The annual Warren County Envirothon was held under sunny skies Friday at Chapman State Park.

About 100 students in teams of three to five from six school competed at the event, testing their knowledge in a number of areas against their fellow students.

There were teams from Beaty-Warren Middle School, Eisenhower Middle High School, Sheffield Middle High School, Tidioute Community Charter School, Warren Area High School, and Youngsville Middle High School.

Among the competitors was two-time defending champion Fawne Hackman of Youngsville High School.

Times Observer photo by Brian Ferry Gage Mott-Macalush of Sheffield takes a close look at a specimen at the aquatics station of the Warren County Envirothon Friday at Chapman State Park.

“I’ve been in the science club since fifth grade,” Hackman said. “I have come to the Envirothon since was in seventh grade.”

“I love it,” Hackman said. “I love being outside. I want to protect the world.”

“When I’m feeling happy, I’m outside in nature and exploring,” she said. “It encourages me.’

COVID-19 has not been kind to someone who is so dedicated to Envirothon.

The county event was not held in 2020 and it was held virtually in 2021 due to the pandemic.

As a senior, Hackman was not only working Friday to defend her title, she was working to give herself another chance to go to the state Envirothon. Although her team won the county meet in 2022, she could not go to the state event. “I had COVID last year,” she said.

The event itself took a hit because of COVID. “Scores went down,” organizer and Warren County Conservation District Watershed Specialist Jean Gomory said.

But, it’s on its way back. “A lot of the kids this year came last year,” Gomory said. “I really hope that continues.”

“Experience helps a lot in Envirothon,” she said. “When COVID happened, that stopped.”

The teams faced tests of their knowledge at five different stations – soils, wildlife, current issues – climate change, forestry, and aquatics. They spent about 35 minutes at each station and could score up to 100 points each.