2017 Annual Report NC Envirothon Program "A Natural Challenge” says it all. The Envirothon is a fun, hands-on, natural science academic event that engages and challenges students to think critically about the natural world and their role in it. The Envirothon combines in-class studies with outdoor training to help students learn and experience more about soils and land use, forestry, aquatic ecology, wildlife/habitat and current environmental issues. The year-long curriculum emphasizes teamwork and higher order thinking skills such as analysis and interpretation, and now includes an oral component for high school students to help develop assessment and communication skills. For more information, please check out the NC Envirothon on the web, like us on Facebook , or contact your local Soil and Water Conservation District Office.

NC Envirothon Committee Rich Hayes—Chair Sandra Weitzel—State Coordinator Louise Hart—Secretary Gail Heathman—Area 1 Representative Leanna Staton—Area 1 Representative Pam Steuer —Area 2 Representative Lee-Ann Branch—Area 2 Representative Millie Langley—Area 3 Representative Gail Hughes—Area 3 Representative

NC Envirothon

Charles Bass—Area 4 Representative

www.ncenvirothon.org

Susan Woodard—Area 4 Representative

NC Envirothon on Facebook

Sherry Harris—Area 5 Representative

Janet Stallings—Area 5 Representative

www.facebook.com/NCEnvirothon

Pam Hawkins—Area 6 Representative Vickie Baker—Area 6 Representative Monique McKinney—Host County Rep.

District Office Listing

Lynn Lambert—Area 7 Representative

http://www.ncagr.gov/SWC/findyourdistrict.html

Jackie McAuley—Area 7 Representative

Mission Statement Provide and promote leadership in the knowledge of natural resources by offering a quality educational program in: soils/land use, forestry, aquatic ecology, wildlife/habitat and current environmental issues to the teachers, students and citizens of NC.

Vision That all students have a basic, scientific knowledge of natural resources to help them become environmentally aware citizens who are able to make reasoned and thoughtful decisions as adults.

Andy Miller—Area 8 Representative Frankie Singleton—Area 8 Representative Marlene Salyer—Coastal Assoc. Rep Laura Parnell, Mountain Assoc. Rep Jennifer Brooks—DEA Representative Ralston James—Division SWC Jason Davis—FFA Representative Stuart Lee— NRCS Representative

The Road to NC Envirothon…Area Envirothon Competitions Across NC Research shows that if we expect young people to save the Earth in the future, we must first teach them to love it. The NC Envirothon Program does just that! On April 28-29, 2017 nearly 500 students from across NC (plus numerous parents, teachers and volunteers) converged on Cedarock Park in Alamance Co. for the annual NC Envirothon competition. Teams of students competed at the statewide event to test their knowledge on North Carolina’s environment and natural resources.

Area 3 March 21, 2017 Elon University Elon, NC

Area 4 The 2017 event marked the 27th annual Envirothon event in NC which continues to promote the education, inspiration, promotion, and mentorship of North Carolina’s youth through study of complex environmental issues that face our state, nation and world. Teams from across the State train and study thru hands on and classroom study sessions all through the fall, winter, and early spring. The NC Envirothon program all begins in the individual counties across NC. Teams representing their local county and Soil and Water Conservation District compete against other teams in their area at one of seven Area Envirothon competitions in March and early April of each year. (Areas 5 & 6 combine their events into one, the Coastal Envirothon, but still have individual winners from each Area) Each area competition sends their top seven middle school and top seven high school teams, as well as their top high school FFA team to the state-level NC Envirothon competition each year. Each Area event is planned by Soil and Water District staff members in addition to Soil and Water Board Supervisors and has its unique features including diverse sponsorships, scenic locations, and Area specific awards. Once teams place in the top seven of their Area, preparation continues to be ready for the big event where it is amazing to see the number of young people display the knowledge and skills learned at the NC Envirothon in April each year. Area Envirothon events are only one step along the road to the NC Envirothon.

