Ardmore Naturalist Students in the State Envirothon Competition



Ardmore’s Naturalist Studies teens competed this week in the state Envirothon in Columbiana, Alabama. Envirothon is an event where students exercise critical thinking and problem solving skills while creating solutions to complex environmental issues. 

Students spend the first day in training sessions with professionals from a variety of environmental fields. These sessions help prepare students for the written tests and allow opportunities for networking. The professionals are on site and available for consultation throughout the event. 

After some free time to enjoy 4-H Center activities such as hiking, canoeing and rock wall climbing, it was time to study and gather resources. Students are not allowed access to any electronics while solving the complex issue, so there was a flurry of Googling and note taking for a few hours. 

 "I need a list of range land grasses in Idaho!" 
"I've got that written down here. You look up the environmental agencies!" 

The students set up a work room with all of their notes, reference books and art materials because they would be in isolation for several hours while they worked, with no resources except what they had prepared. 

Technology was locked away and the competition began. The students took 5 content tests on the topics of aquatic life, forestry, soil/land management, wildlife and grasslands. Once testing was over, all of the teams were gathered together to hear the complex environmental issue.

After the issue was presented, students were not allowed to talk to their teachers. They went off to the isolation room to work on their solutions. When they didn't show up for dinner, we realized they had no way to keep time because all of their phones were locked up! Mr. England tapped on their window and made an eating motion. They finally made it to the dining hall. 

After eating, they went back into the isolation room to continue working. The room looked like a stationery factory had exploded. After several hours, we delivered pizza to the isolation room. They were still working hard! At 10:00, their time was up and we had to collect all presentation materials to lock away in the main building. 

The next morning, they presented their solution to a panel of judges. Finally, I got to see what they were working on! I was amazed by the smart, creative ideas that our students had. They had devised a land management plan for a state park, complete with a budget. Their presentation showed that they understood how each use of the land impacted the ecosystems. They had a plan for removing invasive species, protecting endangered wildlife, improving stream health and minimizing human impact while allowing the public to enjoy the land. They had a community education plan and ideas for engaging the public as stakeholders- all while allowing the park to operate at a profit margin that made the changes sustainable. They even had a branding and marketing plan! I was blown away by how detailed and thoughtful their presentation was, and by how knowledgeable they were in their responses to the judges' questions. 

What a worthwhile event! All of the kids say that they want to come back next year. 

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