Envirothon is MACD’s best known environmental education program. To learn more visit: http://www.maineenvirothon.org/
Welcome to Maine Envirothon
We are currently inviting you and your students to participate in the Maine Envirothon. Last year, we had over 60 teams from over 30 Maine high schools registered for this program. We look forward to seeing these veteran schools again and welcome new schools to take part in this valuable learning experience.
Envirothon is a state- and nation-wide environmental competition where high school students test their knowledge of natural resources and current environmental issues. Teams consisting of 3-5 students compete first at a regional level, answering questions and solving hands-on problems at five stations: Wildlife, Water/Aquatics, Forestry, Soils, and a Current Natural Resource Issue.
Envirothon is an academic program that is aligned with the Maine Learning Results. As well as advising teams for competition, teachers throughout Maine successfully incorporate Envirothon concepts and hands-on activities into their science curricula. The program raises students’ awareness of local and national environmental issues. Envirothon integrates math, language arts, cultural land-use history, and science in ways unique to the field. Students build critical thinking and decision-making skills as they practice solving real environmental problems.
In addition to learning about the environment, applying new knowledge, collaborating to address natural resource issues, and meeting young environmentalists from around the state and nation, Maine participants are eligible for scholarships from the College of Natural Sciences, Forestry and Agriculture at the University of Maine, Orono. Winners of the National Envirothon receive individual college scholarships valued at over $1000. Through this program, students have an opportunity to meet and learn from state soil scientists, biologists, foresters, and other natural resource professionals.
We greatly appreciate advisors’ interest in natural resources, commitment to environmental education, and time spent preparing teams for competition. As an Envirothon team advisor, it is not necessary that you be an expert in environmental areas nor be a full time teacher. Natural resource professionals from Maine’s 16 Soil and Water Conservation Districts may be available to assist teams with resource materials and preparation. If you are interested in the program, but are not yet ready to form a team for competition, please contact us for more information and an opportunity to attend a preparatory Fall Field Day or other hands-on training sessions. Please note that advisors can be teachers, parents, and/or community members.
How to Register
To register your team for the competition you need to complete the online registration packet . Once your team is registered, we will send you additional information and a resource packet to guide preparation for the Regional Envirothon. You will be notified about workshops and/or hands-on training sessions for your team. Please register as soon as possible to ensure you receive this information with plenty of time to study and practice. However, there will be NO REFUNDS or rollovers to future Envirothons once a team has registered if the team has to cancel.
Links
Our unique grass roots approach to conservation allows us to work with many partners including federal, state and local government agencies. The list below is only a partial list of the partners that we work with.
- National Association of Conservation Districts
- USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service – Maine Site
- USDA – Natural Resources Conservation Service – National Site
- USDA – Farm Service Agency
- USDA – Forest Service
- Maine Department of Agriculture
- Maine Department of Environmental Protection
- Maine Forest Service
- Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife
- Maine Department of Transportation
- Maine Department of Marine Resources
- Environmental Protection Agency
- University of Maine Cooperative Extension