Page 2

March 24, 2017 Johnston Co. Ag Center Smithfield, NC

Area 8 March 14-15, 2017

Area 7 March 23, 2017 Jones Lake St. Park Elizabethtown

2017

High School Teams

Middle School Teams

Area 1 Area 2 Area 3 Area 4 Area 5 Area 6 Area 7 Area 8

27 21 22 25 25 9 21 27

23 27 16 32 14 0 12 26

Total Team Counts

177

150

2017 Total NC Students

1635

2017 NC ENVIROTHON WINNING TEAMS TOP TEN HIGH SCHOOL WINNERS 1. High Rock Mighty Oaks, Davidson Co. Homeschool Davidson County 2. Yellow Populars, Stanly Montgomery Homeschool Association, Stanly County 3. Those Homeschoolers, Wilson Homeschool Wilson County 4. Cosmic Llamas, Cannon School, Cabarrus County 5. Soiled It, Woods Envirothon Club, Chatham Co. 6. Cypress Knees, NC School of Science and Math Durham County

2017 NC Envirothon High School Champions

7. Subchronic Exposure, Enloe, Wake County 8. The Frog Army, Woods Envirothon Club, Chatham, County

High Rock Mighty Oaks Davidson County Homeschool

9. Creation Explorers, 4-H, Stanley County 10. Global Cooling, Raleigh Charter High School, Wake County

TOP FFA TEAM Southern Alamance FFA, Southern Alamance HS, Alamance County

TOP TEN MIDDLE SCHOOL WINNERS 1. When Butter Flies, Wood Charter, Chatham County 2. Mother Nature's Minions, Davidson Co. Homeschool, Davidson County 3. Cacti Catz, Madison Middle School, Madison County 4. Latent Nights, Woods Charter, Chatham County 5. Creation Explorers, 4-H, Stanly County 6. Southern Red Oaks, Stanly Homeschool, Stanly County 7. The Envirothings, Piney Creek Elementary, Alleghany County 8. The Green Monarchs, Tyro Middle School, Davidson County 9. Thermal Shock, Homeschool, Wilson County 10. Brown Dirt, Brevard Middle School, Transylvania County

2017 NC Envirothon Totals High School Teams 50 Middle School Teams 48 Volunteers 62 Oral Presentation Judges 47

1ST AND 2ND PLACE COMMUNITY SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT 1st Place High School-Jarheads, 4-H, Caldwell County 1st Place Middle School—Flower Power, East Wilkes Middle School, Wilkes County Each received a plaque and $100 for the team Page 3

Thank You to all our 2017 Sponsors! 2017 Defender Sponsors

Scholarship Sponsors—High School Teams Hugh Hammond Bennett Chapter, Soil and Water Conservation Society---$2500.00 Department of Soil Science-NCSU--$1,000.00 Soils Station Scholarships

Warsaw Farms - Tar Heel Plant - Clinton Plant

2017 Guardian Sponsors

2017 Envirothon Supporters NC Association of Soil & Water Conservation Districts NC Department of Ag & Consumer Services Soil & Water Conservation Districts across NC NC Division of Soil & Water Conservation NC Foundation for Soil & Water

2017 Sustainer Sponsors

National Conservation Foundation Envirothon NC State University, Dept of Soil Science

Soil Science Society of North Carolina

NC FFA Association

HHB Chapter, Soil & Water Conservation Society

Alamance County Parks and Recreation

2017 Envirothon Food Donations

NC Museum of Natural Science

Walmart (Graham Hopedale Rd, Burlington, NC store) Sheetz Harris Teeter Lowe's Food, Burlington Mt. Olive Pickles NC Peanut Growers Association

NC Wildlife Resources Commission NC Div. of State Parks NC Div. of Forest Resources NC Department of Environment & Natural Resources USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service US Army Corps of Engineers NC Office of Environmental Education Piedmont Environmental Center Foothills Soil Consulting Co.

Roots of the NC Envirothon Originating in Pennsylvania in 1978, the Envirothon program spread across the US and Canada. A North American event was created and today the Envirothon is North America’s largest outdoor environmental education program, reaching over 500,000 students each year. North Carolina decided to organize an Envirothon program in 1990 with Johnston Soil and Water Conservation District Supervisor Kenneth Langley leading the way. The first Envirothon competition was held in 1991 at Camp Homestead in Franklin County with 5 high school teams participating. Now each year the NC Envirothon has nearly 100 teams from across the state competing. The event expanded so quickly that the number of teams participating became too large for the State event. In 1999 the NC Envirothon committee established eight Area, or ‘regional’ , Envirothon competitions to handle the overwhelming amount of interest statewide. These eight competitions would serve to qualify teams from each Area for the NC Envirothon. The eight Area Envirothon events still serve as the qualifying event for the NC Envirothon State level competition. Page 4