Peterborough to host 2016 North American Envirothon

Forests Ontario has announced Peterborough will be the host city for the 2016 North American Envirothon, the first time an Ontario city has been selected as the host jurisdiction for the environmental competition.

From July 24th to 29th, 2016, more than 600 students, teachers and volunteers from across North America will travel to Trent University and Fleming College campuses to compete for the North American Envirothon championship.

“The North American Envirothon offers an important opportunity for youth to connect with nature and hone their skills in environmental sciences,” says Rob Keen, CEO of Forests Ontario. “Peterborough will make an excellent location and it will be a phenomenal opportunity to showcase what Ontario has to offer, from amazing tourism to world-class environmental education opportunities.”

Leading up to the 2016 North American Envirothon in July, students from across Ontario will compete in regional championships and the provincial championship — the Ontario Envirothon, which will be held Fleming College in Lindsay from May 29th to June 1st, 2016.

Winners of the Ontario championship will be joined by the winners from other provinces and U.S. states, who will then compete at the North American Envirothon.

High school teachers across Ontario are invited to register their Ontario Envirothon teams through the online form available at www.forestsontario.ca. This program will take students outdoors beyond the classroom to learn more about Ontario’s natural ecosystems and build their skills as future environmental leaders.

Registration is $350 (including HST) per team of five students. Teams registered before February 15th, 2016, receive 10% off registration costs by using promo code OE2016. Fundraising kits are available for schools.

Since 1994, the Ontario Envirothon has connected more than 10,000 Ontario students to the outdoors. As one of the premiere education programs of Forests Ontario (www.forestsontario.ca), Ontario Envirothon encourages students to venture outdoors and learn about environmental management in a fun and informative setting that inspires a passion for nature. Learn more at www.ontarioenvirothon.on.ca.

The Ontario Envirothon is part of the Envirothon program, established in 1979 by the National Conservation Foundation in the United States. Originally called the “Environmental Olympics”, the program encouraged high school students to become interested in natural resource conservation and environmental issues and careers. In 1988, it was renamed the Envirothon and became a hands-on environmental problem-solving competition and team building and leadership experience for high school students in the U.S. and Canada.

The Envirothon works in partnership with conservation professionals, schools and cooperating natural resource agencies to organize and conduct competitions on the local, regional, state, and/or provincial level. Winning teams from each state and province advance to an international North American Envirothon event for an opportunity to compete for recognition, scholarships and prizes. Learn more at www.envirothon.org.

The theme for the 2016 North American Envirothon is invasive species, which pose a serious threat to the stability of many North American ecosystems. Invasive species have been known to disrupt food webs, damage or destroy habitat, and contribute to the decline of native species at risk. In addition to their environmental impact, invasive species can have a significant impact on local economies.

Envirothon students will spend the next year learning about these impacts and the role we have in ensuring our ecosystems remain healthy. Students will have access to a study guide, developed with support the from Sustainable Forestry Initiative, that outlines key topics and issues students will explore over the next year.

All images courtesy of Forests Ontario and Ontario Envirothon.