2015 NW Regional Envirothon

Hosted by Lake Wilderness Arboretum, the City of Maple Valley and the King Conservation District, the 2015 northwest regional competition of the Washington State Envirothon takes place Thursday, April 30 from 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Lake Wilderness Park. Arboretum volunteers will set up competition stations at the Lodge and the Arboretum.

Washington, D.C.-based NCF-Envirothon is North America's leading environmental education program that engages an estimated 500,000 high school students throughout the United States and Canada. The annual competition is the highlight of the program, where winning teams from participating States and Canadian provinces compete for recognition and scholarships by demonstrating their hands-on knowledge of environmental science and their problem-solving skill in natural resource management. Testing is centered aquatic ecology, forestry, soils and land use, and wildlife as well as one current environmental issue – 2015’s focus is on urban and community forestry.

The mission of the Envirothon is to develop knowledgeable, skilled and dedicated citizens who have an understanding of natural resources and are willing and prepared to work towards achieving and maintaining a balance between the quality of life and the quality of the environment.

“Through this competition, students are motivated to learn about real-world problems and solutions,” says Kristen Reichardt, Education Program Coordinator for the King Conservation District. “Today’s Envirothon participants will become tomorrow’s leaders in stewarding Washington State’s natural resources.”

Winners from the northwest regional as well as from all other participating counties move on to the State event May 27 and 28, where the winning team will represent Washington at the national NCF Envirothon in Missouri starting July 27.