The Envirothon is an environmentally oriented competition where county school students are challenged in aquatics, forestry, soils and land use, wildlife, and a current environmental issue. Do you know the characteristics of a hydric soil? Could you identify the Emerald Ash Borer? Do you know what macroinvertebrates and amphibians are typical of a 1st order waterway? These are some of the things you need to know about the natural environment to succeed in the Envirothon. Students prepare by thumbing through field guides, identifying bird songs and different tree species; by rubbing dampened soil between their fingers to determine its texture and consulting the soil survey for potential land uses; and by identifying aquatic macroinvertebrates to determine the quality of a stream.

Students participating in the Envirothon are trained and tested on their knowledge of environmental and natural resource issues and are asked to demonstrate an understanding of the interrelationship between people and the environment. They receive hands-on instruction from natural resource professionals including aquatic biologists, foresters, soil scientists, wildlife specialists and environmental technicians from county, state and federal agencies, as well as other environmental organizations. As teams rotate through each of the five testing stations, they experience a variety of testing formats. Most tests include some type of identification, including wildlife tracks or mounts, bird calls, skins, fish, macroinvertebrates, trees, soil textures and soil horizons, as well as written questions.

Each member of the Sr. Envirothon winning team receives a $500 education grant to be used toward post secondary education. If you would like to make a contribution to the fund, please see the information on the Education Grant Flyer for details.