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Fryeburg Academy students, from left, Oona Davidson, Grace Bryan and Olivia Lindsay, decide Monday morning what type of tree they were tasked with identifying at Evergreen Outdoor Education center behind East Auburn Community School on Andrew Drive in Auburn. Six teams competed in the 2025 Southwest Regional Envirothon, an international competition for high school students. The winners will join others from around the state in May, with the top teams going on to the international competition in Canada this year. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Students Emma Furka, left, and Lorellei Farrer from Spruce Mountain High School in Jay examine a skull Monday morning they were tasked with identifying at a wildlife station deep in the woods at Evergreen Outdoor Education center on Andrew Drive in Auburn. Six teams completed tasks at five stations that quizzed them on environmental topics. The activities were a part of the 2025 Southwest Regional Envirothon organized by the Androscoggin Valley Soil & Water Conservation District. Teams from Androscoggin and Oxford counties competed. Winners will advance to the state championships in Augusta next month. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Sophia Foss from Spruce Mountain High School in Jay takes a compass reading Monday morning at Evergreen Outdoor Education center behind East Auburn Community School on Andrew Drive in Auburn. Six teams competed in the 2025 Southwest Regional Envirothon, an international competition for high school students in five environmental topics. The winners move on to the state competition and the top teams there will advance to the international competition in Canada this year. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Mira Hotait, Owen Reinbach and Owen Crowe of Fryeburg Academy’s Team MOO answer questions Monday morning about aquatics at one of five stations set up in the woods and around Evergreen Outdoor Education center behind East Auburn Community School on Andrew Drive in Auburn. Six teams competed in the 2025 Southwest Regional Envirothon, an international competition for high school students. The winners advance to the state competition in May. The top teams there will go to the international competition in Canada this year. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Kristie Munson sounds a horn Monday morning to tell teams to move on to their next challenge at Evergreen Outdoor Education center behind East Auburn Community School on Andrew Drive in Auburn. Six teams competed in the 2025 Southwest Regional Envirothon, an international competition for high school students to engage in five environmental topics. The winners will move on to the state competition in May and winners there will go to the international competition in Canada this year. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Team Spruce Green from Spruce Mountain High School in Jay answer questions Monday morning at the soil station at Evergreen Outdoor Education center behind East Auburn Community School on Andrew Drive in Auburn. Seated are Skylar Condon, Lily Fortier and Hannah Dube; standing are Samuel Geissinger and Natalia Furka. Six teams competed in the 2025 Southwest Regional Envirothon, an international competition for high school students in five environmental topics. The winners move on to the state competition in May and winners there will go to the international competition in Canada this year. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Students Chelsea Konopka, left, and Sophia Foss from Spruce Mountain High School in Jay take a compass reading Monday morning at Evergreen Outdoor Education center behind East Auburn Community School on Andrew Drive in Auburn. Six teams competed in the 2025 Southwest Regional Envirothon, an international competition for high school students in five environmental topics. The winners will move on to the state competition in May and winners there will go to the international competition in Canada this year. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Oxford County Soil and Water Conservation District Program Manager Michele Windsor, wearing dragonfly earrings, volunteers Monday morning to monitor the aquatics station in the woods at Evergreen Outdoor Education center behind East Auburn Community School on Andrew Drive in Auburn. The 2025 Southwest Regional Envirothon is an international competition for high school students, who take on five environmental topics. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Ava Kelley enjoys a snack Monday morning while looking at trophies to be given to the winners of the 2025 Southwest Regional Envirothon at the Evergreen Outdoor Education center in Auburn. She was helping her father, a volunteer from the York County Soil & Water Conservation District who was in charge of keeping the team scores. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal
Several students were second guessing their choice of footwear Monday morning at the 2025 Southwest Regional Envirothon at Evergreen Outdoor Education center behind East Auburn Community School on Andrew Drive in Auburn. Six high school teams competed in five environmental topics. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

A lifelong resident of Lewiston, Russ stumbled into photography as a college student working toward a career in psychology. His great-grandfather Louis B. Costello was the publisher of the Lewiston Daily...