Annual Environmental Competition Seeks Students

SAULT STE. MARIE (WWJ/AP) - The 2012 Michigan Envirothon is seeking high school students to participate in the outdoor environmental competition.

The deadline to register for the event is Feb. 8. Regional competitions are held in March, with the state competition scheduled May 9-11 at Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie.

Any Michigan high school can participate in the Envirothon.

East Lansing-based Michigan Association of Conservation Districts sponsors the event which involves teams of five students who work with natural resources professionals leading up to the various competitions.

Teams compete at regional competitions throughout the state in March of every year. From the regionals, the top 24 teams from around the state then advance to the state competition level in May of each year.

Envirothon teams conduct community outreach projects to address a real life resource concern in their community through hands-on problem solving and community education. At the state competition, teams present on their community outreach projects to a panel of expert judges.

Teams also take written tests at outdoor eco-stations in each of the natural resource subject areas. Test scores and community outreach project scores are combined to determine the overall first place team who will represent Michigan in July at the Canon North American Envirothon at Susquehanna University in Pennsylvania.

Michigan's Envirothon was established in 1994. This year's competition featured 163 students on 28 teams.

To learn more about the Michigan Envirothon competition, visit michiganenvirothon.org.

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