Cardinal student named semifinalist in Iowa National Geographic State Bee

ELDON ? Cardinal sixth-grader Grant Pedersen has been notified by National Geographic Society that he is one of the semifinalists eligible to compete in the 2016 Iowa National Geographic State Bee April 1 in Des Moines.

This is the second level of the National Geographic Bee competition, which is now in its 28th year. School bees were held in schools with fourth- through eighth-grade students throughout the state to determine each school champion. School champions then took an online qualifying test. The National Geographic Society has invited up to 100 of the topscoring students in each of the 50 states, District of Columbia, Department of Defense Dependents Schools and U.S. territories to compete in the state bees.

Each state champion will receive $100, the National Geographic book ?The National Parks: An Illustrated History? and a medal, and will journey to Washington, D.C., to represent their state in the National Geographic Bee Championship at National Geographic Society headquarters in May.

The national champion will receive a $50,000 college scholarship and lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society.

The national champion also will travel, along with a parent or guardian, all expenses paid, on a Lindblad expedition to Southeast Alaska aboard National Geographic Sea Lion, including Glacier Bay National Park, in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.

The 2016 National Geographic Bee Championship final round, moderated by journalist and humorist Mo Rocca, will air at 7 p.m. May 27 on the National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD and later on public television stations. Check local television listings for air date and time.

At the school bees this year, students like Pedersen had to answer such questions as:

? To fish in Lake Winnipesaukee and ski near Franconia Notch, you would travel to which state ? New Hampshire or South Dakota? New Hampshire

? Visitors to Biscayne National Park in Florida can go fishing and lobstering along the shore of which kind of habitat ? mangrove or desert? Mangrove

? Sea kayakers can explore hundreds of islands off the Dalmatian coast of which European country south of Slovenia? Croatia

? For centuries, the Chinese emperors lived in seclusion in the Forbidden City, which is located within what present day city? Beijing

Pedersen is the son of Joel and Jamie Pedersen.

Visit www.natgeobee.org for more information on the National Geographic Bee.