Two dozen Conservation/Natural Resource Management students from the Hewes Educational Center placed at the New York State Conservation Competition held May 15 at SUNY Cobleskill.
The annual event welcomes high school students from across New York to compete in a host of conservation-related challenges. The competition has been running since the 1980s and is organized by conservation instructors.
Earning first-place honors from Erie 2-Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES were:
- Junior Jackson Seiberg of Chautauqua Lake Central School in the Tree Scaling competition
- Junior Carson Couchenour of Southwestern in Compass & Pace
- Seniors Nathan Alexander of Southwestern and Gavin Anderson of Panama in Differential Leveling
- Junior Ayden Cooper of Falconer in Pulp Throw
- Seniors Collin Ryan and Jordan Mescall of Panama, and senior Nathan Alexander of Southwestern in Pulp Toss.
Combined, the students collected $9,000 in scholarships.
Earning a second-place award from E2CCB were:
- Junior Jackson Seiberg of Chautauqua Lake in Dozer Trenching
- Senior Caleb Blake of Southwestern in Tree Scaling
- Junior Jordyn Caldwell of Falconer in Land Judging and Female Bow Saw
- Junior Brayden Potter of Southwestern in Pulp Throw
Combined, the students collected $3,750 in scholarships.
Earning a third-place award from E2CCB were:
- Junior Scott James of Sherman in Backhoe
- Seniors Gavin Anderson of Panama and Aaron Stevens in Skid Steer
- Junior Dylan Coffin of Southwestern in Tree Scaling
- Junior Mitchell Barton of Frewsburg in Log Scaling
- Senior Jordan Mescall of Panama in Ax Throw
- Junior Savannah Weart of Bemus Point in Female Bow Saw
Combined, the students collected $3,500 in scholarships.
Earning a fourth-place award from E2CCB were:
- Junior Johnathan Lyon of Panama in Tree Scaling
- Juniors Dani Trim and Savannah Weart of Bemus Point in Differential Leveling
- Junior Kaiden Morse of Jamestown in Ax Throw
- Juniors Leo Kavic and Brayden Potter of Southwestern in Cross-Cut
- Juniors Jourdyn Cobb of Falconer, Caleb Edwards of Cassadaga, Caleb Szymanowski of Ripley, and Carson Couchenour of Southwestern in Pulp Toss.
Earning a fifth-place award from E2CCB were:
- Junior Nicholas Boardman of Chautauqua Lake in Log Skidder
- Senior Nathan Alexander of Southwestern in Log Scaling
- Junior Joseph Davis of Sherman in Compass & Pace
- Juniors Jordyn Caldwell of Falconer and Brady Martin of Chautauqua Lake in Jack and Jill Crosscut.
