High schoolers explore UHCL, nature at Texas Envirothon

May 20, 2016 | Kelsie Cleboski

Twenty-two competing high school teams explored natural areas around Houston, including University of Houston-Clear Lake’s campus, as part of Texas Envirothon in early April.

UHCL, which is located on a 524-acre nature preserve, was the setting of part of the three-day competition as students attended seminars and field practice on Saturday and competed in the oral presentation portion of the event on Monday. Teams also continued their training at Armand Bayou Nature Center and competed in field challenges at Sheldon Lake State Park.

Texas Envirothon Coordinator Wendy Reistle, who is also the environmental program coordinator for UHCL’s Environmental Institute of Houston, said competing students gain many benefits from their involvement in Envirothon, which is held in different locations from year-to-year.

“Students get to travel around the state; they get to see some different universities that might not have been on their radar before. They get to hear some great presentations from natural resource professionals. The students are forced to work as a team, which is beneficial to them after they graduate since many companies are looking for people who can work on a team. This is one of those life skills that they can use when they get out of high school,” she said. “Students get quite a bit out of the competition. They’re not only learning about the environment.”

During the competition, five-member teams are tested on their knowledge and problem-solving skills in soils, aquatics, forestry, wildlife and a current environmental issue. This year’s current issue focused on invasive species, meaning plants, animals or other organisms that thrive in an area to which they aren’t native, often with negative impacts on the native flora and fauna.

Ally Muszynkski, a 17-year-old senior from Clear Springs High School in League City, said it’s important for students to engage with environmental issues.

“It’s especially important for people around our age. They’re the future of the world,” she said.

Ramon Mejia, 16, and Yasmine Gomez, 18, both from Rio Hondo High School in Rio Hondo, said the UHCL campus was ideal for the competition because of its peaceful atmosphere and connection to nature.

“Everything is so green,” Mejia said, and Gomez added, “It’s beautiful.”

This year marked Gomez’s fourth time competing in the event, and she said she started competing in order to learn.

“I wanted to know how I could do my part in the world,” she said.

Reistle said that many students who compete in Envirothon won’t necessarily pursue a career in environmental science, but the knowledge and skills they’ve learned will benefit them in any career.

“This is good information for every citizen to know. Envirothon is great for the students who do go into the environmental field, but it’s also great for those who don’t,” she said.

Science Academy of South Texas from Mercedes, Texas, won this year’s competition, and the team will travel to Peterborough, Ontario, Canada for the 2016 North American Envirothon in July.

UHCL’s Environmental Institute of Houston coordinates and supports the Texas Envirothon, which is held every spring. Sponsors of the 2016 event include Eastman Chemical Company, the Texas Association for Environmental Education, LyondellBasell, University of Houston-Clear Lake, Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority, NCF-Envirothon and others. To learn more about Texas Envirothon, call Reistle at 281-283-3045 or email reistle@uhcl.edu.

Younger students can also experience nature at UHCL with annual summer nature camps through EIH. Day and half-day camps are available in June for first- through eighth-graders. Themes include Discover Nature Camp, June 6-9; Citizen Science Camp, June 13-16; Hunger Games Camp, June 20-24; and Citizen Science Camp Plus, June 27 – July 1. Prices range from $140-$225 depending on the session.

To learn more about the camps, call EIH, 281-283-3045 or visit http://www.eih.uhcl.edu.