WHAT’S INSIDE:

Elementary School Envirothon Students Travel to Camp Shand

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Elementary School Envirothon Review 3

Middle School Envirothon Review 4

High School Envirothon Review 5

Thank You to Our Sponsors 6

Save the Date &

2017 Scholarship Winner 7

LEBANON COUNTY ENVIROTHON

2017

Lebanon County has once again successfully fielded Envirothon Teams and awakened young minds to the natural world and their role in it for over thirty three years! A special thanks to the parents and the community that have stood behind these programs; to the schools and administrators that have supported this outreach; to the Board of the Conservation District for their support and guidance; and to the Lebanon County Commissioners for their generous support. We would especially like to thank all of the teachers who devote time, energy, and passion into making this program successful!

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: 13 schools: Annville, Cornwall, Forge Road, Harding, Henry Houck, Jonestown, Lingle Avenue, Northwest, North Side, Pine Street, South Lebanon, Southeast, and Southwest Elementary Schools for a total of 23 teams and 101 students participating.

MIDDLE SCHOOL: 4 schools: ELCO, Lebanon, Northern Lebanon, and Palmyra Middle Schools for a total of 16 teams and 91 students participating.

HIGH SCHOOL: 6 schools: ELCO, Lebanon Catholic, Lebanon Christian Academy, Lebanon, Northern Lebanon, and Palmyra High Schools for a total of 26 teams and 119 students participating.

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Elementary School Envirothon: ES FIELD EXPERIENCE: Students in grades 4-6 across Lebanon County participating in this year’s Elementary School Envirothon were

provided the opportunity to experience a day long learning adventure at Camp Shand. On May 9th, 119 students (including alternates) traveled to Camp Shand and spent the day exploring and learning in preparation for the competition on May 11th. Students divided into groups and

rotated through the following stations: 1. Pond Study: Led by Nolde Forest Environmen-tal Educator, Eleanor Sweeney and volunteer Linda Stine, students searched the pond for aquatic life catching macroinvertebrates (aquatic bugs), fish, and tadpoles! Students were encouraged to make a detailed scientific drawing of one of these animals, and, using their observations, follow a key to identify it. Students shared their work and saw the variety of animals that live in pond and wetland habitats. 2. Wildlife: At this station, students played “Matching Mania” by testing their ID skills with various animal pelts, mounts, and calls. PA Trapper’s Association volunteers; Melva and Butch Herr reviewed each, providing students vast information on each one. 3. Aquatics: Led by the LCCD’s Valarie Weaber, students reviewed the life cycles of the dragonfly and mosquito. They created a life cycle craft for each, allowing them to visualize each step of their lifecycles and reinforce what students had been studying. 4. Forestry: Under the guidance of Jan & Larry Taylor, students were familiarized with forest wetland environments, numerous invasive plants, and basic tree identification skills. The backdrop of Camp Shand’s Bog Turtle habitat and stream provided a rich outdoor learning classroom for students to experience.

LEBANON COUNTY ENVIROTHON

2017

A special thank you to our

station leaders and field

experience organizers:

Butch & Melva Herr,

Linda Stine,

Eleanor Sweeney,

Jan and Larry Taylor,

& Valarie Weaber!

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SAVE THE DATE(s)!

PLEASE CONSIDER SUPPORTING THE 2018 LEBANON COUNTY ENVIROTHON! Please contact the Lebanon County Conservation District, 2120 Cornwall Road*Suite 5, Lebanon, PA 17042

717-277-5275 or you can make a secure donation online at www.lccd.org. Interested in volunteering with the Envirothon? Contact the Conservation District for details! Thank you!

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High School

Envirothon

LEBANON COUNTY ENVIROTHON

2017

Middle School

Envirothon

Elementary School Field

Elementary School

Envirothon

Congratulations to Briana Long, Palmyra High School senior, who is the recipient of the first ever Lebanon County Envirothon Scholarship!

This year the Lebanon County Envirothon offered our first ever Envirothon Scholarship. A $1000 Envirothon Scholarship was made available to graduating seniors, participating in the Lebanon County Envirothon. We received five applications from: ELCO, Northern Lebanon, and Palmyra. Applications were reviewed by the Envirothon committee and ranked per specific, predetermined criteria to tabulate scores for each applicant. The scores for each applicant were all very close. However, the reviewers commented that Briana Long outshined the other applicants by her personal activities. Not only does she take part in various extracurricular activities, volunteers, participates in service projects, Briana holds a job, and still manages to be an all-around excellent student! Briana will be

presented the scholarship and officially recognized at a Lebanon County Conservation District Board meeting.

