Fifteen members of the East Knox FFA recently participated in the 2025 Area 3 Envirothon at Shadow Lake Campground in Monroe County near Woodsfield on April 23. The participants formed three teams, each consisting of five members.
East Knox FFA Team 1, comprising Ariana Talbott, Hayden Baker, Aiden Kapper, Blake Elliott, and Dylan Springer, secured the 17th position out of 44 teams. Team 2 members Jasmine Smith, Mackenzie Wilson, Ariel Atkinson, Ava Page, and Miranda Fawcett achieved an 8th place finish. The third team was made up of underclassmen Alexia Wine, Nealie Oliver, Hayden Garman, Madisyn Frost, and Kylie Griffith.
Area 3 includes the counties of Belmont, Carroll, Coshocton, Guernsey, Harrison, Holmes, Jefferson, Knox, Licking, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Tuscarawas and Washington. Five Area Envirothons are held across Ohio in April and May. The top four teams from each area advance to the Ohio Envirothon in June at Wilmington College. East Knox FFA Team 2 narrowly missed advancing by just six points.
The Envirothon aims to enhance interest in environmental and natural resources among high school students by testing their knowledge in soils, forestry, wildlife aquatic ecology and current environmental issues. This year's theme was "Fostering Forest Stewardship in a Canopy of Change." It also promotes cooperative decision-making and team building. While individual contributions are important the final score is based on the team's overall performance.
East Knox FFA has a history of success in this competition having qualified fifteen times over its 37-year history. They won the inaugural State Envirothon competition in 1989 advancing to the national event in Massachusetts.
