Reflections on My Time at the 2025 Arizona Envirothon

By Aubrey Balcom (NCF-Envirothon Alumni and Outreach Coordinator)

I recently had the opportunity to attend the 2025 Arizona Envirothon, held April 4th–5th at Camp Tontozona in the scenic Ponderosa Pines just east of Payson, Arizona.

Snow still lingered in patches, but the cool mountain weather didn’t dampen the spirit or determination of the students, volunteers, or organizers.

This year’s competition brought together 15 teams from 10 high schools across Arizona, representing communities from Tucson to Prescott to Mesa. Over two days, students competed in five key areas: soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, and the 2025 current issue, “Roots & Resiliency: Fostering Forest Health in a Canopy of Change.”

On Friday, students rotated through hands-on ecostation testing—field-based assessments designed by professionals from agencies and organizations across the state. These station leads developed a rigorous and thoughtful set of tests and then spent hours afterward carefully grading each one. The competition was tight this year, and their meticulous work ensured fair and accurate results.

Saturday morning was dedicated to oral presentations, where teams presented their proposed forest management strategies for the Mogollon Rim region, incorporating climate data, Indigenous knowledge, ecological science, and economic considerations. The top three teams from the first round advanced to the final round, presenting again to a new panel of judges and the full Envirothon assembly.

Getting to observe the final round of presentations was a major privilege. The organizers of the Arizona Envirothon crafted an excellent opportunity to hear from each of the final round judges as they shared about their careers and commitment to the fields of natural resources before the final three teams presented. One of the final round judges, Ben from the U.S. Forest Service, shared that he was once an Arizona Envirothon participant himself, and that the experience played a pivotal role in shaping his career in forestry. His reflection was a powerful reminder of the long-term impact this program has on students' lives.

When the scores were tallied, Basis Tucson North took first place overall and will represent Arizona at the 2025 NCF-Envirothon Annual Competition in Calgary, Alberta this July. Red Mountain High School and AAEC Paradise Valley earned second and third place, respectively.

Additional field-testing awards included:

Soils & Land Use: 1st – Basis Tucson North; 2nd – Mica Mountain & AAEC Paradise Valley (tie)

Aquatic Ecology: 1st – Agua Fria HS; 2nd – Basis Tucson North

Wildlife: 1st – Mica Mountain HS; 2nd – AAEC Paradise Valley & Red Mountain HS (tie)

Forestry: 1st – AAEC Paradise Valley; 2nd – Red Mountain HS; 3rd – Basis Tucson North

I spent time assisting volunteers, connecting with students and educators at the NCF-Envirothon outreach table, and joining in the career fair, where students explored careers in environmental science and natural resource management. The competition's location at a camp facility really added a special opportunity for students to spend time together and experience a piece of the landscape they had been studying all year long.

A huge thanks goes to the Arizona Envirothon executive committee, station leads, and all the volunteers who made this event possible. Their hard work and commitment to the mission of environmental education made a lasting impact on everyone involved. I’m looking forward to cheering on Team Arizona at the international competition this summer in Canada!