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Bald Eagle Platinum Level ($5000+) Lebanon County Conservation District Lebanon County Commissioners Ruffed Grouse Silver Level ($1000+) In Memory of Jean Littlefield Brook Trout Bronze Level ($500+) PA Envirothon Quittapahilla Audubon Society Eastern Hemlock Patron ($250+) Dourte Electric, Inc. Energy Power Partners Light-Heigel & Associates, Inc. Scott’s Transmission Center Steckbeck Engineering & Surveying, Inc. Mountain Laurel Patron ($100+) Cabela’s City of Lebanon-Coleman Park Kreamer & Lum Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. Miles T. Weaber & Son Palmyra Sportsman Association Firefly Patron ($50+) HEB Farms United Methodist Women

Other A&M Pizza BG’s Value Market Crystal Springs Water Dairy Queen East Giant-Cleona & Lebanon Hershey Foods Infinito’s McDonald’s PA Trappers Association Pete’s Pizza Subway-Cleona, 12th St., & Quentin Rd. Weis-Cumberland Street

Special thanks to all of our wonderful volunteers and event organizers! City of Lebanon Coleman Memorial Park Department of Conservation & Natural Resources Edward Jones Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area Natural Resources Conservation Service Nolde Forest State Park PA Association of Conservation Districts PA Bureau of Forestry PA Game Commission Penn State Extension Master Gardeners

LEBANON COUNTY ENVIROTHON

2017

The Lebanon County Envirothon would not be possible without the support of our community! The 2017 Envirothon has been made possible by the Lebanon County Conservation District,

with financial and other support provided by: * * *

Special thanks to : Andrew Brought, Melva and Butch Herr, Jim Logan, Eleanor Sweeney, Jan and Larry Taylor,

Stephanie Harmon, and Valarie Weaber! 3

2017 Elementary School

Envirothon Winners: Forge Furies!

(L-R) Team members: Lauren Frazier, Rian Franchina, Maggie Webb, Kristen Thai, Alivia Pitta, &

County Commissioner Jo Ellen Litz

Elementary School Envirothon: This year, 101 students on 23 teams competed in the 24th Annual Lebanon County Elementary School Envirothon. Elementary schools from Annville, Cornwall, Forge Road, Harding, Henry Houck, Jonestown, Lingle Avenue, Northwest, North Side, Pine Street, South Lebanon, Southeast, & Southwest Elementary Schools brought teams to Coleman Memorial Park on May 11th to participate in this year’s Envirothon.

Students rotated through four outdoor stations and were tested in the areas of wildlife, forestry, and aquatics. The fourth station, a learning (non testing) station, was provided by the Lebanon County Conservation District (LCCD), which taught the principals of the water cycle through a lesson, water cycle song, and ring creation. Students followed up the water cycle activity with a water conservation game.

All teams were recognized with either blue, red, or white ribbons, certificates, and Hershey chocolate bars donated by the Hershey Company. Palmyra’s Forge Road - “Forge Furies,” led by advisor Gina Mason, outscored the remaining 22 teams for first place. Additionally, they received a 5 lb. Hershey Chocolate Bar, donated by the Hershey Company and the traveling Envirothon trophy to display

at their school for the following year.

The Elementary Envirothon would not be possible without the help of numerous volunteers; including many retired teachers, parents of former Envirothon students, and Lebanon County Master Gardeners. These volunteers write and administer the tests, run the stations, and help with overall logistics. We extend special thanks to Andy Brought, Jim and Kitty Logan, Eleanor Sweeney, and Jan and Larry Taylor. THANK YOU for helping make this event possible! We also thank all the team advisors who go above and beyond their existing curricula and activities to teach these students about our natural resources. THANK YOU!

LEBANON COUNTY ENVIROTHON

2017

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Middle School Envirothon: The 19th Annual Middle School Envirothon was held May 5th at H. M. Levitz Park. 91 students consisting of 16 teams participated in the natural resource education competition. Students rotated through five stations and were tested in the areas of wildlife, forestry, aquatics, and soils. The fifth station, a learning station, students learned about the water cycle and water conservation.

The hands-on stations were led by the LCCD and numerous agencies including the PA Game Commission, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and DCNR Bureau of Forestry. Volunteers also included a number of Penn State Master Gardeners, retired teachers, and the PA Trapper’s Association.

