Panhandle Post
Mar 12, 2025

Envirothon Competition Qualifies 14 Teams for State

Posted Mar 12, 2025 3:00 PM

Nebraska's Natural Resources Districts

LINCOLN, Nebraska – Between Jan. 30 and March 11, Nebraska high school students competed around the state during regional Envirothon competitions demonstrating natural resources knowledge by identifying trees and animal tracks, calculating the number of steers on rangeland, and determining soil structure.

The winning teams from each Envirothon region as well as eight wildcards – selected based on their competition scores – qualify to compete at the Nebraska State Envirothon. Out of the 70 teams that competed, this year’s state qualifiers include:

Regional Winners/Wild Cards School Name
Southeast Milford
Mid-Plains Dawson County Envirothon Club
Central St. Paul
Metro Omaha Central
West Sidney
Northeast Lutheran High Northeast (Norfolk)
Wild Card 1 Concordia Lutheran High School Team 1 (Omaha)
Wild Card 2 Concordia Lutheran High School Team 2 (Omaha)
Wild Card 3 Zoo Academy (Omaha)
Wild Card 4 Tri-County
Wild Card 5 Ord
Wild Card 6 Mitchell
Wild Card 7 Beatrice
Wild Card 8 Aurora

Traditionally, Nebraska’s six regional Envirothon competitions are hosted in conjunction with district agriculture education contests. High school students compete on five-member teams in seven environmental areas including: soils, aquatics, forestry, wildlife, range, policy and a current environmental issue.

Qualifying teams will compete at the State Envirothon April 30, at Chalco Hills Recreation Area in Omaha, Nebraska. During the state competition, teams compete in hands-on environmental testing stations as well as prepare and deliver an oral problem-solving presentation focusing on “Roots & Resiliency: Fostering Forest Stewardship in a Canopy of Change.”

The Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD) Foundation awards cash prizes to the top three teams at the state competition:

  1. First Place: $1,500
  2. Second Place: $1,000
  3. Third Place: $500