WARSAW —  A team of five Warsaw Community High School students recently placed 6th overall at the NCF Envirothon, held at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta.

Envirothon is an international competition focused on environmental and natural resource conservation, where students develop and present solutions to pressing environmental issues.

Having already secured regional and state titles earlier this year, the team, made up of recent WCHS graduates Sydney Clark and Evan Hand, rising senior Titiksha Gorhe, and rising juniors Kevin Gough and Sean Smith, went on to represent Indiana against 51 teams from across the U.S., Canadian provinces, and China during the week-long event.

Students participated in intensive field trainings across five key areas: Aquatic Ecology, Forestry, Soils and Land Use, Wildlife, and the Current Issue of "Roots and Resiliency." These trainings were followed by rigorous written and hands-on testing.

One of the most challenging components of the competition was a 20-minute oral presentation, for which students developed a detailed forest management plan titled “Forestry for the Future.” The team completed this during a six-hour sequestration with no internet access or outside assistance.

Team member Titiksha Gorhe reflected, “The most challenging part was creating the oral presentation while being sequestered for six hours. Our ability to stay focused as a team and play off each other’s strengths was really tested under the time crunch.”

Team captain Sydney Clark added, “Creating a successful oral presentation requires integrating everything you’ve learned from all the subject areas into one practical and complex plan.”

Their preparation and teamwork paid off. Their oral presentation earned the 4th-highest score overall, and their consistently strong scores across all five resource areas secured Indiana’s first Top 10 finish in many years.

Students also had the opportunity to explore the natural beauty of Banff National Park and build friendships with peers from across North America and China. The breathtaking landscapes of the Canadian Rockies, along with sightings of bighorn sheep, mule deer, and jackrabbits, offered a stunning contrast to Indiana’s scenery.

The team extends heartfelt thanks to the community organizations and individuals who helped make this experience possible, including Kosciusko Soil and Water Conservation District, The Watershed Foundation, Warsaw Kiwanis Club, Arrowhead RC&D, Nicodemus Cards and Gaming, and Lewis Salvage, as well as numerous individuals who contributed their time, resources, and expertise for their support.

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The Warsaw Panthera team (seniors Sydney Clark and Evan Hand, junior Titiksha Gorhe, and sophomores Kevin Gough and Sean Smith) had an impressive 86 on the written test (next closest score was a 77), including perfect scores in Wildlife and Forestry.

In a tension-filled final score tally, they came out on top and will be representing Indiana at the NCF Envirothon in Calgary, Alberta, in July.

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News Release

WARSAW — Five Warsaw Community High School (WCHS) students had the opportunity to compete at the NCF Envirothon competition in Geneva, N.Y.

The Envirothon is a competition focused on environmental and natural resource conservation problem-solving, where students develop solutions to both local and global environmental issues. Having already won at the regional and state levels earlier this year, the students went on to represent Indiana against teams from other states, Canadian provinces, China and Singapore, according to a news release from Warsaw Community Schools.

Caleb Aukeman, Sydney Clark, Titiksha Gorhe, Bronwyn Harrison and Elizabeth Osborn participated in field trainings covering Aquatic Ecology, Forestry, Soils and Land Use, Wildlife and the current issue of Alternative Energy, followed by rigorous written and hands-on testing. They also created and presented a 20-minute presentation titled “Putting Your Best Hoof Forward … Bringing Green Energy to a New York Farm.”

At the end of the competition, the Warsaw team achieved an impressive 17th place overall — the highest placement for an Indiana team in many years. Their hard work paid off with a score of 96 out of 100 on the Aquatic Ecology portion, an eighth-place score in Forestry, and their oral presentation earning the 13th best score.

Beyond the competition, the students had the chance to explore the local area, including a visit to Niagara Falls and made connections with peers from around the world.

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Warsaw -- The Warsaw Community High School Envirothon Teams had a strong showing at the Northeast Regional competition held at the Columbia City Library on Thursday.

The team of seniors Keller Bailey, Piper Ellis, Cordelia Grandon, Edward Robison, and Valerie Tong took home the first-place award.

The junior team of Caleb Aukeman, Var Bobba, Bronwyn Harrison, Vicente Martinez, and Ebonie Miller placed second, scoring just one point behind the seniors.

Both teams qualified to compete at the state level in April.

“These students have put a lot of hard work in preparing for the regionals, and we are excited to compete at the state level," said WCHS science teacher, Emily Gough. "It is such a unique competition requiring both individual and cooperative work to be successful. We are so proud of them,"

The Indiana Envirothon promotes environmental education to high school-aged students with the goal to raise awareness of the importance of achieving and maintaining a natural balance between the quality of life and of the environment.

Students are tested in five areas -- aquatic ecology, forestry, soils and land use, wildlife, and a current issue, which this year is adapting to a changing climate.

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