary, non-profit association that coordinates conservation efforts statewide to focus on natural resource issues identified by Delaware’s three local districts.

In addition to DNREC, major sponsors include the Delaware Solid Waste Authority, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Sussex Conservation District, the Kent Conservation District, and the New Castle Conservation District, along with many other smaller donors.

More information about the annual event can be found at delawareenvirothon.org.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. For more information, visit the website and connect with @DelawareDNREC on Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) or LinkedIn. 

Media Contacts: Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov; Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov

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