Envirothon Seeks Second Team

The SHS Envirothon team is looking for new members to participate in their upcoming competition in the spring of 2022.

In the previous year, the team, named the Crafty Caracals, placed tenth overall at the York County high school level with five sophomores and one freshman making up the club’s members.

Junior Josie Sedgley was one of the co-presidents of Envirothon for the 2021 competition and remarks that the team is open to everyone.

“Envirothon is a great opportunity to share your passions for nature and learn more about the environment around you locally,” said Sedgley. “It is also a great team-building place.” 

Sedgley is hoping to recruit a second team to make this year’s group of students even more competitive.

“I would love to bring more students into the club,” said Sedgley. “Last year, we only had one team, and although we placed tenth in the competition, we still would like additional members so that we can improve.”

In preparation for the 2021 competition, the Crafty Caracals worked diligently as their study methods rewarded them with high placement.

Junior member Colin Baust-Crain remarks that there are various topics for students to specialize in within the covered content, so the team must rely on each other when it comes to competition day.

“We used study sessions to work together and learn more about our designated topics,” said Baust-Crain. “I specialized in forestry, but students can choose to pursue any topic they would like, including, wildlife, aquatics, forestry, soils and a current issue that changes with each year.”

Adviser Tyler Stipcak anticipates even more successes from the team in the upcoming months and encourages students to get involved.

“The Envirothon team we have so far this year is a fun group of students,” said Stipcak. “Their personalities mesh well, and they complement each other’s strengths. With the continued hard work of the team, I think we can definitely get a top 5 finish this year.”

Junior co-president Bea Ricafort admits that there are various benefits to being a part of the Envirothon team aside from learning about the ecosystems all around Pennsylvania.

“Envirothon is a great way to build an appreciation for the natural world, which then pushes students to pursue ways to preserve the environment,” said Ricafort. “This competition allows for students to flourish as members of a team- they’re constantly developing and improving in their environmental knowledge and learning how to be a leader in their own ways.”

Since the team is back in person, Ricafort is looking to work on solidifying a more concrete studying routine in contrast to last year’s virtual study sessions which were difficult to align with everyone’s schedules.

“In order to improve our knowledge, our team usually focuses on various ways to test the different concepts in each division of the competition, which may include making Quizlet flashcards, playing study games like Kahoot and writing study guides based on the Envirothon curriculum,” said Ricafort.

Stipcak is excited to begin training for the annual competition and hopes that students will take a chance with the team.

“Any student that is interested in a career related to environmental stewardship, or just learning more about the environment, is highly encouraged to join,” said Stipcak.

If you are interested in joining Envirothon, you can contact Stipcak at [email protected], visit his room in the science hallway or reach out to current members.