GREAT FALLS — Students from across Montana are competing in the Envirothon—testing their skills in wildlife, forestry, soils, and water.
Quentin Shores reports - watch the video here:
“Just a fabulous, extracurricular activity for kids who are interested in natural resources,” says Marie Antonioli, who just retired after 15 years coaching Envirothon at Hamilton High School. She emphasizes the competition's focus on problem solving, collaboration, and building career paths, with this year’s event centered on non-point source pollution and real-world environmental issues.
Brady, a high school senior, describes the hands-on aspect of the event: “We were at this wastewater treatment plant at, mine around Belt kind of looking at a source of NPS, which is this current issue.”
Eli, AJ, and Brady are part of the winning Big Sky High School team that will represent Montana at nationals in Mississippi. Over the past few days, teams toured the wastewater treatment plant and worked at field stations to gain field experience.
Eli explains how teams tailor their approach: “So this problem specifically, it asks you to pick two areas to focus on. Every team kind of picked different areas. Our team focused on mining and some forestry.” Teams present solutions focused on the Beaverhead Watershed, with each group choosing key areas like mining or forestry to address.
As AJ puts it, “You can take as many tests as you want. You can get as good at multiple choice questions as you want about environment and natural resources but actually being able to apply that knowledge in real world scenarios, that's what Envirothon’s about.”
The event is about more than academics—it’s about teamwork, practical application, and connecting with conservation professionals. Winning teams move on to nationals, earning cash prizes and scholarships for their efforts.
Taryn, another senior, says, “Within our class, we were kind of like, we have five people who are willing to do it. So, we came here last year. Only knowing about it for three weeks We got in the top ten and we're very excited.”
Students like Taryn plan to apply what they learned at Envirothon to further studies and careers in biology, wildlife, and forestry—making a difference in Montana’s natural resources for years to come.
