First Place in the 2019 Delaware Envirothon: Wilmington Team A, left to right: Victoria Deng, Udeerna Tippabhatla, Darren Wu, Shan Yu, and Shriya Boyapati. DNREC photo.

DOVER – Charter School of Wilmington Team A is the winner of the 2019 Delaware Envirothon competition held April 11 at Delaware State University’s Outreach and Research Center near Smyrna. This is the school’s 20th win in the event’s 24-year history, including an unbroken winning streak since 2002. Charter School of Wilmington Team C finished second and Charter School of Wilmington Team B placed third in the Envirothon competition.

The Envirothon is a Delaware Association of Conservation Districts (DACD) program with sponsorship and staff support from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. This year’s 17 competing Envirothon teams from eight high schools and one 4-H club statewide – Calvary Christian Academy, Charter School of Wilmington, Delaware Military Academy, Dover High School, Middletown High School, Newark Charter School, Polytech High School, Sussex Tech High School and Peach Blossom 4-H Club – worked hard all school year to prepare for the event.

Each team answered questions, reviewed specimens and took measurements in topics dealing with aquatic ecology, soils/land-use, wildlife, forestry, air quality and the current environmental issue of “Agriculture and the Environment: Knowledge and Technology to Feed the World.” Teams also had to give a seven-to-10-minute oral presentation of a scenario based on the current environmental issue. After more than three hours of testing, Charter School of Wilmington Team A was crowned the 2019 state champion. They will now represent Delaware at the National Conservation Foundation International Envirothon held at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina in late July.

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 $2,400 in special team awards and cash prizes. Special cash awards for the top three teams in Air Quality, Forestry, and Soils were provided by DNREC Division of Air Quality, the Delaware Forestry Association, and the Pocomoke Chapter – Soil and Water Conservation Society.

Prizes in the form of gift cards and ribbons were awarded to the top seven teams. The official results are as follows:
First place: Charter School of Wilmington Team A
Second place: Charter School of Wilmington Team C
Third place: Charter School of Wilmington Team B
Fourth place: Peach Blossom 4-H Club
Fifth place: Middletown High School
Sixth place: Delaware Military Academy
Seventh place: Newark Charter School

Since its inception, the Delaware Envirothon has awarded $60,000 in scholarships to 120 students (these numbers are updated from last year’s release). It is hosted by the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts (DACD), which is a voluntary, non-profit association that coordinates conservation efforts statewide to focus on natural resource issues identified by Delaware’s three local districts.

For more information about the Delaware Envirothon, please visit www.delawareenvirothon.org or contact Rick Mickowski at 302-832-3100 ext. 113.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 49, No. 95

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DOVER – The Kent Conservation District invites everyone to a rompin’, stompin’ good time at its 19th Annual Barn Dance fundraiser to be held from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12 at the Harrington Fire Company, 20 Clark Street, Harrington, DE 19952. The event features a down-home meal including beef and dumplings, fried chicken, and all the fixings, plus live and silent benefit auctions, and dancing to DJ music.

Tickets are now on sale for $20 per person or $35 per couple. Tickets for children 12 years and under are $10 each, while children under two are admitted free. Reserved tables seating eight are available for $150, and must be reserved in one name and paid by a single check.

Funds raised through the Barn Dance support the Delaware Envirothon, an annual competitive, problem-solving, natural resource challenge for high school students which is co-sponsored by DNREC. Additionally, DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship guides the Conservation Districts staff in providing technical and financial assistance to Delaware’s farmers, landowners, and homeowners to protect and enhance the state’s soil and water resources.

For tickets or more information, please call the Kent Conservation District at 302-741-2600, ext. 3.

Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 48, No. 226

Dover — Charter School of Wilmington Team A won the 2017 Delaware Envirothon competition held April 27 at University of Delaware’s Webb Farm in Newark, marking the school’s 18th win in the event’s 22-year history, including an unbroken winning streak since 2002. Middletown FFA finished second and Charter School of Wilmington Team B placed third. The Envirothon is sponsored by the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts.

The 21 competing Envirothon teams worked hard all school year to prepare for the event. Each team identified samples, took measurements and answered questions on topics dealing with aquatic ecology, soils/land-use, wildlife, forestry, air quality and the current environmental issue of agricultural soil and water conservation stewardship. Teams also had to give a seven- to 10-minute oral presentation on a scenario utilizing the nine steps of conservation planning to identify resource concerns and best management practices of a cropland and poultry farming operation. After more than three hours of testing, Charter School of Wilmington Team A was crowned the 2017 state champion, continuing the school’s remarkable run of success in the Envirothon.

