Click here for the audio of this feature.
Matthew Fishell an 18 year old Senior at the Charter School of Wilmington has a passion for nature, so when the opportunity came up to compete for his passion he jumped at the chance with the Canon Envirothon.
Five categories highlight Envirothon every year: Wildlife, soils, forestry, aquatics and a rotating topic based on environmental issues.
After Fishell's team came in first in the state competition, which combines written with oral, they headed out to Flagstaff, Arizona, where Matt's expertise in Wildlife, specifically endangered species, would come in handy.
Fishell: "So in Arizona we learned about the problems they have with elk getting hit by cars, learned about a lot of programs they're doing to help species recover such as the condor from lead poisoning and the black bear that gets the Bubonic plague."
The Charter school of Wilmington won several scholarships for their efforts as well as the top prize of being first in the nation.
The goals of the Envirothon are simple, raise environmental awareness, critical thinking, teamwork and educational fun.
Don't take it from me.
Fishell: "If you get the chance, you should definitely do it. It's a lot of fun."