MONROE COUNTY, Pa. — Whether it was measuring trees or figuring out different soil layers, it was out of the classroom and into the woods at Kettle Creek Environmental Education Center near Bartonsville for a group of high school students.
"People need to come out and learn a little bit about nature and apply that because if you don't apply it, you're probably not going to remember it," said Alex Heeter, a junior at East Stroudsburg High School South.
Applying their knowledge was exactly what students from five different school districts in Monroe County did. It was all a part of the annual Envirothon competition hosted by the center.
Students tested their knowledge about soil, aquatics, trees, wildlife, and climate change.
The winning team will move on to the state competition.
"I've learned a lot about how our environment works and how everything is connected, and it's given me a broader scope of the world and how I view it," said Maya Maciejewski, a junior at Pleasant Valley High School.
This is a friendly competition, and while many would love to take home one of the trophies, students tell Newswatch 16 that being able to get out into nature and learn how to preserve it is more important.
"It's such an important concept and part of where we are and what we live, especially in Pennsylvania. Almost everywhere you look, there's like a forest somewhere, so it's really important to know a lot about it and connect with nature around you because it's all we really have," Maciejewski said.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the Fish and Boat Commission, and the Game Commission helped guide students.
Nicholas Galante is a timber management forest technician for the Bureau of Forestry.
"You're always learning and always adapting. And it's just very important for them to learn that at a young age. That way, they can see how things change throughout time, and they can apply that to their future careers," Galante said.
The Swamp Tigers of Pleasant Valley High School won the Envirothon. They'll move on to the state competition in May.