Wantagh envirothon team places first

The Wantagh High School Envirothon team placed first in Nassau County and was named the Long Island Championship Team during the 2014 Long Island Regional Envirothon competition for having scored higher than all 35 Nassau and Suffolk County teams.

The 16th annual competition was held at the Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts in Wheatley Heights. Team members Andrew Bloniarz, Julia Laibach, Emily Latif, Sophia Liu and Jaclyn Onufrey each received a $500 scholarship.

“I am extremely proud and impressed by the team’s hard work and interest in the environment,” Advisor Valarie Sebastiano said. “These five intelligent young people are environmental stewards and are making a difference already.”

Coordinated by the soil and water conservation district of Nassau County, the hands-on environmental competition was a forum whereby teams of five students took written exams and participated in outdoor challenges, including contests in aquatics, forestry, soil and wildlife. The teams also gave an oral presentation on the topic of sustainable local agriculture.