The 2026 Westchester County Regional Envirothon was held April 17 at Croton Point Park in Croton-on-Hudson, where 15 high schools in the region tested their knowledge of environmental topics including aquatic ecology, forestry, soils and land use, wildlife, and environmental issues via a hands-on competition.
Westchester County has been hosting the event since 2022 and this year the 15 high schools are made up of 13 from Westchester County, one from Ulster, Putnam and Orange Counties.
The winners were Ossining High School 19B in Current Issue, Pleasantville High School 14A in Forestry, Mahopac High School 8B in Soils and Land Use, Fox Lane High School 12 A in Wildlife, Scarsdale High School 4A in Aquatic Ecology and Rye Country Day School 11B in Oral Presentation. Mount Academy 3A was the overall champion and Scarsdale High School 4A was the Westchester County winner and will represent the County at the New York State Envirothon.
Commissioner of the Westchester County Parks Department Kathy O’Connor said: “Croton Point Park is one of the County’s most diverse parks, featuring water, fields, and meadows, which makes for the perfect setting for the Envirothon. Its natural variety provides students with a unique, hands-on learning environment where they can apply their knowledge and deepen their understanding of the ecosystems that make Westchester so special.”
Commissioner of the Westchester County Planning Department Blanca Lopez said: “Each year, Planning Department staff is proud to partner with our colleagues in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation to organize the Envirothon, a high school environmental education competition. We are especially grateful for the strong support of our partners, including the members of the Soil and Water Conservation District, whose volunteer efforts make this event possible. This year’s Envirothon promises to be our most exciting yet, with a record number of high schools from across the County participating and a strong slate of competitions planned.”
The 2026 Westchester County Regional Envirothon was cosponsored by the Westchester County Soil and Water Conservation District, Westchester County Planning Department, and Department of Parks, Recreation and Conservation. The event would not have been possible without the support from the 50+ volunteers, from Soil and Water Conservation Districts: Rockland, Orange and Ulster Counties, Watershed Agricultural Council, Cornell Cooperative Extension of Westchester County, Westchester Land Trust, Westchester Parks Foundation, Save the Sound, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Westchester County Office of Sustainability, Westchester County Department of Environmental Facilities, Long Island Sound Partnership, New York State, Hudson Highlands Land Trust, and North Salem Open Land Foundation.
