High School Envirothon

What is the Envirothon?

Congratulations to General McLane High School on their first place finish at the 2025 Erie County Envirothon! Good luck at States!

The 2026 High School Envirothon will be held Thursday, May 7th!

The Envirothon is designed to give high school students an opportunity to acquire and demonstrate knowledge of environmental resources and their connection to each other and human activity. The student teams are challenged in the areas of Aquatics, Forestry, Soils/Land Use, Wildlife and a current environmental issue. In order to participate, a school team must have 3-5 students and an advisor. It's a great opportunity to build teamwork, learn environmental knowledge that pertains to our daily lives, and meet professionals in the environmental field. Recap 2024

Who can participate?

Any Erie County school district can put together up to five teams of 3-5 students grades 9-12. Homeschoolers and cyber school students may also form teams. For schools outside of Erie County, please contact your county's conservation district for information on your local event.

How does a team prepare for the event?

Studying for the event depends upon the schedules of students and their level of interest! Information for the upcoming spring event usually is available on the state website in the beginning of November. Some teams find it easier to study at school during a common time, or they may meet after school at a separate location. Advisors can be a great help in organizing meeting times and coordinating study sessions and field trips.

What is the event like?

Student teams spend the morning working through written challenges in each station (Forestry, Wildlife, Aquatics, Soils/Land Use, and the Current Issue). The entire morning is spent in Headwaters Park (it could be snowing, raining, 80 degrees, or all three in the span of the morning - be prepared!) Some of the questions are hands-on skills utilizing the resources the Park offers. The tests will be scored upon submission and results will be tallied at the Conservation District for the announcement of awards following lunch.

What do the winners receive?

The winning team will represent Erie County and move on to the state competition a few weeks after the county event. The state event is usually held near the middle of the state with over 60 teams from across Pennsylvania participating. Details regarding that challenge will be explained as they become available. All participants will receive a unique 2024 tshirt and the winning team will also receive prizes in addition to the opportunity to compete at the state level.

Why should a school get a team (s) together and participate?

The Envirothon event is FUN! Teams have a great time leading up to the event, preparing and studying in creative ways. Teams will have the opportunity to contact professionals in the various fields such as PA Game Commission, DCNR, PA Fish and Boat Commission, NRCS, and other agencies. If you are a student, or know of a student, that is interested in environmental causes and studies, and/or is considering further study beyond high school, gather together a team and get ready for the competition in May!

If your school would like to participate please contact Erie County Envirothon Coordinator at 814-825-6403. Click here for more information on the Envirothon.