Arizona Ecological Services continued its long-running support of the Arizona Envirothon, a high school environmental competition designed to get students outdoors, conduct field skills training and develop creative solutions to environmental issues.  Arizona ES provided public affairs, media support and team recruitment services throughout the year and at the two-day event.

This year, 10 high school teams from across Arizona tested their skills in water quality assessment, hydrology, forest management, wildlife identification and ecology, agriculture, soil sciences, and waste management along the banks of Discovery Park pond and a downstream riparian forest near Safford, Arizona.  They were then assigned a real-world environmental challenge – developing a restoration plan for a large area that had burned along the San Pedro River – focusing on this year’s theme of biodiversity in a changing world.  Each team presented its plan for restoring the working landscape to a panel of natural resource professionals and responded to judges’ questions.

The Arizona Envirothon champions (Flagstaff's Sinagua High School) and coaches will receive an expense-paid trip to represent Arizona against other state and Canadian provincial champions at the Canon Envirothon at University of North Carolina in Asheville, August 2-8.