DEQ staff help judge the state high school environmental competition
June 10, 2010; Sara Jordan, DEQ Valley Regional Office
 The Charlotte County High School team prepares for the regional Envirothon competition at Occoneechee State Park in Clarksville on April 28, where DEQ staff from the Blue Ridge Regional Office in Lynchburg judged the Aquatics station. Winning teams from the regional competition went on to compete in the statewide competition. (Photo/DEQ)
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High school students from across the state recently competed in an environmental competition where Virginia Department of Environmental Quality staff served as judges. The 2010 Virginia Envirothon Competition was held May 16 and 17, 2010, at the Skelton 4H Center on Smith Mountain Lake. Envirothon is a high school competition that features five test stations:
- Soils
- Wildlife
- Aquatics
- Forestry
- A current environmental issue
During an oral presentation, 15 high school teams who advanced from regional competitions from across the state proposed a management solution for the topic “Groundwater Protection through Agricultural, Urban and Environmental Planning.” The team from Jamestown High School in Williamsburg-James City County placed first overall and Fort Defiance High School in Augusta County was the runner-up.
Three staff from the DEQ Office of Surface and Ground Water Supply Planning assisted at the competition. Brad White and Mary Ann Massie served as oral presentation judges. Sara Jordan acted as the aquatics judge, writing the test and proctoring the competition. The annual event is sponsored by the Virginia Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Virginia's 47 Soil and Water Conservation Districts.