The Envirothon is a multi-disciplinary, environmental problem-solving culminating a series of annual competitions. Teams of five high school students (grades 9-12) train and compete in the areas of soils, aquatics, wildlife, forestry, and current environmental issues at regional, state and national levels.
The Envirothon program originated in Pennsylvania in 1979 as a hands-on, outdoor competition to test high school students' knowledge of natural resources and environmental issues. The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts sponsored it.
In 1988, the original name, Enviro-Olympics was changed to Envirothon. That year, Pennsylvania hosted the first National Envirothon, which consisted of teams from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Ohio. The first Ohio Envirothon was held the following year. Six teams participated, with students from East Knox High School Capturing first place and representing Ohio in the 1989 National Envirothon.
In 1990, the Envirothon grew dramatically in Ohio, with more than sixty teams participating in four Area Envirothons. Ohio hosted the National Envirothon that year near Zanesville with Maine, Maryland, and New York joining the competition.
By 1993, the Envirothon was well established in Ohio and on its way to becoming a truly national program. More than three hundred students participated in five Area Envirothons in Ohio. The 1993 National Envirothon was held at Niagara Falls, New York and attracted teams from nineteen states and one Canadian province. The program has grown every year since the 1988 competition in Pennsylvania when just three states competed to the thirty-two states and three Canadian provinces participating in the 1996 national competition held in Nebraska. Nova Scotia hosted the 2000 National Envirothon.
In Ohio, the Envirothon continues to grow as more and more high school students take the opportunity to display their knowledge of the environment. Ohio's Soil and Water Conservation Districts sponsor five Area Envirothons each year and welcome new high school students to join in this exciting and rewarding educational experience.
The Envirothon program originated in Pennsylvania in 1979 as a hands-on, outdoor competition to test high school students' knowledge of natural resources and environmental issues. The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts sponsored it.
In 1988, the original name, Enviro-Olympics was changed to Envirothon. That year, Pennsylvania hosted the first National Envirothon, which consisted of teams from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Ohio. The first Ohio Envirothon was held the following year. Six teams participated, with students from East Knox High School Capturing first place and representing Ohio in the 1989 National Envirothon.
In 1990, the Envirothon grew dramatically in Ohio, with more than sixty teams participating in four Area Envirothons. Ohio hosted the National Envirothon that year near Zanesville with Maine, Maryland, and New York joining the competition.
By 1993, the Envirothon was well established in Ohio and on its way to becoming a truly national program. More than three hundred students participated in five Area Envirothons in Ohio. The 1993 National Envirothon was held at Niagara Falls, New York and attracted teams from nineteen states and one Canadian province. The program has grown every year since the 1988 competition in Pennsylvania when just three states competed to the thirty-two states and three Canadian provinces participating in the 1996 national competition held in Nebraska. Nova Scotia hosted the 2000 National Envirothon.
In Ohio, the Envirothon continues to grow as more and more high school students take the opportunity to display their knowledge of the environment. Ohio's Soil and Water Conservation Districts sponsor five Area Envirothons each year and welcome new high school students to join in this exciting and rewarding educational experience.
2025 Area 1 Envirothon
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The Area 1 Envirothon competition was held on August 23rd at the Kalida Fish and Game Club. That day, thirty one teams from twenty counties throughout northwest Ohio were tested in their knowledge of soil, aquatics, forestry, and wildlife. Teams placing in the top 4 were awarded the honor of competing at the State Envirothon in June. Once again, Defiance County had the largest and strongest representation with 5 teams. All Defiance teams placed in the top 10.
The Hicksville teams placed 2nd sending them to the state competition for the 2nd year in a row. Tinora's Teams 1 and 2 placed 5th and 6th, while Fairview's Teams 1 and 2 placed 7th and 8th overall. |
Hicksville Team, 2nd Place
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2025 State Envirothon
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This year, Wilmington College in Area 3 was the site for the Ohio State Envirothon. Twenty teams from across Ohio earned their place to compete in the competitive academic outdoor event. A single team from this competition moved on to the national competition in July in Alberta, Canada.
In Ohio, Envirothon is sponsored by the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Agriculture. Natural resource and environmental specialist from many agencies, organizations, colleges, park districts and businesses produce the Environmental questions and during the competition provide professional support at the various testing stations. Envirothon also incorporates questions and situations where teams must apply their knowledge of a current issue affecting those environmental topics. The 2025 current issue was "Roots and Resiliency: Fostering Forest Stewardship in a Canopy of Change". This issue becomes the basis for the scenario that all the teams are given for the presentation piece of the state competition. Teams are sequestered with only resource books and brochures, a flash drive, and a computer without internet access for 4 hours to create a logical but creative 6 minute presentation they will offer to a panel of 3 judges. This often is a make or break portion of the entire event. The Hicksville team made up of Maria Saunders, Brock Johnson, Kennedy Adams, Abby Gatchell and Cross Zeedyk rose to the challenge and placed 3rd in the presentation and 3rd in soils. Overall, the team placed 11th in the state. |
2025 State Envirothon Teams
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