2005 Year in Review

Envirothon - What It Is and How It Has Grown

by Nancy Anderson

The Envirothon…it started in Whiteside County at Morrison High School with Glenn Peterson and five students, 1 Team!…It has now grown to nine Teams, 45 students, and five High Schools. What is it? It is all about education, and the importance of learning about nature and how it influences all of our lives.

Each year the high schools of Whiteside County are invited to be a part of a national environmental science competition called the Envirothon. The Envirothon was initiated in Pennsylvania, 1979, by the Canon Corporation to promote Science at the high school level, in the areas of conservation and environmental studies. Soil & Water Conservation Districts throughout the United States soon joined this new educational effort and became the state sponsors for each year’s annual competitions.

An Envirothon competition is based upon five member Teams of students that volunteer to study and prepare for a one-day event of testing-competition as an extra curricular activity. Teachers are the key people behind the organization of a Team, and provide the planning time and energy it takes to create an Envirothon team. Since the initiation of the Envirothon into our area of the state, it has steadily grown in participation and attendance. The 2005 Envirothon represented 35 Teams; 155 students; and, 20 High Schools from a six county area of Carroll, Lee, JoDaviess, Ogle, Stephenson, and Whiteside. Total attendance was approximately 300 participants- teachers-volunteers. This year we are expecting for the six county 2006 Envirothon a total of 40 Teams; 200 students; 23 schools; and, a total attendance of 325-350 participants- teachers-volunteers.

Envirothon students study and compete in five environmental categories: Aquatics, Forestry, Soil, Wildlife, and a 5TH category new each year. This year’s 2006 5th category is “Water Stewardship in a Changing Climate.” Water, a fundamental element of all life on earth, and the availability of clean and abundant freshwater supplies now is challenged throughout the world and our nation. What is happening and why to our earth’s water supply is-may be due to climate cycle changes, natural or exacerbated by global warming. This is the important environmental issue that teams of students will work together to study and learn more about preparing for the spring, April 6, 2006, Envirothon. The event will be again held at the Oakdale Nature Preserve, Freeport. The day’s events are held outdoor in a variety of sites, or if the weather is not agreeable to indoor facilities of a lodge, barn, and shelters.

Regional counties of Illinois are organized into Soil & Water groups called Land Use Councils. Illinois has 16 Soil & Water Councils. Whiteside County is a member of Council I, which includes the counties of Carroll, Lee, JoDaviess, Ogle, and Stephenson County. Council I has now grown to the largest, best attended Council, in the state of Illinois. Each April, the schools compete against each other in the SWCD regional Council competitions. The winning Team from each Council moves into the Illinois State level competition, which represents all 16 Councils in Illinois. The two-day Illinois Envirothon is held at Camp Allerton, 4-H Memorial Park, in Monticello, Illinois, with volunteers and teachers and students all ready to be challenged and enjoy this outdoor education opportunity. The winning state team advances to a new national site each year for the National Envirothon. This year’s national competition will be held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, in mid-July.

The Envirothon is recognized as the largest environmental competition, in our nation. The Soil & Water Conservation District is very proud to sponsor this educational opportunity for our youth. And, we acknowledge and appreciate the contributions of our community contributors to this quality Program of Community State Bank, Morrison; Wells Fargo Bank, Morrison; CGH Medical Center, Sterling; and, the QQCA of Moline, Illinois.

by  Editor, theCity1.com
December 29, 2005