Posted: 5/8/07
Envirothon attracts many
students to Camp Winnebago
By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
Camp Winnebago, rural Caledonia, was a flurry of activity on Wednesday, May 2, when over 100 students and their teachers converged on the popular campground for the 14th annual Southeast Minnesota Envirothon.
The event, which is sponsored by Area 7 Board of Water and Soil Resources, attracted high school teams from as far north as Cannon Falls, and as far west at Triton. Students competed to find out which teams were most knowledgeable in water resources, wildlife, soils, forestry, and alternative energy. Teams also competed in oral presentations.
Staffers from the various soil and water conservation districts from the 11-county Southeast Minnesota Region, which makes up Area 7, DNR personnel, and members of the U of M Extension helped put on the event.
A total of 18 teams from 13 schools in the region competed at the various stations set up around the large grassy campground. The top three teams will advance to the state competition, which will be held later this month at Heron Lake in southwest Minnesota. The top team at the state competition advances to the national meet, which will be held in New York this year.
Rushford-Peterson team #1 took top honors, while Rochester Lourdes placed second, and Rushford-Peterson team #2 placed third.
Envirothon competitions are held each spring throughout the state. In Area 7, the competition is moved throughout the region, with a site hosting the event for three straight years. The competition will be held the next two years at Camp Winnebago.
Teams from Area 7 have done well at the state competitions in the past, with teams from Rushford-Peterson and Mabel-Canton high schools advancing to the national meets in recent years.
Caledonia Argus
314 West Lincoln St.
P.O. Box 227
Caledonia, MN 55921-0227
507/724-3475
E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com