LAUREL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WIN PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY 2025 Envirothon Competition!!
Featured: Laurel High School Students with their Envirothon coach
BRANDYWINE, MD – The Prince George’s Soil Conservation District (PGSCD) is pleased to announce that Laurel High School won first-place honors in the 2025 Prince George’s County Envirothon Competition. Oxon Hill High School came in second place. The Prince George’s Soil Conservation District and the William S. Schmidt Outdoor Education Center hosted the event at the Schmidt Center on April 30, 2025. Seventeen (17) teams from ten (10) Prince George’s County high schools were tested in five categories: aquatics, forestry, soils, wildlife, and this year’s fifth issue, “Roots and Resiliency: Fostering Forest Stewardship in a Canopy of Change.”
The participating high schools were: Academy of Health Sciences at Prince George’s Community College, Crossland High School, Fairmont Heights High School, Frederick Douglas High School, Gwynn Park High School, High Point High School, Laurel High School, Non-Traditional North Program, Oxon Hill High School, and Potomac High School.
“We are extremely proud of the students who competed in the 2025 Prince George’s County Envirothon competition. Congratulations to the winning team from Laurel High School and to the runners-up from Oxon Hill High School” said Steven E. Darcey, PGSCD’s District Manager. “This year’s program was a great success thanks to the hard work and dedication of the local Envirothon coordinators, resource specialists, coaches, and sponsors. We give heartfelt thanks to everyone involved. Let’s go win the Maryland State Envirothon!”
The event was sponsored by several organizations in addition to PGSCD and Prince George’s County Public School System (PGCPS). The program requires significant funding for instruments, transportation, and lunch, to name a few. This year’s sponsors included Keep Prince George’s County Beautiful, Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO), Maryland Association of Soil Conservation Districts, Prince George’s County Farm Bureau, Environmental Quality Resources (EQR), Atwell LLC, Robin Hill Farm & Vineyard, and the Forest Garden Club.
“We are proud that our Envirothon students are gaining the knowledge, skills, and leadership experience needed to address complex environmental challenges.” said Dr. Stephen Biller, Environmental Outreach Educator with the Department of Environmental Education at the William S. Schmidt Center. “Through the Envirothon, students not only learn to tackle pressing local and global issues but also inspire action in their communities and promote a lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability.”
PGSCD and the Schmidt Center collaborated with partners from the Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission’s Parks and Recreation division, Maryland’s USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS), and Prince George’s County’s Department of the Environment to provide training opportunities and resources to teams and their coaches.
Envirothon Coach, Nadisha Clayton-Garrison, says, “We’re incredibly proud of the students for winning again this year. Their dedication and perseverance continue to inspire me. Despite the demands of academics and other co-curricular commitments, they remain focused, resilient, and committed to excellence. It’s an honor to see their hard work pay off.”
The winning team from Laurel High School will head to the State competition at the Western Maryland 4H Park in Swanton, June 11-12. The Maryland State Envirothon champions will advance to the National Conservation Foundation (NCF) Envirothon competition held July 20-26 at Canada Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta.
With more counties and states participating each year, the Envirothon competition continues to expand its reach. PGSCD remains committed to its goal to educate as many students and teachers as possible on the importance of conserving our natural resources to preserve and protect the environment. As always, we are #PrinceGeorgesProud!