Florida Teens Take Top Honors in Canon Envirothon; Teams From 52 U.S. States And Canadian Provinces Competed At Environmental Science Competition.

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y. -- A five-member team of high school students from Miami, Florida, is the winner of the 17th annual Canon Envirothon. The winning team was announced Saturday, July 31, during closing ceremonies of the weeklong North American environmental education competition held at Wesleyan College in Buckhannon, West Virginia.

More than 250 teenage challengers from high schools and other organizations across the U.S. and Canada came together in Buckhannon to study and compete on environmental issues and resource conservation, and receive Canon scholarships and prizes that exceeded US $30,000 in value. The first place Florida team received $15,000 in Canon scholarships and photographic equipment. Virginia and New Jersey placed second and third, respectively. The list of schools/organizations receiving 2004 awards appears at the end of this announcement.

Fifty-two teams, 44 from the U.S. and eight from Canada, competed in the 2004 Canon Envirothon, North America's largest high school environmental competition. Organized through the National Association of Conservation Districts in the U.S. and The Canadian Forestry Associations, the Canon Envirothon is the final competition in a series of contests beginning each spring that involves more than 500,000 teenagers throughout North America.

The 2004 North American competition, under the supervision of The West Virginia Association of Soil Conservation Districts and the West Virginia Conservation Agency, was the first hosted by West Virginia. The 2005 competition will be held in Missouri, 2006 in Canada (Manitoba) and 2007 in New York.

In written and field tests, and oral presentations, five member teams from schools or organizations compete in these preliminary rounds for the distinction of representing their state or province at the Canon Envirothon. Key knowledge areas include: soils/land use, forestry, aquatic ecology, wildlife and this year's current issue of conservation management in urban areas.

Each team's knowledge was tested under the supervision of foresters, soil scientists and wildlife specialists. Teamwork, problem solving and oral presentation skills also are evaluated as each team offers a panel of judges an oral presentation containing recommendations for solving an environmental challenge.

This is the eighth year the competition has been sponsored by Canon U.S.A., Inc., a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE: CAJ). Canon delivers consumer, business-to-business and industrial imaging solutions. Canon works to protect the environment through its award-winning Clean Earth Campaign that encompasses development of energy-efficient office products, equipment remanufacturing and materials reuse, as well as the protection of endangered species and environmental education through its corporate philanthropy and employee volunteerism.

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First Place: Palmetto High School, Miami, Florida

Second Place: Augusta County 4H, Augusta, Virginia

Third Place: Hopewell Valley High School, Hopewell, New Jersey 

Fourth Place: Fayette County 4H, Lexington, Kentucky

Fifth Place: Conservation Shameleons Home School, Orange County, North Carolina 

Sixth Place: Pencrest High School, Media, Pennsylvania

Seventh Place: West Hill Secondary School, Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada

Eighth Place: St. Marys FFA (Future Farmers of America), St. Marys, West Virginia 

Ninth Place: School of Environmental Studies, Apple Valley, Minnesota 

Tenth Place: Kenmare High School, Kenmare, North Dakota

NEWS AND PHOTO EDITOR ADVISORY

Envirothon press room: www.envirothon.org. Click on 2004 press room for winning team photos and student names that will be posted and can be downloaded beginning Monday, August 2, 2004.