05/20/2025
This summer, 308 of the best young scientists from across the state will gather for a second year on the SUNY Cortland campus to compete in solving environmental problems during the New York State Envirothon.
Around 45 student teams plus 100 volunteers are expected on campus from Wednesday, May 28, to Thursday, May 29, for the annual competition, which is sponsored by the New York State Soil and Water Conservation District.
State winners go on to the next level in the National Conservation Foundation (NCF) Envirothon, an international competition with participants hailing from 45 states, Canada, China and Singapore.
This year, students will vie for victory in five categories: current environmental use; aquatic ecology; wildlife; forestry; and soils and land use.
“I hope they find a love for the environment and the desire to continue as they mature, to protect our parks and environment as they move forward and teach and learn about protecting New York,” Blanche Hurlbutt, chair of the New York State Envirothon Committee, said of the student competitors.
Hurlbutt, who also is the executive director of the New York Association of Conservation Districts, became involved as a member of the committee 24 years ago and has been its chair for almost a decade. Each year, more than 25,000 high school students embark on a journey to identify solutions to the critical question of how humans can balance quality of life and quality of the environment.
The first Envirothon was created in 1979 in Pennsylvania and was originally named the Environmental Olympics. It was designed as a competition for high school students to encourage interest in natural resource conservation and other environmental issues. New York joined other competing states in 1990.
Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, N.Y., this year is once again hosting the national competition. Last year, Cortland was selected as its successor as host of the statewide event for at least the following two years. After next year, the campus will be considered among other applications to possibly continue the role.
“We chose to once again have Envirothon at SUNY Cortland because the staff was outstanding and very supportive last year and worked right alongside us during the competition,” Hurlbutt said.
It helps that the school has hosted statewide events like the Empire State Senior Games and girls’ lacrosse and soccer championships and is a partner with New York State Public High School Athletic Association and Cortland Regional Sports Council.
Among the biggest reasons Cortland was selected are the central location of the area within the state, its facilities and access to test sites with the varied environments needed for the competition. Those areas are kept secret from the students. Locations for this year’s investigations will not be disclosed until the students arrive on campus.
Last year, the young scientists focused on the grounds of the Cortland Water Works, adjacent to campus, using animal pelts, soil pits and streams and plants to demonstrate their problem-solving and leadership skills — key components for successful teams.
“They’ll see firsthand and experience out in the field all the hands-on stuff that they probably have already learned within class,” Hurlbutt said.
When they aren’t doing hard work on hard data, students will unwind with an ice cream social, a movie and outdoor activities like cornhole and three-on-three basketball.
Russell Briggs, Ph.D., a SUNY distinguished teaching professor and director of the Division of Environmental Science at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Culture, will serve as guest speaker at the event.
For more information about the upcoming event, visit www.nysenvirothon.org.
Guests that have questions related to any campus event can reach Campus Event Management by phone at 607-753-5453 or can email the office at events@cortland.edu.
IMAGES
High school students from across New York state attend an Envirothon STEM competition at SUNY Cortland in 2024. On the second day of competition, teams from different school districts complete tests in five environmental science categories on the grounds of the Cortland Water Works, adjacent to campus (image by Charles Miller).
A New York Envirothon 2024 team reviews its findings
Getting down to business at NY Envirothon 2024
High school future scientists review a specimen list
One team relaxes with a session sidewalk chalk
Young scholars read the soil near the Cortland Waterworks