The Susquehanna County Conservation District is pleased to announce that the Blue Ridge High School team “The Hell Benders” has won this year’s Susquehanna County Envirothon. A hellbender is a large salamander found in the big rivers in Pennsylvania. The winning score of 350 points will allow Envirothon Advisor Ed Price and co-advisor Trudi Hepler to take their winning team to Juniata College for the State Envirothon Competition.

Pictured (l-r) are: Co-advisor Trudi Hepler, Brett Hepler, Will Miller, Advisor Ed Price, Team Captain Jenna Rupakus, Rebekah Bayle, Jeshua DeJesse.

Teammates senior Jenna Rupakus, junior Will Miller, and sophomores Rebekah Bayle, Jeshua DeJesse, and Brett Hepler studied aquatics, forestry, soils, wildlife, and the current issue; grasslands & pasture management, throughout the school year to be so successful at this competition. The team also won two of the individual categories of forestry and grassland & pasture management. Blue Ridge also had the 2nd and 3rd place teams. The second place team, “Poison Snake Creek” finished 50 points behind the winners but had the highest individual category score with a 93 in aquatics.

This year’s County Envirothon was held at the Elk Mountain Ski Resort on May 8th and hosted 140 students from five of the county’s high schools. Representatives from the Fish & Boat Commission, DEP, NRCS, DCNR Bureau of Forestry, and PA Game Commission help make this competition a success by working with the students throughout the school year and by giving out the exam the day of the Envirothon. Susquehanna County Conservation District sponsors the event and had a lunch and prizes for the students. Sen. Gene Yaw’s executive assistant Gerald “Arnie” Kriner gave the teams their awards. Personnel from Cabot Oil and Gas, a major sponsor of Envirothon, also handed out awards.