Beech Tree News Network

Alex Rich, 7th-grade BCMS student and son of Cathy and Don Rich, has qualified for the National Geographic Society's 2014 Kentucky Geographic Bee to be held Friday, April 4 at the Carroll Knicely Center on WKU's South Campus.  Alex will compete with 99 other Kentucky middle-level school champions for a $100 prize, the "Complete National Geographic on DVD", and a trip to Washington, D.C. to represent the Commonwealth in the National Geographic Bee finals, May 19-21. The national winner will receive $50,000 college scholarship, lifetime membership in the NG Society, and all-expense-paid vacation with one guardian to the Galapagos Islands, where he/she will encounter the islands' unique wildlife and landscapes.  National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo WILD will air the final round of the 2014 National Geographic Bee, moderated by new host Soledad O'Brien, on Thursday, May 22 at 7 PM ET (to be followed on public television stations).