Contact: Michelle Jacobs, Community Relations Officer, 302-535-7627
Joanna Wilson, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.

                Charter School of Wilmington wins Delaware Envirothon competition

DOVER (April 15, 2011) – The Blackbird Creek Reserve in New Castle County provided the backdrop for a morning of challenging environmental competition during yesterday’s Delaware Envirothon. Eighteen teams, each consisting of five Delaware high school students, competed for the big win – a $3,000 annual scholarship.

Team members 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, the newly added topic of air quality, and the current environmental issue of salt and freshwater estuaries. After more than three hours of testing, the results were announced. The Charter School of Wilmington Team A was crowned the 2011 state champion.

Each team member from the first place team was rewarded with a $3,000 per-year renewable academic scholarship from Wesley College and a $500 scholarship from the Delaware Envirothon. The winning team will also receive an award plaque for their school.

The Charter School of Wilmington Team B placed second in the competition and received the $300 Ernest J. Zimmerman award for use towards a school project on environmental education. Polytech High School Team A won third place and received the $150 Dean Belt award.  Polytech FFA received $100 for fourth place. 

The state champions will now train for the 2011 Canon Envirothon at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Canada from July 24-29.

For more information about the Delaware Envirothon, please contact Michelle Jacobs at 302-535-7627.

The top seven teams are recognized and the official results, including their placements in the resource topics, are as follows:

First Place Team:              The Charter School of Wilmington - Team A        

                                               1^st Place – Aquatic Ecology

                                               1^st Place – Forestry

1^st Place – Wildlife

1^st Place – Salt/Freshwater Estuaries (tie)

1^st Place – Oral Presentation

Second Place Team:        The Charter School of Wilmington - Team B
                                               1^st Place – Soils/Land Use

                                               1^st Place – Salt/Freshwater Estuaries (tie)

2^nd Place – Aquatic Ecology

2^nd Place – Forestry

3^rd Place – Oral Presentation

Third Place Team:      Polytech High School - Team A
                                               2^nd Place – Soils/Land Use (tie)

                                               2^nd Place – Wildlife

3^rd Place – Forestry

3^rd Place – Salt/Freshwater Estuaries (tie)

Fourth Place Team:    Polytech High School FFA
                                                3^rd Place – Aquatic Ecology

3^rd Place – Wildlife
 

Fifth Place Team:   A. I. DuPont High School “Nifty Piedmont Kids”
                                                               

Six Place Team:    Kent County 4-H
                                               3^rd Place – Oral Presentation

Seventh Place Team:      Sussex Tech High School – Team A
                                               2^nd Place – Soils/Land Use (tie)

Vol. 41, No. 158