Warren Collegiate Institute is proving to be a powerhouse in environmental education.
Two teams of students are heading to the provincial level of the Manitoba Envirothon competition this week after excelling at the regional event.
Students tested their knowledge by identifying bird specimens
Envirothon is an environmental education competition that challenges Grade 9 to 12 students to test their knowledge in ecology and natural resource management. The annual competition encourages teamwork, problem-solving and public speaking while also focusing on current environmental issues.
Teacher Amanda Dion was one of the coaches, along with Gaelen Fehr and Melissa Anderson.
“Teams have five members, and each person becomes an expert in a different core area. The topics include soil ecology, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife and a current environmental issue,” Dion said.
“This year, the theme is land use and management. Students compete in a hands-on field test and an oral presentation.”
Prior to the regional event, the two WCI teams took part in group sessions to hone their skills, but they mainly prepared on their own.
“There is a lot of material they need to study and practise,” Dion added.
The first team is made up of students Sarah Goodwill, Sawyer Park, Jess Chrusch, Mason Klassen and Kade Schedle. The second team includes Michaella Monforton, Kiera Schutz, Austyn Scott, Katelynne Defoort and Chyler Grenkow.
On April 23, they competed at the regional event at the Tourond Discovery Centre in the RM of Hanover. They are now preparing to compete at provincials from May 21 to 23 at Tim Hortons Camp in Whiteshell Provincial Park.
Dion said one of the main benefits of the competition is that students gain hands-on field skills that are difficult to replicate in a classroom.
“They get to work with equipment that we just don’t have the budget to purchase. Students not only connect with peers who have similar interests, but they can also network with professionals in various environmental fields, including conservation, water stewardship and government,” she said.
“Through the field test and the presentation, students have to work together to think critically. It’s always interesting to see how they are able to balance their respective core areas to solve problems.”
The two-and-a-half-day provincial competition includes a larger field test and a separate oral competition. The top team at the provincial competition will have the chance to represent Manitoba at the National Conservation Foundation Envirothon in July.
