Texas Envirothon Headed For Hill Country

Houston, TX, April 2, 2015 – The Texas Hill Country will be the backdrop for the 2015 Texas Envirothon, an environmental and natural resource competition for high school students that will run from April 11 through April 13. The event draws teams from public and private schools as well as 4-H and home school programs. Schreiner University in Kerrville will be the event headquarters, with a visit to the Riverside Nature Center and the Kerrville Wildlife Management Area part of the weekend's itinerary.

"We are very excited to be going to the hill country for the first time," said Wendy Reistle, program coordinator of the Texas Envirothon.

During the field competition, five-person teams are tested over their knowledge of aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife, soils and a current issue topic, which for this year is "Urban/Community Forestry." The competition culminates in an oral presentation in which the teams address a scenario related to the current issue topic. With no prior knowledge of the scenario beyond the general topic, and only three hours to develop the presentation, producing an effective ten minute presentation is a challenging task.

"To prepare for Envirothon, students learn about and interact with plants, animals, the water, and the soil and the forest in exciting ways," said Tina Davies, chair of the science department at the John Cooper School. "We camp, go on outdoor field trips, have adventures, and do a lot of research and practical learning," Davies said.

At the close of the competition, scores will be calculated and winners announced. The winning team will go on to represent Texas at the North American Envirothon to be held in Springfield, Mo.

Financial support for the event is being provided by conservation districts and natural resource related agencies and businesses from across Texas. Gold level sponsors are Eastman and LyondellBasell. Bronze level sponsors are the Environmental Institute of Houston, Gulf Coast Waste Disposal Authority, the Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation, Texas Association of Environmental Professionals, Texas Forestry Association, NCF Envirothon, and U.S. Forest Service. Other contributors to the event are San Antonio Water System, Texas Association for Environmental Education, Association of Texas Soil & Water Conservation Districts, Harris County Soil & Water Conservation District, and Montgomery County Soil & Water Conservation District.

ABOUT ENVIROTHON
Envirothon is an academic, extra-curricular environmental and natural resource education program and competition designed for high school students. Teams composed of five students answer questions focusing on five areas of study: aquatics, forestry, soils, wildlife, and the current environmental issue. In addition to the field experience, students also participate in an oral component focusing on a real-world environmental problem.

If you would like more information about the Texas Envirothon, please contact Wendy Reistle at 281-283-3045 or email at reistle@uhcl.edu.