Three Oaks looks to improve standing at international Envirothon
'We're building the stewards that are going to be taking care of the world'
A team of five students from Three Oaks high school is flying to Idaho Friday, where for the second year in a row they will compete in the international Envirothon competition.
The Three Oaks team competed against 10 other P.E.I. teams to earn their spot.
Chris Higginbotham, one of two biology teachers who lead the program, said the competition is a great learning opportunity for the students.
"At the end of the day really it's not even about the results of the competition," said Higginbotham.
"To me, we're building the stewards that are going to be taking care of the world in the future and then solving some of the problems we're facing right now."
Teams from 3 countries
Students who have competed in the Envirothon in the past have gone on to careers in environmental science or environmental management, Higginbotham said.
Students in the competition complete field stations on forestry, wildlife, soils and land use, aquatics, and a current issue, which this year is rangeland management. Last year, 54 teams — from the U.S., Canada and China — competed.
This is the second year in a row Three Oaks has represented P.E.I. Last year Three Oaks earned a fifth place finish in the problem-solving portion of the six-day competition, and 2nd place for Canada after Ontario.
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With files from Laura Chapin