Kevin Brown, Ag Team Leader, BCCD
​Canton High School of Bradford County places 4th at the 2024 Pennsylvania State Envirothon. The Pennsylvania Envirothon state competition was held as a “hybrid” competition. The Oral Component was held May 15-17. Teams submitted their presentations electronically and then answered questions from a panel of judges through a Zoom Meeting. The Station testing was held in-person at Camp Mount Luther on May 23rd, 2024. High school students from 63 Pennsylvania counties participated in this year’s event. At the Envirothon, five-member teams participated in a series of field station tests that focused on five topic areas – soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, and environmental issues. The 2024 current environmental issue focused on “Renewable Energy for a Sustainable Future”.

Kevin Brown, Ag Team Lead, BCCD
​Last week’s article was on noise pollution.  Even though it typically may not be thought of as “pollution”, it certainly can be.  We have become so accustomed to noise, that it just seems “normal” now.  However, take a stroll through a state or national park, or go find anywhere where you can get away from this, and you can really find a lot of inner peace just by sitting there and listening to nothing (or at least nothing except Mother Nature’s sounds).  There are actually people making money by taking you out into the wilderness, setting you on a rock, and telling you they will be back in 2 hours.  Sit there.  Soak it all in.  Stare at the ground.  Listen to the world around you.  (I admit, I published that article because I was pressed for time and didn’t have any real good subjects in mind, so I found that one and sent it on its way.  However, I did get a comment or two back so it resonated with some.)  

Ryan Reed- A Reprint from DCNR’s Forest Fridays

​“Of all the varieties of modern pollution, noise is the most insidious.” – Robert Lacey
 
There’s a saying that goes, “If it’s too loud, then you’re too old.”  You can count me in the “old” crowd, then, because I get much more satisfaction from moments of peace and quiet versus noisy events.  This observation leads me to ponder whether I’m the variable that has changed, or has society become louder?
 
One must not search long on the web to find a litany of subjects that not only bear evidence of a growing societal din, but myriad negative effects on humans and wildlife.  On any given day, it’s become difficult to ignore the seemingly ever-increasing, solitude-shattering noise, and much of it is intentional. 

Kevin Brown, Agricultural Resource Specialist, BCCD
What is one of the worst things you can do to your garden?  Till it.  Yes, that’s right, till it.  Tilling is just like throwing a nuclear bomb in there every year.  It is like a tornado coming through every year and destroying everything in its path.  Think about it.  You are grinding and pulverizing everything in the soil, including its inhabitants.  There are so many beneficial microorganisms in your soil doing so many wonderful things to your soil and your plants, and you come through with a rototiller and grind it all to dust.  They need homes and food and shelter and air space just like we do, and you just destroyed it.  After tilling, they start to rebuild their lives again and get back to doing productive things, and along comes your rototiller again, taking out all forms of life once again.