MINNESOTA’S TEAM TAKES 3RD PLACE AT NATIONAL ENVIROTHON

A five-member team of high school students from Rushford-Peterson High School, Minnesota, placed third in the 2010 Canon Envirothon.  The announcement was made on August 6th, during the closing ceremony of the weeklong North American environmental education competition held at the California State University, Fresno, and sponsored by Canon U.S.A., Inc.

The Rushford-Peterson High School students competed with more than 270 teenagers from 45 U.S. states and 9 Canadian provinces in one of North America’s largest high school environmental competitions. The third-place Rushford Peterson team received a total of $15,000 in Canon scholarships to use in science education. 

"We're very proud of what they accomplished," said Fillmore SWCD Administrator Donna Rasmussen.  "They've had just a strong tradition under (advisor) Craig Colbenson through the years.”  Colbenson, she noted further, had been the district’s nominee for the MASWCD Teacher of the Year last year and won the award. 

The Envirothon competition tests teams on their knowledge of soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife and a current environmental issue.  The current issue for this year’s competition was Protection of Groundwater through Urban, Agricultural and Environmental Planning.

Since 1994, Soil and Water Conservation Districts have been sponsors of the Envirothon competition in Minnesota at the area and state level. The Board of Water and Soil Resources in partnership with SWCDs and others sponsor the State Envirothon.

The National Association of Conservation Districts, the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation in the U.S., and the Provincial Forestry Associations in Canada, are key partners in organizing the National Canon Envirothon.