Teams of students tackle questions at the recent 2012 Nature Coast Envirothon at Dade Battlefield Historic State Park. They examined soil, measured trees and got a close look at a snake.
The hands-on tasks were part of the 2012 Nature Coast Envirothon at Dade Battlefield Historic State Park in Bushnell where 260 high school students competed.
The competition is a problem-solving, natural resources education program for high school students allowing them to use critical-thinking skills to solve problems or conduct hands-on investigations about current environmental issues.
“Fifty-two teams of students from Pasco, Hernando, Citrus and Sumter counties answered science questions in five categories — soils, forestry, nonpoint-source pollution, aquatics and wildfire.
This is the 15th year the District’s Brooksville Regulation staff helped conduct the competition by developing questions for the special topic. This year’s special topic was low impact development and nonpoint-source pollution. Kim Dymond, Michelle Dachsteiner, Carolyn Pina, and Bonnie Irving represented the District as well as former District employee Clay Black.
Fifty-two teams of students from Pasco, Hernando, Citrus and Sumter counties answered science questions in five categories — soils, forestry, nonpoint-source pollution, aquatics and wildfire.
The Golden Dragons from Citrus County Academy of Environmental Science took the top spot. The team is now eligible to compete in the state competition at Myakka River State Park in April.
In addition to District employees, the event is organized by volunteers from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Hernando County government, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida Forest Service.