Students from Three Oaks Senior High School in Summerside won a provincial competition to represent Prince Edward Island at the 2013 North America Envirothon in Montana next summer, says Minister of Agriculture and Forestry George Webster.
“Environmental education programs provide an excellent opportunity for students to study science and learn how to interact with the natural world,” said Minister Webster. “Creating more knowledgeable and environmentally conscientious students will help protect the natural resources that sustain our quality of life.”
The Envirothon is an annual science-based environmental competition for high school-aged students throughout North America.
Students from six Island schools participated in the provincial competition which involves classroom and hands-on outdoor learning. The areas of study included forests, aquatic ecosystems, soils and land use, wildlife habitats, and this year’s special environmental challenge, sustainable rangeland management.
Students learn skills in problem solving, team work and communications, as they work through real issues involving the environment, the economy and society.
Members of the Three Oaks team include Ian Hink, Andrew Farag, Kristen Pyke, Patrick Steele and Shobhitha Balasubramaniam, along with teachers Heather Pringle and Chris Higginbotham. Students from Kinkora, Bluefield, Charlottetown Rural, Morell, and Montague also took part in the competition.
The Provincial Forest Envirothon Competition is run by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry with assistance from the Department of Environment, Labour and Justice, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Ducks Unlimited.