Mission Statement
2013 North American Envirothon 5th Topic
2013 Envirothon ScoresTop 10 FFA All Teams 2013 Envirothon PhotosGallery
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What is the West Virginia Envirothon? The WV Envirothon is a conservation education program and competition for students in grades 9 through 12. The Envirothon program encourages students to work as a team to acquire natural resource knowledge and critical thinking skills. By participating in the Envirothon program students learn about West Virginia's diverse ecosystem and how they can help conserve and protect it for future generations. To participate in the WV Envirothon, an adult advisor and a team of five students first register and receive learning objectives and study materials. Then the team prepares itself for the WV Envirothon by learning all it can about natural resources and environmental issues. Each Spring, teams from all over the Mountain State come together for a fun, hands-on event that test their natural resource knowledge, skills, and problem-solving abilities. What is the Envirothon Competition Like? The WV Envirothon focuses on five subject areas: forestry, soils, aquatics, wildlife, and a current environmental topic. Each test occurs outdoors, allowing the students a chance to work and learn in a real-world setting, guided by environmental professionals. Forestry - Students will need to develop basic dendrology skills; understand forest ecology and forest management; have simple skills with various forestry tools; and be able to apply their knowledge to real world forestry issues. Soils - This test requires that students be able to identify various soils; understand the processes involved in the formation of soil; and identify terrain and soil characteristics and the impact that they have on water quality, plants, and animals. Aquatics - Conducting basic water sampling; identifying aquatic insects and microorganisms; understanding watersheds and factors that affect water quality; and developing solutions to common water quality issues are what students must do in this test. Wildlife - In this test, students will need to be able to identify common wildlife species and their role in the ecosystem; understand habitat requirements; and devise plans for managing various wildlife species. Current Environmental Topic - The different environmental topic each year focuses on issues that have profound environmental, social and economics impacts. Students are notified in advance as what the topic will be. Students will need to have an understanding of the topic and how it relates to other subject areas. The students will also need to be able to apply their knowledge to a "what if" scenario and possibly present their solution during an oral presentation. Why Should I Get Involved in the West Virginia Envirothon? 1. College Scholarships - Members of the top three teams will receive college scholarships for a school of their choice. Scholarships have previously been donated by Weyerhaeuser Incorporated, Allegheny Energy and American Electric Power. 2. New experiences - The WV Envirothon also gives students a chance to meet and work with professionals from Federal, State and local natural resource agencies. These professionals help the students understand natural resource issues and social, economic, and environmental impacts of their actions. 3. Travel and camaraderie - Students have the chance to travel to meet students from other parts of the state. 4. State and National Competition - Students have a chance to compete on a state and possibly a national level with peers from all over the United States and Canada at the International North Amercian Envirothon. Previous trips to the North American Envirothon have been to the Redwood Forests of California and Nova Scotia, Canada. How Can I Learn More about the WV Envirothon? If you would like to know more about the WV Envirothon, or would like to register a team for the next competition, contact the following: Tim Butler Shirley Hyre
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The mission of the WV Envirothon is to help young people develop the skills, knowledge, and desires necessary to achieve and maintain a balance between the quality of life and the quality of the environment.