LINCOLN, Nebraska – Pelicans and turkeys welcomed high schoolers from across Nebraska to Lake McConaughy for the 31st annual Nebraska State Envirothon April 26, 2023. Dawson County Envirothon Club took home the championship along with $1,500 and will represent Nebraska at the National Conservation Foundation (NCF) Envirothon in New Brunswick, Canada, in July.

Envirothon is an environmental education program for high school students that combines classroom learning and outdoor activities. This year’s competition was hosted at the University of Nebraska’s Cedar Point Biological Station at Lake McConaughy near Ogallala.

“Envirothon allows students to get outdoors and learn about natural resources in a hands-on environment,” said Dr. Orval Gigstad, Nebraska Association of Resources Districts president. “The activities are designed to help students become environmentally aware, action-oriented adults, but also exposes them to many exciting career opportunities.”

During the state competition, five-member teams were tested on their knowledge of aquatics, forestry, policy, range, soils and wildlife, as well as prepared and delivered an oral presentation focusing on a current environmental issue.

The 2023 oral presentation theme “Adapting to a Changing Climate” challenged teams to propose a solution to a complex problem before a panel of judges.

The Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD) Foundation awarded cash prizes to the top three teams at the state competition:

• First Place ($1,500): Dawson County Envirothon Club (Dawson County, Nebraska)
• Second Place ($1,000): Milford High School (Milford, Nebraska)
• Third Place ($500): St. Paul High School (St. Paul, Nebraska)

Additional prizes were awarded to the top teams in each testing category:

• Aquatics: Concordia Lutheran (Omaha)
• Forestry: Concordia Lutheran (Omaha)
• Policy: Dawson County Envirothon Club
• Range: Ord
• Soils: Milford
• Wildlife: Milford
• Oral Presentation: Dawson County Envirothon Club

Eighty-six teams competed in the regional contests during February and March, and 14 teams qualified to participate at the state competition.

Dawson County Envirothon Club will represent Nebraska at the NCF-Envirothon July 23-29, 2023, to compete for a top prize of $15,000. The international NCF-Envirothon will be hosted at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick, Canada, and include more than 40 teams from the U.S., Canada, China and Singapore.

Learn more about the Nebraska Envirothon at www.nrdnet.org/nebraska-envirothon.

Dawson County Envirothon Club takes home the Nebraska Envirothon Championship April 26, 2023. Team members include: Ryan Arbuthnot, Creyton Line, Parker Walahoski, Jacie Wolfinger, Jaelin Wolfinger, and are coached by Janice Wolfinger.