There may be multiple opportunities for a story and photographs at the 2014 Vermont Envirothon being held at Farm and Wilderness Camp in Plymouth on May 13 from 9 AM – 3:30 PM.
The Vermont Envirothon is a natural resource competition for high school aged students in Vermont. Throughout the school year, students study basic concepts in four areas: Soils, Forestry, Wildlife, and Aquatics. There is also a fifth area called “The Current Issue”. This is usually a hot-button issue that is being faced by many natural resource or land management agencies and groups. This year’s issue is “Sustainable Local Agriculture – Locally Grown.”
As part of their study of the 5th issue, students complete a community-based project. This year, students are looking at local food systems in their communities, and making connections between strong local food systems and sustainable agriculture. They are investigating what sustainable agriculture means in Vermont, particularly as it relates to the availability of local food. Students are studying local farms, agriculture service providers, Farm to Plate programs, Food Solutions, New England plans and how Vermont farmers make decisions about working with their land. At the Vermont Envirothon, students will give a presentation to a panel of judges about their findings relating to Sustainable Local Agriculture and recommendations as to how a strong local food system and how sustainable agriculture can be increased in their community. These presentations will go on from 9 AM until 2:00 PM. Students will also take part in testing stations about the four other subject areas.
Around 3:00 PM, awards will be given for the best team in each of the five areas studied. Next the teams who scored the top three places will be awarded. The team that places first overall will represent Vermont at the New England regional gathering. The regional event is temporarily replacing the North American Envirothon Competition which was canceled this year. The Vermont Envirothon steering committee is working with other Envirothon state committees in the Northeast on the details.
The winning Vermont team will travel to the regional event, meet with the winning teams from other Northeastern states, and have an opportunity share their research and presentation about sustainable, local agriculture.
This year the following schools will be competing in the Vermont Envirothon: Bellows Falls Academy, Essex High School, Lake Region Union High School, People's Academy, Rutland High School, Stafford Technical School, South Burlington High School, and Websterville Baptist High School.
The Vermont Envirothon is one of the most successful partnerships in Vermont because it receives support from a wide variety of organizations. All of these organizations and groups are working hard to support the development of tomorrow’s scientists. The Vermont Association of Conservation Districts sponsors the yearly event with help from the following sponsors: Caledonia County Natural Resources Conservation District, Green Mountain National Forest, Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, Society of Soil Scientists of Northern New England, New England Chapter of the Wildlife Society, Northwest Regional Planning Commission, Rutland Regional Planning Commission, Vermont Association of Planning & Development Agencies, Rutland Area Food Coop, and Yankee Farm Credit. The program is also strengthened by participation and support from the following partners: Vermont’s 14 Conservation Districts, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and Forest Service/Green Mountain National Forest, Vermont Agency of Natural Resources (Fish and Wildlife Department, Department of Environmental Conservation, Watershed Management Division, and Department of Forests, Parks, & Recreation), Billings Farm and Museum, and Marsh Billings Rockefeller National Historical Park.
For further information, please call Rebecca Phelps, Conservation Education Coordinator, Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation, 802/522-0780. E-mail is [email protected] .
Directions to Farm and Wilderness Camp Tamarack Site
263 Farm and Wilderness Road
Plymouth, VT 05056
From the North (US Route 4)
Take Rt. 100 south in West Bridgewater. Drive 1.9 miles and turn left on Farm & Wilderness Road. Follow the signs to Farm and Wilderness and Tamarack Camp.
From the South (VT Route 103/VT Route 100)
North on Rt. 103 to Rt. 100 North. Go 12.3 miles north on Rt. 100 and turn right on Farm & Wilderness Rd. Follow the signs to Farm and Wilderness and Tamarack Camp.
Source: Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation, April 28, 2014
United States