NEWS FROM THE DELAWARE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL
April 24, 2009
Vol. 39, No. 186
For further information, contact Michelle Jacobs, Chairperson, Delaware Envirothon, 302-535-7627, or Joanna Wilson, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902.
Delaware Students to Compete in State Envirothon on April 30
Seventy-five students from around the state will converge on the grounds of Kent County’s Big Oak Park and the Delaware AeroSpace Education Foundation’s Environmental Outpost in Smyrna on Thursday, April 30 to compete in the 14th Annual Delaware Envirothon. These students, representing eight high schools and 4-H clubs, will compete for more than $3,000 in college scholarships and awards. Registration for the competition starts at 8 a.m. and the event begins at 9 a.m., with the awards ceremony at 1:30 p.m.
The Envirothon is a team-based outdoor academic competition which challenges high school students’ knowledge and practical application of aquatic ecology, forestry, soils/land use, wildlife, special environmental topics and public speaking. This year’s teams come from A. I. DuPont High School, Caesar Rodney High School, Charter School of Wilmington, Hodgson Vo-Tech High School, Middletown High School, Polytech High School, St. Elizabeth’s High School, Sussex Tech High School, and Kent County 4-H.
Sponsored by the Delaware Association of Conservation Districts (DACD), the Envirothon offers students monetary awards for higher education purposes and for their commendable efforts. Fifteen teams will compete for an annual $3,000 renewable four-year scholarship to attend Wesley College in Dover and a $500 college scholarship from the Delaware Envirothon. Second, third and fourth place teams will receive $300, $150, and $100 team awards, respectively. The winning team will also advance to represent Delaware in the 2009 Canon Envirothon at the University of North Carolina in Asheville, N.C., from Aug. 2 – Aug. 8.
The goal of the Delaware Envirothon is to prepare students to be future leaders in environmentally related careers, and provide knowledge about our environment. The competition provides experience in real world situations, which fosters sound decision making, problem solving and critical thinking skills. Teams will be tested at outdoor eco-stations, located throughout designated areas of the park.
The DACD is a voluntary, non-profit association that coordinates conservation efforts statewide to focus on natural resource issues identified by Delaware’s three local districts.
To learn more about the Delaware Envirothon or the Canon Envirothon, please visit www.delawareenvirothon.org or www.envirothon.org, or contact Michelle Jacobs at 302-739-9921.
