Message from the Chair – September 2019

Happy fall, everyone! I hope the summer offered you time to relax, recharge, and reconnect with friends and family, especially your Envirothon family. Many of us attended the 2019 NCF Envirothon international competition held at NC State in Raleigh, North Carolina. As an indicator of careful planning and attention to detail, all left with smiles on their faces. Thank you, North Carolina, for a great event!

As we now look to next year’s event, the 2020 Nebraska NCF Envirothon host committee is busy planning the event which will be held at the University of Nebraska Lincoln. Mark your calendars for July 26 –31, 2020! Nebraska has chosen “Water Resources Management: Local Control and Local Solutions” as the current issue topic. The learning objectives are posted under Current Competition on the NCFEnvirothon website.

During the NCF-Envirothon state/provincial representatives’ meeting, the following items were presented:

  • Appreciation was expressed to Smithfield Foods for its continued support.
  • Diversity Enhancement and Underserved Audience Grant projects were highlighted. A revised application with updated guidelines is being developed and will be available soon. Appreciation was expressed to the U.S. Forest Service for supporting this grant.
  • NCF-Envirothon is excited to launch its new website in early-October. Don’t forget to submit your Envirothon stories, pictures, event calendars, and statistics.
  • The Education sub-committee continues to work on the Envirothon education standards and curriculum. The sub-committee is reviewing the resources and updating web site links. S.T.E.M./S.T.E.A.M. standards are in the forefront of their discussions as well as how to incorporate technology.
  • Revisions were made to the NCF-Envirothon Rules and Regulations. The most current version can be found on the NCF-Envirothon website. Two major revisions for you to note are I.2.b. and I.3. Changes to rule I.2.b. were made to help teams that have difficulty finding substitutes sending a 5-member team. To encourage timely payment of team registration fees, rule I.3. was updated to include new deadlines and possible additional fees. In addition, minor grammatical and inconsistency edits were made throughout the document.

In preparation for future events, the Program Manager and Operating Committee are offering assistance and guidance to future hosts of the NCF-Envirothon. New Brunswick is busy planning the 2021 event for July 25 – 31. The 2021 current issue topic will focus on Climate Change. Ohio is in the preliminary planning stages for the 2022 event. Bids are being solicited for events in 2023 and beyond.

As always the Operating Committee is here to assist you with building your program, expanding your outreach, and answering your questions. Please contact me, the Envirothon staff, or your Regional Representative on the committee.

Respectfully,

Lorelle Steach, Chair
NCF-Envirothon Operating Committee
Accept the Natural Challenge!