SIDNEY — The Lehman Catholic High School Envirothon Team placed fourth out of 77 teams at the Area IV Envirothon recently at Caesar Ford Park, Greene Co. Parks & Trails in Xenia, earning them the opportunity to compete at the state level on June 10-11 at Franciscan University in Steubenville.

Envirothon is an outdoor competition designed to test the knowledge of high school students concerning natural resources in Ohio. The goal of this competition is to stress the importance of our natural resources and to promote their importance in maintaining a healthy environment. The events include Forestry, Soils, Aquatics, Wildlife, and Current Environmental Issues.

Envirothon encourages group problem solving and team building. It promotes an increased interest in sciences and helps students become involved in environmental issues in future years. This competition is sponsored by the Ohio Federation of Soil and Water Conservation Districts, and the Ohio Department of Agriculture Division of Soil & Water Resources. High School students across the state compete on the local level at one of the five Area Envirothons. The top four teams from each Area Envirothon then go on to compete at the state competition held each year in June for the title of State Envirothon Champion. The winning team will then compete at the North American competition, the NCF Envirothon, held annually during July in the US or Canada.

Lehman Catholic Envirothon team members are sophomore Conner Stewart, junior Gabe Knapke and seniors Mitchell Sollmann, Cole Kramer, and Elizabeth Gibson.

“Our students start to prepare for this competition in October. The senior team members have been involved since they were freshmen, so they know what to expect, and how to prepare,” said Tracy Hall, Envirothon adviser. “This team is truly dedicated. I am very proud of them and this accomplishment.”