INSTRUCTOR CALVIN WHEATLEY wears a bear skin during the Northwest Envirothon, which was held on April 2 at the Edwin H. McGee Natural Resource Center in Wilkes County. Two Alleghany teams advanced to state competition.

Two Alleghany teams advance to state envirothon competition

Two teams from Alleghany County are among seven that advanced to state competition in the middle school division at the Northwest Envirothon April 2 at the Edwin H. McGee Natural Resource Center in the Fairplains community of Wilkes County.

The Envirothon is an annual event that has been held for 11 straight years in the Northwest Region. It is a competition designed to help students in middle and high school levels to learn more about the environment, natural resources and the animals they support by rotating through a series of educational ‘stations'. The event typically is held outside, but was moved indoors this year due to inclement weather the day of the event.

The region encompasses 13 county soil and water districts and a total of 50 teams registered to take part in the event this year. Alleghany County had the highest participation rate of any county, with 17 of the 50 total teams.

The teams, "Outdoor Masters" and "Conservation Cowboys," both from Glade Creek School, took 4th and 6th places, respectively. Alleghany High School's team did not finish in the top seven, taking 11th place in the high school division.

Piney Creek School had nine teams enter the competition, while Glade had seven teams. No teams from Sparta School competed in the event this year.