The 32nd annual NCF-Envirothon competition, hosted by the National Conservation Foundation (NCF) and the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD), will be held from July 25-28, 2021. Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions and health concerns, the 2021 NCF-Envirothon competition will be in a completely virtual format, a first for the Envirothon program.

The virtual 2021 NCF-Envirothon Nebraska competition will highlight Nebraska's ecology and natural resources, with a special focus on "Water Resources Management: Local Control, Local Solutions" as the Current Issue that the teams are tasked to explore in depth. This year, 42 teams – 35 from the United States, four from Canada and three from China – will virtually compete for scholarships and awards.

Over $45,000 in scholarships and awards will be given to the top 10 teams thanks to event sponsors: Smithfield Foods, Inc., the NARD Foundation, NCF and the Conservation Districts of Iowa. Individual subject awards will also be presented to recognize team achievements during the competition.

The virtual event kicks off on Sunday, July 25th with an opening ceremony, featuring Joel Sartore as the keynote speaker. Sartore, from Lincoln, Nebraska, is a photographer, speaker, author, conservationist, National Geographic fellow and regular contributor to National Geographic magazine. His work with the National Geographic Photo Ark is an ambitious project committed to documenting every species living in the world’s zoos and wildlife sanctuaries – inspiring people not just to care, but also to help protect wildlife for future generations.

Following the opening ceremonies, the teams will enter the competitive portion of the event. On Monday, July 26th, the teams will take five “field” tests on the core Envirothon subjects: Aquatic Ecology, Forestry, Soils/Land Use, Wildlife and the 2021 Current Issue. On Tuesday, July 27th, the teams will virtually present a 20-minute Oral Presentation, focusing on the 2021 Current Issue topic, to a panel of judges. The top three scoring teams will be announced on Wednesday, July 28th and then give their presentations to a new panel of judges for a final Oral Presentation score. The highest-scoring teams will be announced during the Awards Ceremony, also on July 28th. Guest registration is still open for the virtual 2021 NCF-Envirothon Nebraska competition and is priced at $50. Guests will have access to the event portal, where they can view the opening and closing ceremonies, interact with fellow attendees and more.

To learn more about the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts, visit: www.nrdnet.org.

The NCF-Envirothon, a program of the National Conservation Foundation, is supported through a partnership with the National Association of Conservation Districts. Major sponsors of the NCF-Envirothon include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service and Smithfield Foods, Inc.