Photos by
Cindy Thompson | South Carolina Wildlife magazine managing editor

May 5, 2017 — Sandhill Research and Education Center

High school teams from across the state met up at the Sandhill Research and Education Center in northeast Columbia to compete head to head in college-level outdoor exams related to Aquatics, Forestry, Soils, Wildlife and Agricultural Conservation.

In the final round the teams of five presented an argument based on a given scenario for the Oral Presentation station. The high school students were well-prepared and enjoyed traveling from one outdoor station to the next. At the conclusion they enjoyed lunch outdoors with friends, awaiting the final results as judges calculated scores.

When it was all said and done, Spartanburg High’s Team B was announced as the Third Place finisher, Spartanburg Day School Team A followed with Second Place, and Spartanburg High’s Team A took top honors, finishing in First Place. Each student on a winning team received a scholarship award valid for five years. In July, the North American Envirothon will be held at Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland where winning teams from over 40 states and 9 Canadian Provinces will compete. Stay tuned for updates to see how well the Spartanburg High team represents South Carolina!