Huntington High School’s Long Island Envirothon team consisting of Bryce Vitulli, Claudia Villatoro, Cole Pillion, Maddy Kye, Peyton Kalb and Robert Jean-Gilles are some of the most intellectually powerful teenagers anywhere.
The team recently traveled to the Usdan Center in Wheatley Heights to compete in this year’s LI Envirothon challenge. Working with Huntington science research program teacher Lori Kenny, the team prepared for months.
There were five challenging tests led by a team expert in each of the topics of forestry, soils, wildlife, aquatics and this year’s “current” issue, which focused on western rangeland management in Idaho.
Students had to develop solutions to the various problems facing the rangeland, such as overgrazing and uncontrolled noxious weeds. The Huntington teammates drafted a ten-year plan to combat the aforementioned issues, suggesting solutions like targeted grazing and controlled burning of specific areas.
Mr. Jean-Gilles, who participated on the team as alternate, said he had a “great time” working with his teammates and interacting with those from other high schools. Mr. Pillion said he was already “ready for next year’s Envirothon.”
The wet weather didn’t dampen the spirits of the teenagers. “Even though it was raining all day, we still enjoyed working together to solve the environmental science problems,” Ms. Kalb said.
Prior “current” issues have focused on agricultural preservation, invasive species, non-point source pollution, wildlife management, wetlands, biodiversity, alternative and renewable energy.
“A station master manages each of the subject areas,” according to the LI regional Envirothon’s website. “These dedicated professionals oversee all aspects in their area of expertise. They approve the learning objectives, reference lists, and study guides that are recommended by the New York State Envirothon Committee. In addition, they are responsible for supervising their station during the event.”
The competition includes an oral presentation where each team is required to design a solution to a problem based on a prompt given to them two months earlier and make a presentation to a panel.
The Huntington teammates learned a lot about environmental issues during the run-up to the competition and even more on the day of the actual contest. Not bringing home a trophy didn’t seem to bother anyone. “It was more about working together than about winning,” Ms. Villatoro said.
While Huntington wasn’t able to capture the team title, team members all expressed their belief that it was a valuable educational experience and expressed the hope that this year established the foundation for future success in the Envirothon.
(Huntington High School sophomore and science research program participant Madelyn Kye contributing reporting for this story.)