FEATURE/Pennsylvania Students Win Canon Envirothon.

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WOLFVILLE, Nova Scotia--(Business Wire Features)--August 8, 2000

Team from Penncrest High School Bests 48 Others, Takes Top

Honors At International Environmental Science Competition

After six days of intense competition, five high school students from Media, Pennsylvania, the Keystone state, captured first place at the 2000 Canon Envirothon competition that concluded August 5th at Acadia University in Wolfville. The students competed against teams from 40 states and eight Canadian provinces for college scholarships totaling $25,000. This was the first year Canada hosted the finals of North America's largest environmental science contest.

Following four days of hands-on study and research about soils, forestry, aquatics, wildlife and wetlands, Penncrest High School team members Jennifer Burgess, Bryan Guarente, Dan Loss, John Nixon and Christopher Thawley scored highest in two of five written tests. Coached by advisors Christa Kuntz and Mark Samilenko, and sponsored by the Delaware County Conservation District, team members will each receive a $2,500 Canon Environmental College Scholarship to the university or trade school of their choice. Students from Idaho and Washington, second and third place winners, respectively, also received scholarships.

"Every year, our competition grows stronger and more challenging, and this year's competitors were a delight," said Tamra Cikaitoga, chairperson of the Canon Envirothon Executive Committee. "I applaud these students for their competitive spirit, the dedication with which they prepare for this competition and their strong commitment to the environment. They are an extraordinary group of young people"

The teams began competing August 1st as the students learned about the natural resources of the Annapolis Valley, an area filled with orchards and lush farmland that lies within sight of the majestic Bay of Fundy. The students demonstrated their knowledge in hands-on field tests, with scores from these tests representing over half of the total score they would receive at the competition's end.

"The Canon Envirothon encourages young people to take an interest in their environment and to realize they have the power to affect it," said Keith Paglen, manager of cause marketing and philanthropy for Canon U.S.A., the competition's title sponsor. "Canon supports this event because it meets our philanthropic goal of protecting and preserving natural resources for future generations."

The students learned about the history and environmental issues facing the region, visiting several sights throughout the Valley, including Evangeline Beach; Grand-Pre' National Historic Site (where French Acadian settlers built dykes to turn the tidal wetland into productive farmland, before the British deported them in 1755); the Annapolis Tidal Generating Station (North America's first and only modern tidal power electric generating plant), and the Annapolis Royal Historic Gardens (one of North America's top display gardens, formed by draining an adjacent salt marsh).

"The unique geography and history of Nova Scotia provided a perfect backdrop for this event," said Susan Gesner, president of the Canadian Forestry Association and a member of the Nova Scotia Envirothon Host Committee. "From the peat bogs to the dykes that we still use today, the students learned valuable lessons about how Nova Scotians have employed their resources to make a living, while ensuring they replenish and conserve them for future use."

The final part of the competition challenged each team to develop a plan that would properly manage the water resources of the Annapolis Valley. The teams were then sequestered with only their notes from the field instruction and presentation materials. Based on their knowledge of environmental issues from work throughout the year and lessons learned during the Canon Envirothon, teams developed and presented their solutions to a panel of expert judges. Five teams competed in the final round. The Pennsylvania team compiled the highest combined score for the field tests and oral presentations.

Throughout the six-day Canon Envirothon, students met and mingled with their peers who traveled from as far away as California, British Columbia and Florida. They swapped stories along with memorabilia from home, including Newfoundland pins, New Orleans Mardi Gras masks and animal figurines carved from West Virginia coal. To qualify for the international event, each team competed in local, regional and state or provincial competitions that took place earlier this year.

The Canadian and Nova Scotia Forestry Associations hosted this year's event, which is supported and run by U.S. soil and water conservation districts, forestry associations and other sponsors in the United States and Canada, including the U.S. Forest Service and Carhartt. More than 600 volunteers, students and advisors participated in this year's competition to make it a success.

The Canon Envirothon began in 1979 as a competition sponsored by three Pennsylvania soil and water conservation districts. In 1993 the event became an international competition. The 2001 Canon Envirothon will take place in Raymond, Mississippi on the campus of Hinds Community College. For more information on the Canon Envirothon, log on to www.envirothon.org, or call 1-800-825-5547, ext. 16.

The Canon Envirothon is one of several initiatives Canon supports in the United States and Canada to promote environmental awareness, conservation and education. Under the umbrella of its Clean Earth Campaign, Canon funds conservation research through the National Park Foundation's Expedition into the Parks initiative as well as the Canon National Park Science Scholars program, providing the nation's largest environment-related scholarships to Ph.D. candidates for research in U.S. National Parks. Canon also makes possible The Nature Conservancy's Wings of the Americas program, which protects migratory birds by protecting the lands they rely on.

Canon U.S.A is an industry leader in professional and consumer imaging systems and solutions and, through its parent company, Canon Inc. is a top patent holder of imaging technologies. The company's comprehensive product line includes networked multifunction devices; digital and analog copiers (color and black and white); printers; scanners; facsimile machines; camcorders; cameras and lenses; semiconductor; broadcast and medical equipment. Canon employs 12,000 people at more than 30 facilities throughout North, Central and South America and the Caribbean.

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2000 Canon Envirothon Award Winners

1st Place - Pennsylvania - Penncrest High School Sponsored by the

Delaware County Conservation District; $2,5000 scholarship to

each team member

2nd Place - Idaho - Jerome High School Sponsored by the North Side

SWCD and Idaho Association of SCDs; $1,500 scholarship to each

team member

3rd Place - Washington - Cascade High School Sponsored by the

Chelan Conservation District; $1,000 scholarship to each team

member

4th Place - Manitoba - Vincent Massey Collegiate Sponsored by the

Manitoba Forestry Association; Canon ELPH Sport camera to each

team member

5th Place - California - Adolfo Camarillo High School Sponsored by

the Ventura County RCD; Canon ELPH Sport camera to each team

member

6th Place - Arizona - University High School Sponsored by the Aqua

Fria - New River NRCD; Canon SureShot Owl camera to each team

member

7th Place - New Jersey - Kittatinny Regional High School Sponsored

by the Sussex-Morris County CD; Canon SureShot Owl camera to

each team member

8th Place - Delaware - Charter School of Wilmington Sponsored by

the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts; Canon

SureShot Owl camera to each team member

9th Place - North Carolina - Fred T. Foard High School Sponsored

by the Catawba County SWCD; Canon SureShot Owl camera to each

team member

10th Place - Montana - Big Sky High School Sponsored by the

Missoula County Conservation District; Canon SureShot Owl

camera to each team member

Station Winners: Soils, Wetlands (Current Issue - Pennsylvania, Penncrest H.S.; Aquatics - Virginia, Albermarle County Schools - Sponsored by the Thomas Jefferson SWCD; Wildlife - Maryland, Joppatowne H.S. - Sponsored by the Harford County SCD; Oral Presentation - California, Adolfo Camarillo H.S.

Rookie Team of the Year: Alberta, St. Joseph Catholic H.S. - Sponsored by the Forest Capital of Canada Society

Extra Mile Awards: New Brunswick, Contoocook Valley H.S. - Sponsored by J.D. Irving/Tree House; Mississippi, Harrison Central H.S. - Sponsored by Mississippi SWCD

Canon U.S.A. Web site: http://www.usa.canon.com

Canon Envirothon Web site: http://www.envirothon.com

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