WARSAW, IN - On April 23, twelve students from Warsaw Community High School (WCHS) competed in the Indiana State Envirothon held in Trafalgar. Envirothon is a rigorous academic competition where teams of five demonstrate their knowledge in Aquatic Ecology, Forestry, Soils & Land Use, Wildlife and a rotating Current Issue. This year’s theme focused on Roots & Resiliency: Fostering Forest Stewardship in a Canopy of Change.
WCHS was represented by two competitive teams and supported by alternates Hannah Grossman and Diya Patel. Seniors Natalie Boley, Mattix Garrett and Griffin Roe, along with freshmen Medha Aluru and Jocelyn Baldridge, placed 7th overall and earned the 4th highest score in the oral presentation category. Their presentation focused on a forest management plan for the trails of Winona Lake.
The second team, composed of seniors Sydney Clark and Evan Hand, junior Titiksha Gorhe and sophomores Kevin Gough and Sean Smith, excelled in the written exam portion of the competition—earning perfect scores in both Wildlife and Forestry. Their strong overall performance earned them the top spot in the state. As state champions, the team will now represent Indiana at the international NCF Envirothon in Calgary, Alberta this July, competing against teams from across the U.S., Canada, China and Singapore.
The WCHS Envirothon program is made possible thanks to the mentorship and support of many individuals and community organizations. Warsaw Community Schools would like to thank the Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District for generously covering the team’s registration costs.
Those interested in sponsoring the WCHS team as they prepare to compete on the international stage are encouraged to contact coach Emily Gough at Warsaw Community High School.
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Photo Captions:
Full Team (Front row, left to right): Kevin Gough, Diya Patel, Titiksha Gorhe, Medha Aluru, Natalie Boley, Emily Gough (Back row, left to right): Evan Hand, Sean Smith, Hannah Grossman, Griffin Roe, Sydney Clark, Jocelyn Baldridge, Mattix Garrett
State Champion Team (left to right): Evan Hand, Kevin Gough, Titiksha Gorhe, Sydney Clark, Sean Smith