Each member of the winning team earned a $500 scholarship from the Delaware Envirothon, a $100 gift card and other prizes. The winning team will also receive an award plaque for their school and will represent Delaware at the National Conservation Foundation North American Envirothon at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmittsburg, Maryland at the end of July. The second, third and fourth place teams received more than $1,670 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 Envirothon results were:

• First place: Charter School of Wilmington, Team A – Siddharth Gangrade, Catherine Yu, Connor Sweeney, Allen Wang, and Ashley Pennington. Team advisors: Rose Lounsbury and Greg Darone
• Second place: Middletown High School FFA – William Nylander, Ariana Gaston, Joshua Housler, Timothy Mulderrig, and Sara Collins. Team advisor: Jeff Billings
• Third place: Charter School of Wilmington, Team B – Adraitha Anne, AJ Yuan, John Garcia, Elan Tran and Pooja Kaji. Team advisors: Rose Lounsbury and Greg DaroneFourth place: Peach Blossom 4-H Club – Oliver Menard, Lida Gannon, Reese Yost, Leslie Webb, Maci Carter, Drew Harris (alternate) and Adam Collier (alternate). Team advisor: Elaine Webb
• Fifth place: Charter School of Wilmington, Team C – Nicole Flowerhill, Tara Lennon, Eddie Huang, Priyanka Hoskere, and Harshitha Henry. Team advisors: Rose Lounsbury and Greg Darone
• Sixth place: A.I. DuPont High School, Team Clean Coal – Jan Castro, Mackenzie Crossley, Bethany DeGrotto, Julia Szymanski, Rachel Widom, Alicia Chen (alternate) and Sophie Girke (alternative). Team advisor: Amy Huebner
• Seventh place: MOT Charter, Mustangs Team A – Viktoria Brown, Shannon Hanggodo, Vishnusundar Somasundaram, Shachi Shah, Jalen Williams. Team advisor: Michelle Guenther

Since its inception, the Delaware Envirothon has awarded $55,000 in scholarships to 110 students. It 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.

For more information about the Delaware Envirothon, please visit delawareenvirothon.org or contact Rick Mickowski at 302-832-3100 ext. 8979.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 47, No. 91

DOVER – Charter School of Wilmington Team B is the winner of the 2016 Delaware Envirothon competition held April 28 at Brecknock Park in Camden, marking the school’s 17th win in the event’s 20-year history, including an unbroken winning streak since 2002. Charter’s Team A finished second and Middletown High School placed third in the Envirothon competition.

The 20 competing Envirothon teams worked hard all school year to prepare for the environmental challenge. Each team answered questions, reviewed specimens and took measurements in topics dealing with aquatic ecology, soils/land-use, wildlife, forestry, air quality and the current environmental issue of invasive species. Teams also had to give a five- to seven-minute oral presentation on a scenario on effectively managing the invasive species emerald ash borer, which attacks and kills native ash tree species in Delaware. After more than three hours of testing, Charter School of Wilmington Team B was crowned the 2016 state champion.

Each member of the winning team earned a $500 scholarship from the Delaware Envirothon, a $100 gift card and other prizes. The winning team will also receive an award plaque for their school. The second, third and fourth place teams received more than $1,670 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: Charter School of Wilmington, Team B – Siddharth Gangrade, Allen Wang, Catherine Yu, Helen Xu and Connor Sweeney. Team advisors: Rose Lounsbury and Greg Darone
• Second place: Charter School of Wilmington, Team A – Gina Zhu, Janya Lennon, Silvana Alfieri, Alana Duke and Advaitha Anne. Team Advisors Rose Lounsbury and Greg Daron
• Third place: Middletown High School, Delaware “BAES” Team – Brandon Dawson, Ariana Gaston, Erin Fogarty, Josh Housler and Will Nylander. Team advisor:Jeff Billings
• Fourth place: Polytech High School, Cotyledons – Matthiew Erickson, Marie Medina, Kyrstal Mendez, Amanda Phillips and Zackary Hardy. Team advisors: Susan Wujtewicz and Sally Bowman
• Fifth place: Delaware Military Academy, Seahawks 3 – Ava Rice, Tajaii Furrowh, Andrew Malone, Emily Harvie and Greg Fraczkowski. Team advisors: Paul Long and Tammy Averell
• Sixth place: Charter School of Wilmington, Team C – John Garcia, Maitreyi, Erin Warren, AJ Yuan and Ashley Pennington. Team advisors: Rose Lounsbury and Greg Darone)
• Seventh place: Polytech High School, FFA Team – Wyatt Olivarez, Racquel Crego, Mikayla Jacobsen, Nicole Woods and Krista Anderson. Team advisors: Sue Wujtewicz and Sally Bowman

Since its inception, the Delaware Envirothon has awarded $52,500 in scholarships to 105 students. It 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.

