10/25/2024
Environmental Competitions for TEENS in NoVA!
We're looking for at minimum, 3 more nature / environment minded teens who could help us form a team to compete in Envirothon and WHEP. These are two Environmental Science focused competitions that go national (and international with Envirothon). We currently have 2 interested teens. Youth must be at least 14 or at least in 9th grade to compete.
For Envirothon, we plan to study topics such as wildlife, aquatics, forestry, soils, and this year's special issue: “Roots and Resiliency: Fostering Forest Stewardship in a Canopy of Change”. This competition can go international - to Alberta, Canada - if the team wins at the state and national level. Teams prepare a response to a specified environmental issue and present their response together. They also work together to answer knowledge based questions for each of the specified topics.
For the Wildlife Habitat Education Program (WHEP) contest, participants study similar topics as well as ecoregions and wildlife within those regions. They also prepare a written wildlife management plan and prepare an oral defense of their plan.
This free program includes a full year of curriculum on Environmental Science concepts and practices and develops life skills such as decision-making, leadership, written, and oral communication. They meet experts in the field as well as other youth who have interests in nature and the environment. Once we have a cohort put together, we will determine best meeting times to prepare. I am a Virginia Master Naturalist and the NoVA 4-H Nature Club Organizer and I have a great list of experts in these topics who can help with our preparations.
