A team of students from Yellow Grass School participated in the second annual Envirothon, which was held in Cypress Hills Provincial Park on May 26-27.

This was only the second year the Saskatchewan Envirothon was held, and it was attended by over 70 students and teachers from 11 schools from across the province.

The Envirothon is an exciting Olympic-style of event in which teams of five high school students from Grades 9-12 compete using their environmental knowledge and training, and problem-solving skills.

The competition centred on four universal testing categories: soils-land use, aquatic ecology, forestry and wildlife. It also centred on a current environmental issue, which this year was the impact of recreational activities on natural resources.

The competition was developed to engage and encourage young people to be passionate about the environment. "Team members experience the world in which we live through environmental education and hands-on activities, including current issues," said Jennifer Nelson, chair of the Saskatchewan Envirothon Organizing Committee.

In the Trail test, students were challenged to apply what they have studied to various problems, such as who killed the rabbit at a CSI station, determine the volume of wood in a tree, and identify various animals and plants.

During the oral presentation, students were asked to prepare a 10-minute presentation helping a new cabin owner to minimize his impacts on the environment.

"This competition has challenged youth from across the province to apply what they have learned about the environment. It truly combines the environment, knowledge and fun into a winning combination," said Nelson.

Envirothon competitions are held in all 10 Canadian provinces, and in more than 50 locations in the U.S. The winning team was from Saskatoon, Bishop James Mahoney, and they will go on to represent Saskatchewan at the 2008 Canon International Envirothon in Flagstaff, Ariz., on July 28-Aug. 3.