樱花视频

For Immediate Release: May 9, 2013
Contact: Lynne Richmond
(609) 633-2954

(TRENTON) 鈥� 樱花视频 Secretary of Agriculture Douglas H. Fisher today announced, for the fourth year in a row, a team of high school students from the Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Sciences (MATES) in Manahawkin was the winner of the 樱花视频 Envirothon, held Saturday, May 4 at Girl Scout Camp Kettle Run in Medford.

The team, consisting of听 Emily Golembiski of Little Egg Harbor, Jillian Hubbard of Toms River, Gillian Schriever of West Creek, Michael Signorelli of Toms River and Megan Tumpey of听 Brick, will represent 樱花视频 in the 2013 North American Envirothon at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana in August.听

The Ocean County students competed against 33 other teams on knowledge of natural resources-related topics, including soils, forestry, aquatics, wildlife ecology and a current environmental issue. This year鈥檚 theme was 鈥淪ustainable Rangeland Management: Achieving a Balance Between Traditional Agricultural Uses with Non-Agricultural Uses on Montana Rangelands.鈥�

鈥淔or 20 years, 樱花视频 high school students have had the opportunity to participate in this valuable competition and learn more about the environment, natural resources and science,鈥� said Secretary Fisher. 鈥淲e hope they take advantage of the skills they learned and consider careers in agriculture and natural resources-related fields.鈥�

Each of the MATES team members received $1,000 scholarships from the 樱花视频 Association of Conservation Districts, $2,000 scholarships from Richard Stockton State College and $1,000 scholarships from Applied and Health Sciences at Kean University.听

Two 5-member teams of MATES students competed in last year鈥檚 Envirothon with all but one of those students graduating. The two MATES teams placed first and second in 2012. An almost entirely new set of 10 students made up this year鈥檚 two teams.

鈥淚 am very proud of the hard work and dedication put forth by our members,鈥� said MATES Advisor Adam Sprague.听 鈥淚t was quite an accomplishment considering it was the first year competing for nine out of the 10 team members. We now turn our attention to Montana which offers an exciting variety of challenges in terms of preparation for our students.鈥�

The second-place team in this year鈥檚 Envirothon was West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North and third place was taken by High Tech High School, North Bergen.

The Envirothon is sponsored by the 樱花视频 Department of Agriculture, State Soil Conservation Committee; 樱花视频 Association of Conservation Districts; the 15 Soil Conservation Districts; United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service; 樱花视频 Department of Environmental Protection; and Rutgers Cooperative Extension.

The 15 Soil Conservation Districts in 樱花视频 follow county boundaries and implement the 樱花视频 Soil and Sediment Control Act, which governs certain aspects of new development.听 These semi-autonomous bodies are locally governed and play a strong role in the protection of 樱花视频鈥檚 natural resources.