Louisiana Envirothon 2026 Competition Results Announced

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Meagan Molter March 23, 2026 Phone: 225-219-3964 Louisiana Envirothon Brings Students Together for 2026 Competition BATON ROUGE, LA -- The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ), along with other state agencies and university partners, hosted the 2026 Louisiana Envirothon on March 11. Envirothon is an environmental problem-solving competition for 6th - 12th grade students across the state. The event took place at the LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens at Burden, bringing together teams from across Louisiana to compete in aquatics, forestry, soils, wildlife, and a current environmental issue. The 2026 topic, "Nonpoint Source Pollution: It Begins at Home," challenged students to explore how everyday actions affect water quality. Teams also delivered oral presentations proposing solutions to environmental problems related to the issue, demonstrating their knowledge of environmental science and natural resource management. The first-place team, Eco Owls from Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy, included Jaden Newman, Blair Burd, Gabriella Daneshrad, Bailey Burd and Rand Hashi. The team will represent Louisiana at the National Conservation Foundation (NCF) Envirothon in Starkville, Mississippi, in July

1. Second place went to Soil Sniffers from Baton Rouge Magnet High School, and third place was awarded to Team Gold from Live Oak High School.

"Programs like Envirothon play a significant role in inspiring our next generation of environmental leaders," LDEQ Secretary Courtney J. Burdette said. "These students are not

only learning about complex environmental challenges, but also developing the critical thinking and problem-solving skills needed to protect our natural resources. We are incredibly proud of all the participants and congratulate this year's winners for their outstanding achievements."

Competing teams work through the assessment for the forestry leg of the 2026 Louisiana Envirothon competition on March 11.

Other participating teams included the Eco Tigers from Patrick F. Taylor Science and Technology Academy; Leaf Me Alone from Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy; The Kinetic Sidewalks and Tree Huggers Anonymous from Doyle High School; Messiah Marsh Rats from Messiah Montessori School; NSU Middle Lab School; The Truffla Trees from Lafayette High School; Sherwood Middle Academic Magnet School; Stay Golden and Purple Rayne from Rayne High

School; and Nature's Voice from Scotlandville Magnet High School. The event was supported by the following:  Major Sponsor: o LSU AgCenter Botanic Gardens  Patron: o Louisiana Association of Conservation Districts  Supporter: o Fox Pest Control  Partners: o Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry o Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy o Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality o Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries o LSU School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences o LSU Superfund Basic Research Program o Southern University and A&M College Urban Forestry Program o U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service Congratulations to the winners and all participating teams for their hard work and dedication to the Envirothon program, making the 2026 competition a resounding success. For additional information about Louisiana Envirothon, please visit: https://www.laeq.org/envirothon. To learn more about the national competition, please visit: https://envirothon.org. ### About the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality LDEQ is dedicated to serving the people of Louisiana by providing comprehensive environmental protection to promote and protect health, safety and welfare.

The first-place winners, Eco Owls from Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy, celebrate their win.