Sackville to host provincial Envirothon this spring, North American event in 2011

More than 100 young, budding environmentalists from throughout New Brunswick will converge in Sackville next month as they go head-to-head in a provincial competition that will test their skills on a variety of ecological issues.

Teams from a number of New Brunswick high schools will compete in Envirothon NB, an annual event hosted by the Canadian Forestry Association of New Brunswick which this year will be held at Mount Allison University from April 29-May 1.

Valerie Archibald, associate director of CFANB, said the environmental education program teaches students to take a more holistic approach in their lifestyles.

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

Prior to the competition, teams of five work throughout the year with an advisor to meet their learning objectives through research, study, workshops and field trips. These objectives focus on five subject areas - forestry, aquatics, soils, wildlife and groundwater.

Becky Geneau, also an associate director with CFANB, said this year's Envirothon NB competition, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary, combines outdoor field testing with in-class curriculum, resulting in a final oral presentation by each group. The winning team from New Brunswick will go on to represent the province at the North American competition in August in Fresno, California, where they will compete for thousands of dollars in prizes and scholarships.

The Canon Envirothon is North America's largest high school environmental education competition. And Geneau announced that next year's North American Envirothon event will be held in Sackville. More than 700 students will be housed at Mount Allison University during Canon Envirothon 2011, which will be held from July 24-30 next summer.