John Cooper School Wins First Place in 2nd Annual Texas Envirothon
The 2002 Texas Envirothon competition took place on April 12 and 13 at Tyler Junior College in Tyler. Top honors went to The John Cooper School. Second place went to CISD Academy, and Lubbock High School took third place. Seven teams participated in the competition.
Awards were given to the top scoring teams on the field/written exam, by topic, and for the top team in the oral presentations. The winners were: The John Cooper School in the areas of current issue, forestry, and oral presentation; Miami High School in the area of soils; Lubbock High School in the area of wildlife; and The John Cooper School and Hallsville High School tied in the area of aquatics.
The John Cooper School represented Texas in the Canon Envirothon, which was held at Hampshire College in Amherst, Mass.
Financial support for the event was provided by conservation districts and natural resource related agencies and businesses from across Texas.
- Eastman Chemical Company
- Arthur Temple School of Forestry/Stephen F. Austin State University
- Environmental Institute of Houston/University of Houston-Clear Lake
- USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
- Texas Agricultural Extension Service
- Texas Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Texas Forest Service
- Texas Forestry Association
- Tyler Junior College
Introduced Species and Their Effect on Biodiversity
- Students will provide examples of intentionally and unintentionally introduced species and distinguish these from examples of species that arrived in an area with no apparent human assistance.
- Students will explain the effects of specific species introductions on biodiversity and human quality of life.
- Students will describe reasons for introducing species and discuss the particulars of several introduced species and their effects on the flora, fauna, soils, and waterways of the students’ own communities.
- Students will define and use the concept of ecological niche.
- Students will list positive and/or negative effects of introduced species to an area. These can include economic costs, recreational benefits, and positive or negative effects on other species.
- Students will list several methods in which species have been transported or introduced to a local area.
- Students will cite examples of successful and unsuccessful management methods for particular invasive species.
- Students will explain how decisions are made to introduce and/or to prevent the spread of species and how citizens can affect these decisions.
- Students will identify groups of people affected by management decisions regarding species introduction such as nurserymen, foresters, ranchers, commercial fishermen, gardeners, fish hatchery managers, etc.
- Students will explain the differing views by various entities and organizations concerning management strategies, including differences in science and values.
- Where possible, students will identify practical management strategies for invasive species.
- Students will identify trade-offs in species management strategies.
- The John Cooper School, The Woodlands
- Miami High School, Miami
- Lubbock High School, Lubbock
- Hallsville High School, Hallsville
- CISD Academy, The Woodlands