Envirothon

This program is designed to cultivate a desire to learn more about our natural environment through competitive events. Thousands of high school students have met the Envirothon challenge nationwide and come away with a greater understanding of their total environment.

Area High School students and Teachers are encouraged to "Accept a Natural Challenge"

This interdisciplinary competition is a great way to fit natural resources and environmental studies into required curriculum objectives. Winning teams at the regional level advance to the state Envirothon to be held in May. The top state team then advances to the National Envirothon, for a chance to win top honors as well as scholarships. The highest scoring Future Farmers of America (FFA) team at the state competition will also represent Tennessee in the national FFA competition consisting of similar environmental topics. This information has been made available to the Biology, Chemistry, Science and Vo-Ag teachers in your community, as well as, your local 4-H office.

Materials

Introduction

Welcome to the Tennessee Envirothon Website.

At this site, you can find out what the Envirothon is, where t is happening in your area and how you can become involved. The envirothon is a hands-on competition for highschool students and teachers interested and involved in conservation, natural resources and environmental studies.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Envirothon is to develop knowledgeable, skilled and dedicated citizens who are willing and prepared to work twards achieving and maintaining a natural balance between the quality of life and the quality of the environment.

Purpose

Envirothon's purpose is to promote greater awareness of natural resources and to heighten students' understanding of the interrelationship between plants, animals, humans and the environment we share. The competition provides students with experience in environmental ctivities to enable them to become environmentally-aware, action-oriented adults.

What to Expect

It's a warm spring day and the bright green foliage of new leaves is reflected in the streams surface. On the stream bank, a group of students collaborate to answer questions about the water quality. Nearby, their competitors are studying pelts and animal tracks to determine the correct answers to a wildlife quiz. Beneath the trees, other young people identify leaves as part of a forestry competition that encourages stewardship of natural resources through group interaction and brings students into the outdoor classroom.

• Wildlife
• Water Quality
• Forestry
• Soils
• Environmental Topic*

(*) Changes each year. Past environmental topics have included pesticide management, non-point source water pollution, acid rain, groundwater and greenways and land trusts for family farms.

History

Pennsylvania was the birthplace of Envirothon in 1979. Tennessee became involved in 1993, when the Clinch-Powell Resource Conservation and Development(RC&D) Council introduced the competition to students in Claiborne, Grainger, Hancock, Hawkins, and Union Counties. Since then, the competition has grown to include 72 counties covered in the ten RC&D Councils across the state. A contract with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Nonpoint Source Program has allowed the competition to become statewide over the last several years.

Study Materials

These links will redirect you to the national envirothon resources, with envirothon maintained links to current study material.

• Soil and Land Use
• Aquatic Ecology
• Forestry
• Wildlife

These links will redirect you to the national envirothon resources, with envirothon maintained links to current sample questions.

• Soil and Land Use Sample Test Questions
• Aquatic Ecology Sample Test Questions
• Forestry Sample Test Questions
• Wildlife Sample Test Questions
• Current Environmental Issue Sample Test Questions

Rules

• Competitors must be enrolled in grade level 9 through 12 for the current school year.
• Teams will consist of a minimum of three and a maximum of five members.
• Registration form must be legible and received by the appropriate deadline and a registration fee may apply.  Care for students are the responsibility of each school, not the local RC&D.
• Alternate team members may substitute for regular team members in Regional and State Envirothons if properly registered at the regional level.  Alternate students may NOT attend the competition if they are not needed to fill in for another student.
• Each school is permitted to send a maximum of two teams to the regional Envirothon. Two home school teams per county may also participate. Teams may include representation from science classes or clubs, 4-H, Youth Boards, FFA or Other Conservation related groups.
• Teams must be accompanied to the Envirothon competition by an adult advisor. This Advisor will accompany and be responsible for the discipline of team members.  However, advisors shall not accompany the team during the actual competition, or assist the team in any during the event, and doing so will result in disqualification.
• Envirothon competitions will consist of five events:  Aquatics, Forestry, Soils, Wildlife, and A Current Environmental Issue, which will change each year.
• Team members may use electronic devices, such as tape recorders, cameras, VCR equipment Walkman, etc. to prepare for comprehensive question.  However, the only device that may be used by the team during any test will be hand-held calculators provided by RC&D.  No study materials are to be with students while in competition or during lunch break.
• The top scoring team from each regional competition will advance to the State Envirothon.  In the event the first place team can not attend the second or third place team will attend in their place.
•  The Envirothon competition will be conducted by personnel employed by cooperating local, state, and federal agencies or independent environmental organizations.  Teams may not contact personnel responsible for designing a regional or state Envirothon test to request prior to an Envirothon competition.
•  In the case of a tie, teams will take a short test with a question from each of the five subject areas. The team which scores the highest will be the winner.
•  All judges’ decisions are final; any team found with unauthorized material, speaking with their advisor or other team members from their school will be disqualified.
• Any questions and/or problems during a test must be handled at that station site.  Once teams have rotated to a new station, they can no longer resolve problems related to the previous test.
• Should the winning team from Tennessee choose not to attend the National Envirothon, the Advisor should notify the RC&D council contact person immediately, so that the second runner-up team may attend.
• The team advancing to the National Envirothon will pay the current national registration fee or may receive partial or full funding from the local RC&D Council.  This will need to be worked out between these two parties
• Tests may be taken apart so it can be worked on by more that one student, then reattached by test giver at each station.
   
• All tests must be taken up at end of competition and NOT given to schools.
   
• Team advancing to the National Competition will be responsible for travel to and from competition

View the National Envirothon rules here.

Learn More

If you are interested in learning more about Envirothon, please visit the National Envirothon and Tennessee Envirothon web sites.

Regestration

Envirothon is a science team competition in Forestry, Wildlife, Aquatic Resources, Soils and a Current Environmental Issue. Students in grades 9 - 12 can participate in teams of three to five members. There is NO LIMIT on the number of teams per school. The competition will be held Friday, April 22nd in Washburn, TN. There is a $10.00 registration fee per team. Coaches or anyone interested in participating must contact Lindy Turner at (865) 828-5927 or 1(800) 814-6355. Registration forms, study materials and further information will then be mailed or delivered directly to coaches / teams.

Contacts

All programs and services of the Clinch - Powell RC&D Council are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis, without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status or handicap.

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“All programs and assistance of the RC&D Council are available without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD).”