For more information about the Delaware Envirothon, please visit www.delawareenvirothon.org or contact Rick Mickowski at 302-832-3100, ext. 113.

Media Contact: Joanna Wilson, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 157

DOVER (Aug. 22, 2013) – A five-member team of high school students from Charter School of Wilmington took seventh place in the North American Envirothon, the continent’s largest high school environmental competition. The announcement was made during the closing ceremony of the weeklong competition, held Aug. 4-9 on and near Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont., and sponsored by Canon U.S.A., Inc.

“I congratulate the Charter School of Wilmington team on their outstanding performance,” said Governor Jack Markell. “Their hard work and commitment to protecting our environment sets a wonderful example for all of us. Behind every successful team is a strong support network and I thank the family members, teachers and Delaware Association of Conservation Districts members who made possible a great opportunity for these talented young people.”

Charter School of Wilmington team members Jason Liu, Alex Mink, Martin Kurian, Gavy Aggarwal and Naman Agrawal joined more than 280 teenagers representing 47 states, nine Canadian provinces, and one Canadian territory to compete for a share of $175,000 in scholarships, host grants, and Canon products. For their seventh place finish, each Charter team member received a $1,300 college scholarship from Canon U.S.A. The Delaware Association of Conservation Districts, as sponsor of the Charter team, received a Canon printer and camera.

“Over the past few years, the Charter School of Wilmington has emerged as a national leader in environmental education,” said Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Secretary Collin O’Mara. “Their success not only demonstrates the team’s extensive knowledge and understanding of protecting the future of our natural resources, but also the strength of the Delaware Envirothon program. My sincere appreciation to the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts, the Envirothon committee and the many teachers, parents and mentors who are committed to environmental education throughout our state.”

Team advisor Conrad Rice and his wife accompanied the Delaware team to Montana, along with Rick Mickowski, chair of the Delaware Envirothon, and Kerin Walsh, Delaware representative to the North American Envirothon Committee.

“The team put in a lot of hard work and studying to place in the top 10 again,” said Mickowski. “We are extremely proud of their accomplishment and how they represented their school, the Delaware Envirothon, and the state of Delaware while in Montana for the competition.”

The Envirothon tested the teams on their practical knowledge of soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, and the current environmental issue of Sustainable Rangeland Management: achieving a balance between traditional agricultural uses with non-agricultural uses on Montana rangelands. Besides being tested on the topic, the team had to prepare and give a 20-minute oral presentation before a panel of five judges.

Team member Naman Agrawal said the Envirothon was a great experience for the Wilmington team. “We’ve learned so much about how to manage our natural resources more responsibly, and it was nice to see other teams sharing the same passion,” Naman said. “We met kids from all over the continent and witnessed an entirely new environment to work with in Montana. Even past the scope of this competition, what we learned has made us much more aware of and prepared for the environmental problems of the future.”

“Envirothon is truly a great competition because it presents us with an awareness of our environment in an ever-changing world,” added Naman’s teammate, Martin Kurian. “Because of this competition, I think our whole team has a deeper understanding of how the environment around us works, and how each and every decision we make not only affects it, but also the economic, societal, and cultural ties that our environment intrinsically possesses with us.”

The week of the competition was jammed full of activity. Sunday, the arrival day, included registration, a team photo session, opening ceremonies with a presentation of the state flags followed by a team trading session. Delaware Envirothon t-shirts were a hot commodity.

Monday was a training day at a ranch south of Livingston, Mont., about 30 miles from the University campus. After training, the students were treated to an evening at the Museum of the Rockies, which has a world class dinosaur exhibit. Tuesday was a full day of testing at the ranch followed by an evening dance.

On Wednesday, the teams visited Old Faithful at Yellowstone National Park with a BBQ meal and rodeo in West Yellowstone. Thursday was back to work with training on the presentation topic followed by many hours of preparation for their oral presentation. Friday was the big day with the Delaware team having an early draw for an 8:15 a.m. time slot. That evening, everyone waited in suspense for the announcement of the top 15 teams to see who would take first place.

The Delaware Envirothon is sponsored by the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts. Members of the planning committee represent Delaware’s three Conservation Districts, the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Delaware Forest Service, the Delaware Department of Agriculture, the University of Delaware – Cooperative Extension, Delaware Nature Society, and the Delaware Solid Waste Authority.

The Charter School of Wilmington team qualified to represent Delaware in the North American competition after placing first in the Delaware Envirothon competition held April 25 at Wicked R Western Productions near Dover.

To learn more about the Delaware Envirothon program, please visit www.delawareenvirothon.org.

For more highlights about the North American Envirothon and for pictures from the 2013 event, please visit www.envirothon.org.