2006 Massachusetts Envirothon slated for May 11 in Uxbridge

More than 300 Bay State high school students from some 45 public and private schools and youth organizations across the commonwealth are expected to compete in the 19th annual Massachusetts Envirothon on Thursday, May 11th at River Bend Farm, part of the Blackstone River & Canal Heritage State Park, in Uxbridge.

At this outdoor event, teams of five students rotate through four “eco-stations” where they demonstrate their environmental knowledge through hands-on activities such as soil analysis and wildlife identification. Each team also gives a presentation on their research into the year’s designated current issue. This year’s current issue is “Acting Locally for Climate Protection.”

Teams prepare for the Envirothon throughout the year through classroom curricula and workshops. Each year teams focus on a different current issue that they research in their own community prior to the competition. Many teams also compete for Community Research and Community Service awards as well.

The Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park, managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, encompasses over 1,000 acres along the Blackstone River and several historic sites in the towns of Uxbridge, Northbridge, Millville, and Blackstone. The park offers the story of pre-civil war New England that is told through a mix of buildings, artifacts and public programs.

The Blackstone Canal linked Central Massachusetts to the Atlantic Ocean. Between 1828 and 1848, horse-drawn boats carried freight and passengers between Worcester and Providence. Highly successful at first, the 45-mile long canal became obsolete when the nearby railroad was opened in 1847. Most of the canal structures are gone, but the remains of dams, bridges, a lock chamber, workers’ housing and a company store serve to remind us of the rich industrial history of the Blackstone River Valley.

Many of the park’s sites will be open for exploration at the 2006 Massachusetts Envirothon. Just outside the visitor’s center are fields and forest trails. In the spring, summer, and fall, paths are mowed through the meadow to encourage visitors to walk through the fields and imagine what farm life was like. One trail meanders along the towpath where work horses walked while pulling barges.

River Bend Farm was a working dairy operation for most of the 20th Century and its agricultural history can be traced back to the 1760s. Its close proximity to the canal and then the railroad enabled it to survive at a time when many other New England farms were abandoned. The Visitor’s Center is located in what was once the dairy barn. Although the milking shed and silo are gone, the oldest part of the timber frame structure was preserved and restored in 1995.

For more information on the Massachusetts Envirothon, visit www.maenvirothon.org.

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