For the students of Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science (MATES), the 2026 New Jersey Envirothon was more than a statewide environmental competition — it was a full-circle moment nearly twenty years in the making.
Held on May 9, 2026, at the Lighthouse Center for Natural Resource Education in Waretown, the event brought together high school students from across New Jersey for a day of outdoor environmental competition, teamwork, and hands-on learning. Hosted this year by the Ocean County Soil Conservation District, the Envirothon challenged students to apply their knowledge of aquatic ecology, forestry, soils and land use, wildlife, and current environmental issues through field investigations and oral presentations. Each year, a different New Jersey Soil Conservation District serves as host, helping showcase the diverse natural resources and educational opportunities found throughout the state.
This year, MATES Team #1 earned First Place overall in the statewide competition, while MATES Team #2 captured Fourth Place overall. MATES Team #1 also achieved top honors in Wildlife, Aquatics, and Current Issue, while MATES Team #2 earned First Place in Forestry. The 2026 event carried a deeper significance, however. The last time the New Jersey Envirothon was held at the Lighthouse Center was in 2007. That year, MATES earned Second Place at the same coastal environmental education site. Nearly two decades later, a new generation of MATES students returned to the Lighthouse Center and brought home the state championship.
A Return to the Lighthouse Center
In many ways, the event represented a return not only to a place, but to a tradition. Located in the heart of New Jersey’s coastal region, the Lighthouse Center for Natural Resource Education has long served as a hub for environmental stewardship and experiential learning. Managed by the Natural Resource Education Foundation of New Jersey, Inc. (NREF), the nearly 200-acre property adjacent to Barnegat Bay encompasses forests, wetlands, marshes, ponds, and coastal habitats that provide students with an immersive outdoor classroom ideally suited for the Envirothon’s field-based challenges and investigations.
For several attendees, this year’s event carried special significance. Christine Raabe, District Director of the Ocean County Soil Conservation District, has devoted decades to advancing environmental education and conservation throughout Ocean County. As a founding member of the Natural Resource Education Foundation of New Jersey and a driving force behind the development and continued success of the Lighthouse Center, she has helped create opportunities for thousands of students, educators, and conservation professionals to engage in hands-on environmental learning. Welcoming students to the 2026 Envirothon at the Lighthouse Center represented another chapter in a vision she helped establish many years ago.
Joining her at this year’s NJ Envirothon was Donald Lippincott, Chairman of the Ocean Township Environmental Commission and a founding member of both NREF and the Lighthouse Center. Through years of local leadership and advocacy, Lippincott has helped support the preservation and stewardship of the Lighthouse Center property, ensuring that it remains a valued resource for environmental education, conservation, and community engagement.
Also deserving of recognition, although not in attendance, is Dr. John Wnek of MATES Academy, an educator, researcher, and founding member of NREF and the Lighthouse Center whose contributions connect directly to the story of MATES itself. In addition to helping shape the educational mission of the Lighthouse Center, Dr. Wnek served as the original coach of the MATES Envirothon program. His continued support of the annual competition provides a living link between the early years of MATES participation and the team’s current success.
The success of the 2026 New Jersey Envirothon also reflects the dedication of the Natural Resource Education Foundation of New Jersey Board of Directors and the many volunteers who work throughout the year to maintain and improve the Lighthouse Center property. Their commitment to preserving the site’s buildings, trails, educational facilities, and natural resources ensures that students and visitors can continue to learn from and enjoy this unique environmental education destination. Their behind-the-scenes efforts help make programs like the NJ Envirothon possible and sustain the Lighthouse Center’s mission for future generations.
Partners in Stewardship
The Opening Ceremony highlighted the many partnerships and individuals whose vision and dedication have helped sustain both the New Jersey Envirothon and the Lighthouse Center for decades. Students and advisors were welcomed by leaders representing conservation, agriculture, education, and local government, many of whom have played significant roles in advancing environmental stewardship throughout New Jersey.
Among those offering greetings were Ed Wengryn, New Jersey Secretary of Agriculture; Julie Hawkins, State Conservationist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS); Ines Zimmerman, Executive Director of the New Jersey Association of Conservation Districts (NJACD); and Rick Dovey, President of NJACD. Their participation reflected the broad network of state and regional partners that support conservation education and natural resource stewardship throughout New Jersey.
Also welcoming students were members of the Ocean County Soil Conservation District Board of Supervisors, including Chairman Dr. William Pollock and Board Supervisor Dr. Michael Gross, who also served as a judge for the Envirothon’s oral presentation competition.
Together, these longtime leaders represent decades of commitment to conservation, environmental education, and stewardship. As students gathered for the 2026 New Jersey Envirothon, they were welcomed not only by today’s partners and supporters, but also by individuals whose vision helped create the very opportunities and place that made the event possible.
The success of the New Jersey Envirothon also depends upon the continued support of numerous partner organizations and sponsors. The program is made possible through the collaborative efforts of the New Jersey Association of Conservation Districts, the New Jersey Conservation District Employees Association, the New Jersey Department of Agriculture and State Soil Conservation Committee, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey’s Soil Conservation Districts, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, PSE&G, and many other agencies, organizations, volunteers, and educators who contribute their time, expertise, and resources each year.
Reviving a Tradition
The 2026 competition also marked the return of another longstanding tradition. For the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted overnight programming, students and advisors once again camped overnight at the Lighthouse Center on the evening before the competition. Teams gathered for s’mores, an outdoor movie, and planned stargazing activities beneath the coastal sky. Although cloudy weather prevented clear views of the stars, the evening provided students with an opportunity to reconnect, build camaraderie, and experience the spirit of the Envirothon beyond the competition itself.
Carrying the Legacy Forward
That sense of continuity has long been part of the MATES Envirothon program. According to longtime advisor Dave Werner, MATES has participated in the New Jersey Envirothon since the program began in 1994. Dr. John Wnek served as the school’s original Envirothon coach before Werner and Adam Sprague assumed leadership of the teams in 2004. Over the years, generations of MATES students have developed skills in ecology, conservation, critical thinking, and environmental problem solving through the program.
This year’s Current Environmental Issue theme, “Non-Point Source Pollution: It Begins at Home!”, challenged students to examine how everyday activities contribute to pollution in local watersheds and explore solutions that protect water quality through stewardship, conservation practices, and community action.
The Envirothon itself has grown into North America’s largest high school environmental education competition through the NCF-Envirothon program, emphasizing real-world environmental science and collaborative problem solving. With their First Place victory, MATES Team #1 will now represent New Jersey at the 2026 NCF-Envirothon at Mississippi State University in Starkville, Mississippi this July, where students will compete alongside top environmental teams from across the United States, Canada, and partner countries.
For MATES, however, the 2026 championship represents more than advancement to a national competition. It reflects the lasting impact of environmental education, the strength of a program sustained across generations of students and advisors, and the enduring connection between young environmental leaders and the Lighthouse Center shoreline where so many of those experiences began.
For many of those gathered at the Lighthouse Center, the 2026 Envirothon demonstrated the enduring value of partnerships, mentorship, and environmental education—connecting the vision of past leaders with the accomplishments of today’s students. Nearly twenty years after MATES students celebrated a second-place finish at the Lighthouse Center, a new generation returned to the same landscape — carrying forward a legacy of environmental stewardship and bringing home a state championship.