Massachusetts Envirothon slated for May 6-7 at Hopkinton State Park

300 Bay State high school students expected to compete in expanded event

More than 300 Bay State high school students from 46 public and private schools across the commonwealth are expected to compete in the 21st annual Massachusetts Envirothon on Tuesday, May 6th and Wednesday, May 7th at Hopkinton State Park in Hopkinton, Mass.

This year’s competition has been expanded to accommodate an increased number of participants. Each team will participate on their choice of one of the two field competition days at Hopkinton State Park. The four teams that score the highest in the field competition will then go on to finals on Saturday, May 17th at the Doyle Conservation Center in Leominster.

At the outdoor field competition event, teams of five students will rotate through four “eco-stations” where they will demonstrate their environmental knowledge through hands-on activities such as soil analysis, plant identification, tree measuring and investigation of water insects. Alternate team members will also be formed into teams and compete at eco-stations.

Each team will also give a presentation on their research into the year’s designated current issue before a panel of judges that includes environmental professionals from government agencies, non-profit organizations, academia and private industry. The final competition on May 17th will consist of only each finalist team’s current issue presentation.

This year’s current issue is “Outdoor Recreation and the Environment.” In preparation, teams are asked to go outdoors and explore recreation issues in their own community. Teams will identify a key recreational issue or opportunity, and make recommendations for steps that their community should take to address it.

“Students who participate in the Massachusetts Envirothon today will be the environmental and clean energy innovators of tomorrow. The hands-on nature of this competition is key to its success in engaging students to think critically about a range of environmental challenges and devise creative, effective solutions,” Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles said. “With this year’s theme of Outdoor Recreation, what better place to host the Envirothon than the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s wonderful Hopkinton State Park?”

Teams prepare for the Massachusetts Envirothon throughout the year through classroom curricula and workshops. Teams research the current issue in their own community prior to the event. Many teams also work to earn Community Research and Community Action awards.

“It’s a great experience for students to represent their school or organization in a statewide competition testing their knowledge of water, forest, soils, wildlife, and current environmental issues,” said Mass. Envirothon Committee Chair Tom Anderson of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.

“It’s an honor to be involved in America's leading natural resource education program for high school students,” said Christine S. Clarke, Massachusetts State Conservationist for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, whose agency is one of 15 federal and state environmental agencies, conservation districts, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and businesses involved in organizing the event.

The 2008 Massachusetts Envirothon is made possible with the financial support of corporate sponsor National Grid, contributions from partnering organizations, area land trusts and conservation districts, as well as grants from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust and the U.S. Forest Service.

The Envirothon program originated in 1979 in Pennsylvania as the Environmental Olympics. In 1988 the name was changed to the Envirothon and the program was expanded to a national program. Massachusetts held its first competitive event in May 1988 with five teams participating. The winning team from each state has the opportunity to represent their state in the Canon Envirothon, the North American competition.

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

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