Envirothon is advised by science teacher Laura O’Leary. The team members participate in competitions based on their knowledge of agriculture and the environment around them. 

      Envirothon studies forestry, wildlife, soils, aquatics, and a fifth topic of random selection focusing on something environmental. This year, that topic is food waste and reduction for the school cafeteria.

     There are currently 15 members on the team and in terms of goals, O’Leary comments “I’m not sure if I should say this but we always try to beat Harford Christian because they have a class provided but we only have a club where we try to eek out little time after school.” 

     Student Anna O’Leary, sophomore, is a member of her mother’s club. O’Leary states “having my mom as the advisor makes it both easier and harder, because I am kind of forced to go but having her there is fun.” The 10th grader comments on their competition (previous to the event), “I’m nervous because no one in our team has presented before because of the COVID-19 year and I think we will do okay, I have to present because it’s my second year in the club and I think I’m a pretty good public speaker.”

     This past Saturday, February 19 was their first competition of the year. The team will have been scored in both a  presentation portion and the actual competition.  O’Leary stated, “we have to create a plan for food waste reduction and composting in our cafeteria which is kind of a cool topic, and a group of 5 will present it.” The advisor added that she is not sure if this is virtual or in-person.

     At the end of March and beginning of April is when their county-wide competition takes place. O’Leary is hoping that things will be all opened up again in time for that competition. 

     Envirothon members were permitted their training segment of the educational club which leads O’Leary to believe that the competition will not be virtual. This training is held and taught by experts in the field of natural resources.

     Following this the members get a mid-year training for the fifth topic that changes;   this year the woman who taught the topic was Wendy Doring, the senior leader of recycling programs in Harford County.

     Finally, the team gets a third training nearer to the competition date around March which is similar to the first training they had.

     Other than these, the only things that the environmentalists receive to train are the direction from O’Leary after school in their club on Fridays. O’Leary says they “usually have food and go outside and do silly things but also learn all about the four, main topic areas.”

     As of January 27, they were mainly focusing on their preparations for the presentation of the fifth topic.

     The entire program is run by the Soil Conservation District, and information is provided on a website that O’Leary and other advisors say they use as a guide to help them gain points and gain ideas for new concepts that they may need to address in their competition.