Returning champions, Palmyra Middle School, excelled in all natural resource categories and swept the top eight places! Palmyra’s “Tree Huggers” placed first. Congratulations Palmyra Middle School!

Special thanks to the Hershey Company for donating Hershey Chocolate Bars to all the students, and a 5 lb. Hershey Bar to the winning team! Thank you Crystal Springs for donating water and Weis for donating lunch items for our volunteers. Thank you Dairy Queen East for providing Dairy Queen Blizzard coupons to our 7th-10th place winners! Your commitment to environmental education is commendable. Thank you for supporting the Lebanon County Envirothon!

1st Place: Palmyra -Tree Huggers

2nd Place: Palmyra - Epic Curiositrees

3rd Place: Palmyra - No Name Necessary

4th Place: Palmyra - Tree Musketeers

5th Place: Palmyra- New Trees on the Block

6th Place: Palmyra - Poplar Kids

7th Place: Palmyra - Phenom Furies

8th Place: Palmyra - Henry Huggers

9th Place: Northern Leb - Winning Like A Moth

10th Place: ELCO - Unpheasantly Hawkward

The winners of the 19th Annual Lebanon County

Middle School Envirothon are:

LEBANON COUNTY ENVIROTHON

2017

Middle School First Place Winners- Palmyra’s “Tree Huggers”

(L-R-Back row) County Commissioners Jo Ellen Litz, Bob Phillips, and Bill Ames. (Front row) Students

Abby Franchina, Michael Adams, Katelyn Becker, Molly Gearhart, Kat Bauer, Jake Klucinec

Second Place Winners-Palmyra’s “Epic Curiositrees” (L-R) (Front row) Abby Foutz (Middle row) McKenna Wolford, Megan Arnold, Larissa Burger, Olivia Devine, Novia Gonsalves.

(Back row) County Commissioners Jo Ellen Litz, Bob Phillips & Bill Ames. 5

On Thursday, April 27th, 119 students consisting of 26 teams from local high schools, participated in the 33rd Annual Lebanon County High School Envirothon at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area. The Envirothon is a program designed to cultivate a desire to learn more about the natural world through competitive events. It challenges high school students to think critically about their personal impacts and responsibility to the environment.

Students rotated through five outdoor stations and were tested in the areas of wildlife, forestry, aquatics, soils and land use, and this year’s current issue, “Agricultural Soil and Water Conservation Stewardship”. Identifying trees, bird calls, tracks, skulls, fish, frog calls, aquatic insects, soil textures, and drainage were just a few of the tasks students were required to complete.

The outdoor, hands-on stations were conducted by the LCCD, PA Game Commission, NRCS, DCNR Bureau of Forestry, Greater Lebanon Refuse Authority, Pennsylvania Association of

Conservation Districts (PACD), and Lebanon County Master Gardeners.

Palmyra High School’s “EnviroVengers” (L-R)

Tessa Flanagan, Jamie Kantorczyk, Daniel Stonebraker, Taylor Slusser, and Briana Long.

This is the 4th year in a row the EnviroVengers outscored the other teams to receive top honors and advance to the state competition! Congratulations!

Palmyra’s “EnviroVengers” went on to represent Lebanon County at the Pennsylvania State Envirothon, May 23rd and 24th

at the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown (UPJ) located in Cambria County. They made history again, placing first in the state in the wildlife component, and 2ND PLACE OVERALL, missing first by a mere 9 points! Congratulations to this graduating team (with the exception of one student) who have dominated the Lebanon County event over the last four years! We wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors!

High School Envirothon: The winners of the 33rd Annual Lebanon

County High School Envirothon are:

1st Place: Palmyra - EnviroVengers

2nd Place: Palmyra - Tree Musketeers

3rd Place: ELCO - Crazy Aspen Beeches

4th Place: Palmyra - Phenom Furies

5th Place: ELCO - Sassy Sassafras

6th Place: ELCO - Amazing Aspens

7th Place: Palmyra - EnviroNinjas

8th Place: Leb Christian Acad - Hicks from the Sticks

9th Place: Palmyra - Bballers

10th Place: ELCO - Totally Tsuga

Third place winners ELCO’s “Crazy Aspen Beeches” (L-R) students Christina Osterhouse, Ryelle Shuey, Brendan Nauman, Danika Boltz, Zach Whelan

LEBANON COUNTY ENVIROTHON

2017

Second place winners, Palmyra’s “Tree Musketeers” (L-R) students Aaron Rinehart, Devin Gearhart, Eugene Lee,

Vincent Falvo, & Austin Rupert