Pennsylvania Team takes Top honors at 2009 Canon Envirothon

More than 260 teenagers from 45 U.S. states and seven Canadian provinces studied environmental issues and resource conservation, while competing for a share of more than $125,000 in scholarships and Canon products.

"Congratulations to all of the teams that participated in this year’s Canon Envirothon," said Jack Suzuki, senior director and general manager, Corporate Communications Division, Canon U.S.A. "It has been truly inspiring to witness the dedication demonstrated by each student participating in this competition. The students’ commitment embodies Canon’s corporate philosophy of Kyosei – all people, regardless of race, religion, or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future."

The first-place Pennsylvania team received a total of $25,000 in Canon scholarships along with Canon video equipment for their advisor and sponsoring agency/organizations to use in science education. West Johnston High School in Benson, North Carolina, ($20,000), and Carroll County High School in Westminster, Maryland, ($15,000), placed second and third, respectively. The fourth-place team, Wilmington Charter School in Wilmington, Delaware, received $10,000. The fifth-place team, Pembroke Hill High School in Kansas City, Missouri, received $7,500. The list of schools/organizations finishing in the top 10 appears at the end of this announcement.

The National Association of Conservation Districts, the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service and the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service are Canon Envirothon partners in the U.S. The Provincial Forestry Associations are key partners in Canada.

The Canon Envirothon tests teams on their knowledge of soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife and a current environmental issue. The current issue for this year’s competition was Biodiversity in a Changing World. The competing teams analyzed the long-term and short-term impacts of natural environmental occurrences and human activities on genes, species and ecosystems, relative to how each may influence or directly impact their future.

Since 1997, Canon U.S.A. has been a sponsor of this annual competition. The Canon Envirothon is the culmination of a series of competitions that began during the past school year and involved more than 500,000 teenagers throughout North America. In written tests and oral presentations, starting on the local level, winning five-member teams from schools and organizations competed for the distinction of representing their state, province or territory at the Canon Envirothon.