KENT, Conn.—Last spring, Marvelwood, a private school located on Skiff Mountain, captured first place in Connecticut’s Envirothon competition, sending its team on to compete at the international level in Alberta, Canada, in July.
This year, students focused on “Roots and Resiliency: Fostering Forest Stewardship in a Canopy of Change,” which invited students to explore forest ecosystems, climate impacts, and sustainable management through hands-on learning and team collaboration.
Team Purple Martin, comprised of Irine D., ’25, Jonas M-G., ’25, Micah T., ’25, Rasmiwan “Pear” I., ’25 and Peppi D., ’26, traveled with faculty advisors Emilie Arseneault, Alecia Pickett, and Caleb May to the mountains of Calgary for the weeklong event.
Prior to their departure and throughout the competition, the students worked to absorb information about the landscape and traditions of Alberta, from the soil makeup of the local areas to endangered wildlife species and the tactics being used to remedy these situations to indigenous involvement with land management.
Despite their best efforts, the top prizes went to Massachusetts, Maryland, and New York.
Not all of the time spent in Calgary was focused on work, however.
Students and their advisors hiked in Banff National Park, explored Calgary and the local town of Canmore, did some birdwatching, enjoyed regional music and food, and shared their new-found knowledge about the Albertan land and people with fellow competitors.
Over the past two decades, many Marvelwood alumni have taken part in Envirothon, an environmental and natural resources conservation problem-solving challenge, leadership experience and academic competition for high school students from across the United States, Canada, China, and Singapore.
In recent years, despite the school’s small size, it has scored success after success at the state level, winning the Connecticut competition in 2021, 2024 and 2025, leading to travel and scholarship on much larger stages.
