Team assessing wetland habitat.
“The Envirothon is a valuable forum in which students can learn and grow while having fun and making connections that will serve them well in the future.”
Jim Reding, Granville HS Team Advisor
Jocelyn Henderson checking water quality
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 The Ohio Envirothon is a hands-on, problem-solving, team-based competition. Over 350 teams of five students each are coordinated each year by science teachers and FFA instructors in individual high schools. Regional competitions are held in the spring, where teams are tested in five natural resource categories, including soils and land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife and current environmental issues. Students have the opportunity to move beyond the traditional schoolroom into the ever evolving classroom of the natural environment, focusing on field studies instead of pages in a textbook. Real world scenarios are tackled as they design presentations related to environmental topics such as the impacts of non-native species on biodiversity and protection of ground water resources through urban, agricultural and environmental planning.
Envirothon students get an inside look at natural resource professions, and many students step away from the Envirothon experience excited about learning and motivated to pursue careers in environmental studies, environmental law, natural sciences, and natural resources management.
 Jocelyn Henderson, Resource Management Specialist for ODNR’s Division of Soil and Water Resources, participated in the Envirothon all four years while attending David Anderson High School in Columbiana County, and credits the experience as her motivation to enter the environmental field. Many other former Envirothon participants are now working for Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Ohio EPA, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, local watershed groups and more.
Through the Envirothon program, students develop an understanding of effective teamwork, resource management, and ecology. At the same time, they gain valuable exposure to a range of disciplines and a variety of possible career paths.
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