School contest brings out best in environment

GENEVA - Toby Heavenrich can tell if a bite mark on a leaf was left by a rabbit or a porcupine.

He recognizes a red-eyed vireo on hearing its melodic whistle, and can distinguish the types of plants found in the nests of muskrats and beavers.

An encyclopedic knowledge of birds and mammals, their habitats and their role in the ecosystem is one of the strengths the 17-year-old senior from Candor, N.Y., brings this week to the Envirothon, an environmental contest for high schools across Canada and the United States.