The Edward Little High School Envirothon Team won the 2008 State Championship in June. The team, consisting of 4 seniors and one sophomore, worked with Land Lab Staff to compete at the regional and state levels. In July, the team headed to Arizona for the International Canon Envirothon Competition. The team spent a week testing, getting to know the other 54 teams and exploring the sights of Flagstaff. They didn't win there, but had a great time.

To see more pictures of our adventure, please click here.

A special thank you to those who supported the team financially to help them get to Arizona!

Press Release Statewide: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2008 State Envirothon Winners Announced
Bangor, ME - June 3, 2008 - Under sunny skies and with warm temperatures the 2008 State Envirothon was recently held at Unity College in Unity. The Maine Association of Conservation Districts awarded plaques to the three top-scoring Envirothon teams. The first, second and third place winning teams respectively were: Edward Little High School (Auburn), Boghaunter Home School (Casco), and Bonny Eagle High School (Standish). Sixteen teams representing 13 high schools from around the state competed at this event.

Envirothon, Maine's largest high school-age environmental education program, is an international program representing over 500,000 students in the United States and Canada. First place Edward Little High School will represent Maine at the international Canon Envirothon competition to be held at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, AZ in late July. The international Canon Envirothon, organized by local soil and water conservation districts and other conservation agencies, is sponsored by Canon USA, in partnership with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA Forest Service, National Association of Conservation Districts, Mead Westvaco Corporation, American Electric Power, Inc., and Alcoa Foundation.

The major objective of the Maine Envirothon, an effective educational tool capable of supplementing environmental education both indoors and outdoors, is to provide opportunities for high school-age students, whether a home school, FFA Group, Explorer Club, Boys/Girls Club, Boy/Girl Scouts or public and private schools, to acquire and increase their outdoor skills and scientific knowledge about Maine's natural resources so that they can make informed, educated decisions about the environment. It provides students with reference materials, workshops, and hands-on, outdoor, real life experiences in five areas including forestry, wildlife, soils, aquatics, and a current issue-this year being Recreational Impacts on Natural Resources. Each team must have an adult advisor, 18 years of age or older.

Other high schools competing in the State Envirothon finals included: Bucksport, Caribou Alternative, Dirigo, Hampden Academy, Hodgdon, Jay, Jonesport-Beals, Lee Academy, Washington Academy and Nokomis. Teams from Old Town and Ashland high schools were eligible for the State Envirothon but were unable to attend. These teams represented the top three winning teams from six regional competitions held around the state earlier in May.

The Envirothon program would not be possible without the financial and in-kind support, expertise and/or time commitment from many natural resource-related partners. Resource specialists who cooperated in the 2008 State Envirothon included: Maine Department of Agriculture, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, Maine Forest Service, Maine's Soil and Water Conservation Districts, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Maine Audubon and the University of Maine School of Natural Resources.

Major sponsors of the 2008 State Envirothon were the Maine Association of Site Evaluators, Maine Association of Wetland Scientists, Maine Association of Professional Soil Scientists, Maine Department of Environmental Protection, Maine Potato Board, L.L. Bean, New England Organics, Oakhurst Dairy, Wild Blueberry Commission, University of Maine School of Natural Resources and Canon North American Envirothon.

There were many other contributors and partners that helped to make this event possible for the benefit of the students and Maine's natural resources. An Envirothon web site for all interested participants, advisors and sponsors is available at http://www.envirothon.org or http://maineswcds.org.