Youngsters who love nature, wildlife and taking part in outdoor activities make up the Envirothon Club at Octorara Elementary School. The after-school club is composed of third- and fourth-grade students who also spend part of the school year preparing for the Envirothon competition held annually in May.

During the club's most recent meeting, students designed reusable tote bags, painted watercolor aquatic critters, researched Pennsylvania trees and birds and studied other facts in preparation for the competition.

Andrea Weaver, Envirothon Club coach, explained that the students are nominated to be on the team by their teachers. "I always ask (the teachers) to choose a student who would have naturalistic tendencies and enjoy the outdoors," she said. "It is a study club, too, so (it is for) someone who would want to extend their school day and show their studying skills. Although we have fun, we are an academic group."

This year, the Chester County Envirothon competition will be held on Wednesday, May 4, at Hibernia Park in Coatesville. "It's run by Chester County Conservation District," Weaver noted.

She pointed out that elementary students are judged in various competitions at the event, but only those at the high school level can advance. "Our school (district) takes high school kids whose team (could) end up going to states or nationals," Weaver said. "My grade level is for fun for that one day and bragging rights. They do announce the winners of each category."

The students rotate through five competitions during the event. "They are wildlife, which covers birds and mammals of Pennsylvania; aquatics; forestry, which covers bushes, trees and shrubs; outdoor safety; and the final one is a current issue," Weaver explained. "This year, we are talking about how communities take waste and turn it into resources."

Weaver, who is in her 13th year as coach, is also the gifted support teacher for kindergarten through fourth-grade students at Octorara. She noted that with the exception of the past two years because of the pandemic, there has been an Envirothon team at Octorara since the 1970s to coincide with the founding of Earth Day.

While preparing for the contest, students take part in activities such as visiting with animals brought in by environmental educators. Betsy Davidheiser-Shank, founder and executive director of Acorn Acres Wildlife Rehabilitation, recently presented a program about how squirrels and groundhogs help the environment, what a wildlife rehabilitator does and what a student should do if he or she finds a wild animal in distress. She also introduced students to Poppy the Groundhog and Snags the Squirrel.

Students, such as third-grader Ella DeCosta, enjoy all of the activities that the club offers. "I like how we can get to go outside and look for birds, and animals can come in (to visit)," said Ella. "You're not just learning one thing at the same time; you are learning multiple things."

Information and photos of club activities are posted at http://www.facebook.com/mrsweaverenviro.