LEWISTOWN — Each year the Mifflin and Juniata conservation districts sponsor Envirothon, an environmental education competition for high school students that tests their knowledge in natural resource issues.

And each year students pass with flying colors, with the winning team from each county advancing to the state competition.

On Wednesday at Kishacoquillas Park in Lewistown, students teamed up and rotated through five different stations testing their skills in the topics of wildlife, aquatics, forestry, soils and current issues.

This year’s issue was titled, “Roots and Resiliency: Fostering Forest Stewardship in a Canopy Change,” focusing on how climate change is affecting forests. Forests, which cover more than 30 percent of all land in the world, are experiencing impacts from extreme weather events due to the changing climate. This is affecting individual species as well as the ecosystem as a whole.

As a call to action, students learned how climate models can help predict the impacts of a changing climate on forests; how this data can be used to facilitate conservation; how changing climates will influence ecosystem shifts and how these shifts will present challenges to existing forest management. Teams worked together to create innovative solutions to complex problems facing forests and the environment.

Nine students from the Agricultural Sciences program at the Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology in Lewistown competed at Envirothon. The students competed as part of the wildlife and fisheries class within the Agricultural Sciences program at The Academy.

This year, the Eastern Hellbenders captured first place and will be representing Mifflin County at the Pennsylvania Envirothon on May 21 in Windber, Somerset County.

The team consisted of students: Alivia Snook, Marlee Basom and Montana McKee, all seniors; Sean Gutshall, junior; and Lillian Seaholtz, sophomore. They took top honors for Mifflin County in both the wildlife and the current issue station.

Snook shared her experience after hearing the news, stating, “This was my third year attending the Envirothon. We had a very strong and driven team this year. We came together and used our knowledge of wildlife, aquatics, forestry, soils, and current events,” she said. “I am very proud of our team this year for winning the wildlife and current issue stations out of all of the teams in our county. Winning overall for Mifflin County gives us the opportunity to advance to the Pennsylvania State Envirothon.”

The second team from the Academy, the Common Mudpuppies, was made up of sophomore students Miley Kohler, Lily Goss, Abbie Fitzgerald and Sebastian Kauffman. They earned first place in Mifflin County in the forestry station.

A total of 10 students from Mifflin County High School also competed at Envirothon. The Mussels team was comprised of seniors Ivy Adams,

Alexis Baker, Stefany Bowersox, Makenza Kneff and Keaton Miller, while the Mallards included junior Phoebe Kaiser and sophomores Carter Bratton, Sam Donahey, Alston McCloskey and Ava Yorks.

Although neither advanced to the state competition, the Mussels finished first in the soils category at Envirothon and the Mallards did the same in aquatics.

All of the students are in the Mifflin County High School Science Club, with teachers Cara Huerbin and Seth Hartman as advisors.

A total of 55 students from Juniata County attended this year’s event. Teams from Juniata High School in Mifflintown earned top three honors as the team’s Chicken Nuggetz took first place, The Sloppy Joes placed second, and Eargles Eaglets placed third. The winning team consisted of Selena Mayall-Marker, Carolyn Heidenreich, Marissa Henry, Josiah Barner and Brody Noerr.

From the state competition, winners advance to the Cannon Envirothon, which is a North American competition. It teaches students to learn, interpret, and apply environmental, conservation, and scientific principles to solve real natural resource and land-use problems.

Each year, the Envirothon is made a success by the involvement of participating agencies that include: United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources-Bureau of Forestry, Pennsylvania Game Commission and the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

Other highlights of the event included a special presentation by Trevor Weaver, of the Mifflin County Conservation District, who talked about the improvements and recreational opportunities at Kish Park, that included stream restoration, Christmas lights and recreational opportunities.

Special guests included John Breneman, who appeared on behalf of Sen. Judy Ward and Daniel Auker, representing Rep. David Rowe.