On March 19, high school teams from around Northwest Washington gathered at the Brightwater Environmental Education and Community Center in Woodinville to compete in the 2024 Northwest Regional Envirothon competition.

Twenty one teams participated, including four from Snohomish County.

In total, about 100 students and 12 advisors spent the day at Brightwater testing their environmental science knowledge and learning about conservation careers.

Northwest Regional Envirothon teams completed written tests on wildlife, aquatic ecology, soils and land use, and forestry. These exams included practical questions that tested students’ ability to measure water quality, determine a tree’s diameter, and identify animal skulls and other specimens.

Each team also completed an oral presentation on this year’s special topic: Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Future. Oral presentation judges were thrilled to hear students share their ideas about renewable energy use in our region.

Once they were finished competing, teams enjoyed a Q&A session with a panel of early-career conservation professionals.

These professionals answered questions about their journey pursuing a job related to conservation. Students asked engaging questions and expressed interest in pursuing conservation careers and education after graduation.

At the end of the sunny competition day, Tesla STEM High School from Redmond won 1st place in the Northwest competition. Lincoln High School and Franklin High School, both from Seattle, took 2nd and 3rd place, respectively.

All three teams will continue on to the Washington State Envirothon competition in May in Walla Walla.

Although no Snohomish County teams advanced to the state competition, we’re incredibly proud of our local students for participating! They logged many hours reviewing study materials and brushing up on practical and oral presentation skills.

We hope to see them again at next year’s competition!