Students gear up for Envirothon

The 2007 Northern Maine Regional Envirothon Committee invites students to join the growing number of Maine high schools who annually participate in the Envirothon competition, North America’s largest environmental education program for high school students to date. Each year, Maine’s 16 Conservation Districts help to coordinate six regional hands-on competitions for Maine students, culminating in a statewide finals event in late May. Since its inception in 1990, Maine’s Envirothon Program has grown to involve more than 70 high schools statewide.
    Envirothon, an educational program culminating in a competitive outdoor event, is sponsored by the Maine Association of Conservation Districts in cooperation with a number of other resource agencies.  Envirothon teams consisting of three to five high school students each, guided by one advisor, compete at one of six regional locations throughout the state. Working as a team, students test their knowledge of natural resource issues by solving hands-on problems associated with aquatics, forestry, wildlife, soils and a current natural resource issue. The 2007 current issue topic is Alternative/Renewable Energy.
The top three teams from each regional Envirothon earn the opportunity to compete at state finals, to be held this year at Leonard’s Mill in Bradley, on Thursday, May 24. State winners also have the opportunity to travel to Canon’s North American Envirothon competition, to be held this year at Hobart & William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York, July 29 thru Aug. 4, where winning team members each receive a college scholarship valued at over $1,000. Additionally, any prospective Maine college freshman who has participated in Envirothon is eligible to apply for a $2,000 scholarship for the University of Maine at Orono, College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture.
To organize an Envirothon team, it is not necessary to be an expert in all environmental areas, as many resource professionals are available to assist. Teams can consist of science clubs, FFA groups, classrooms or any other group of students in grades 9-12 interested in natural resources.
This year’s Northern Maine Regional Envirothon Competition will be held outdoors, rain or shine, at the Fort Kent Water/Wastewater Treatment Facility just west of Fort Kent on Thursday, May 17. In addition, the Sixth Annual Northern Mock Envirothon will be held Thursday, April 19, at Miller Arena in Houlton; the Mock Envirothon is a training program for existing and prospective teams interested in competing in actual competitions. Registration and resource materials for Envirothon can be obtained from your local SWCD by calling 834-3311/heidi.royal@me.nacdnet.net, or by contacting the State Envirothon Program at 495-2392 or tish.carr@maineswcd.org. The deadline for registration for the Northern Regional competition is March 16.