For the second year in a row, Hastings High School is Westchester's highest scoring team in the Hudson Valley Regional Envirothon.
Of the 23 teams participating from high schools around the region, Hastings ranked fourth in the 2013 competition held at the Sharpe Reservation in Fishkill on April 26. Two different teams from The Mount Academy in Ulster County placed first and second. Hudson High School in Columbia County placed third.
In May, the highest scoring team from each county will compete in the New York State Envirothon at Morrisville State College in Morrisville, N.Y.
The Westchester County Department of Planning and the county's Soil and Water Conservation District co-sponsored the Hudson Valley regional competition and will co-sponsor Hastings High Schools' participation in the New York State competition.
"Congratulations to the team from Hastings High School, whose members advance to represent the county in the state finals," said County Executive Robert P. Astorino. "I am proud of its achievement as well as the excellent effort of all our Westchester teams."
Seven teams from six Westchester schools participated:
- Walter Panas, Lakeland School District, Cortlandt
- John Jay High School, Katonah-Lewisboro School District, Cross River
- Hastings High School, Village of Hastings-on-Hudson
- Ossining High School, Village/Town of Ossining
- Yorktown High School, Town of Yorktown
- Tech Center High School, Putnam-Northern Westchester BOCES, Yorktown Heights (two teams)
The primary goal of the Envirothon is to encourage students to learn about the natural environment and to become good stewards of the land. The teams, each made up of five students, are tested on their knowledge of five environmental topics: soils, aquatics, forestry, wildlife and current environmental issues. In preparation for the events, students develop research skills, practice team building and gain an appreciation for consensus decision making.
The Hastings High School team was led by its teacher, Melissa Shandroff.
Photo
Members of the Hastings High School team from left to right: Ariadne Bazigos, Clara Weinstein, Veronica Erdman, Miranda Mitchell and Alexandra Bazigos