Montana Envirothon

Envirothon® is an environmental and natural resource conservation problem-solving, teambuilding and leadership – experience and competition for high school students across the United States, Canada, and China. Envirothon Incorporates STEM principles, experiential learning, and hands-on outdoor field experiences.  Students are challenged to develop critical thinking skills to create inventive solutions to the complex local and global natural resource issues facing our world today.  The Montana Envirothon is a competitive event for 9-12 grade students.  Last years winning team was the team sponsored by Bitterroot CD.  They competed well at the (inter)national competition taking 1^st place in the oral presentation.  Between Bitterroot CD and Helena CD, they hold a mass majority of wins for Montana and I’d like to challenge you all to get a team together to beat them!  It’s time they learned that they are not the only ones with students who know a thing or two about our natural resources!!

Students are tested in 5 critical areas: Aquatic ecology, forestry, soils and land use, range health and wildlife.  They are then presented a current issue problem that they develop a solution for as a team and present to a panel of judges the following day.  Our station leaders are professionals in the field from NRCS, USFS, FWP and USFWS.

The purpose of the program is to provide high school students a forum for competing against other students in the areas of water, soils, forestry, wildlife, range, and a current issue.  The goals of the Montana Envirothon are:

1. To encourage students to think critically about natural resources and natural resource issues.
2. To aid in the development of an understanding of the difference between scientific fact and scientific theory.
3. To encourage a rational, well-thought-out approach to natural resource management.
4. To increase knowledge and awareness about Montana’s natural resources and the principles of natural resource management.
5. To aid students in the recognition of the basic laws of science.
6. To recognize application of sound natural resource knowledge.
7. To develop the ability to articulate solutions using analytical thinking and problem solving.

The dates are Monday, April 24 and Tuesday, April 25 this year with a Get to Know Ya Social at the hotel for those traveling in on Sunday, April 23.  Most teams are sponsored by their local conservation districts.  This years registration is $150.00.  I would say the best way to get a team started is with a good teacher who can pull them together.  The team must be from the same school, FFA chapter or 4H group.  A great way to prepare for the competition is to make it fun and bring in your local professional from NRCS or others.  This is a great way to create some great partnerships as well.  There is continuing education credits available to teachers for their participation in some fun hands on training while students are testing.  It’s a win/win/win all the way around…

The theme this year is ADAPTING TO A CHANGING CLIMATE.  The international competition will be held in New Brunswick Canada.  Winners win cash scholarships.

We need you to bring it!  We need a teams but we also need volunteers to help in all kinds of ways.  We need people in the accounting room and people at the registration table, we need you to help us keep and eye on things and set up for testing, training and judging.  Please let me know if you are interested and can help out.  Bring your supervisors too.  I promise you will have a good time.

Attached is basic information about Envirothon, Last year’s Oral problem to give you an understanding about the work required of students, a registration form and hotel information.  Reach out with any other questions.