Manitoba Envirothon 2011

Final Report

Overview

2011 marked the second year of the regional pilot program; four new groups hosted regional events bringing us to a total of seven regional events. The provincial competition was held in Gimli, on May 26th – 28th. This year’s theme was Salt and Fresh Water Estuaries. The winning team was from Swan Valley Regional Secondary School sponsored by Northwest Soil Management, the team competed at the Canon Envirothon placing first! The team’s win marks the first time a Canadian team has ever won the Canon competition.

Regional Competitions

This year was our second and final year of the pilot regional program. Next year the Manitoba Forestry Association and Envirothon Steering Committee will launch the full regional format in Manitoba. Seven regional events took place between April 29 and May 13, 2011. The Manitoba Envirothon Steering Committee worked with educational/environmental groups from different areas of the province to host these regional events. Regional host organizations include Scouts Canada ( south), Oak hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre (Winnipeg north), Manitoba Model Forest (Pine Falls), University College of the North (The Pas), La Salle Redboine Conservation District (Stephenfield Provincial Park), Assiniboine Community College (Brandon) and Duck Mountain Forest Centre (Swan River). Jacqueline Monteith was hired as our northern coordinator and worked with the University College of the North to organize the program in the North.

A total of 56 teams registered for the regional events. This year it was required that all teams compete at the regional level in order to advance to the provincial competition; however it was not required that the team qualify at a regional event, rather teams could register for the provincial event when they registered for a regional event. Each regional event was unique, and although a standard test was prepared by the Test Writing Committee each regional host was able to provide a local perspective through site specific questions on the field test. Regional organizations were also given the opportunity

1 | P a g e to write their own orals question that addressed an issue in their local community; three regions developed their own orals questions while four used the standard regional question. Regional hosts showcased their own programs and facilities throughout the day. Please see Appendix 1 for details on organization of all regional events. The Brandon regional competition hosted by Assiniboine Community College has been postponed due to spring flooding in Brandon, we are looking to host a regional event in Brandon in the fall of 2011.

Training At the regional events students participated in 1-2 hour training sessions on the five topic areas. Local experts were recruited by the regional hosts to conduct these training sessions. The regional training sessions took the place of the spring workshop. Future training possibilities include on-line videos, online learning curriculum, and teacher workshops. For more details please see the recommendation section of this report on page 14.

Participating School at Regional Competitions Carman Collegiate – 3 teams Oak Park High School College Jeanne-Sauvé Pilot Mound Collegiate Institute Cormorant Lake School Pinawa School Daniel McIntyre Collegiate – 2 teams Powerview School – 3 teams Dauphin Regional Comprehensive Secondary R.D. Parker Collegiate School St. Boniface Diocesan High School – 2 teams Edward Schreyer School – 3 teams Sagkeeng Anicinabe High School – 2 teams Eastman Colony Schools St. James Collegiate Institute Fairholme Colony School Shaftesbury High School – 2 teams Fort Richmond Collegiate Swan Valley Regional Secondary School – 4 Gimli High School – 2 teams teams Grant Park High School – 3 teams Vincent Massey Collegiate Helen Betty Osborne Ininiw Education Wanipigow School – 2 teams Resource Centre - 2 teams Wawanesa School – 2 teams Kelvin High School West Kildonan Collegiate Lac du Bonnet High School – 2 teams Westwood Collegiate Lord Selkirk High School – 2 teams Whitemouth High School Neelin High School – 2 teams Nellie McClung Collegiate – 2 teams

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Volunteers Each regional organization was able to draw on a large number of volunteers from their community and local organizations; some long-time volunteers with the Manitoba Envirothon also made it out to help with the regional events. The following individuals and organizations volunteered their time and resources to help plan and deliver the regional events:

La Salle Redboine Danielle Cabernelle MAFRI Justin Reid Conservation District John Heard MAFRI (LSRBCD) Brenda Robinson MB Cons Colby Desender LSRBCD Kelly Graham Sheri Mangin LSRBCD Manitoba Conservation Sharla Boychuk Jeannette Rouire LSRBCD Districts Association Roy Wood LSRBCD Manitoba Forestry Michaela Knispel Pembina Valley Association (MFA) Cliff Greenfield Conservation District Andrea Swain MFA (PVCD) Jaime Savary MFA Lexine Leblanc PVCD Jim Potton MFA Kathi Furniss PVCD Myrna Potton MFA Robert Nichol PVCD Gil Godard Manitoba Hydro Sage Weselowski PVCD Dan Matchullis Volunteer Murray Seymour PVCD Dylan Baloun volunteer Josh Sheldon PVCD Chonny Sayapheth Volunteer Prairie Spirit School Erin Thorleifson Volunteer Lynda Matchullis Division Michelle Schram Harvest Moon Society Prairie Spirit School Don Hurton Jenna Drabble Harvest Moon Society Division Andrew Grauman MB Cons Ernie Bart Prairie Rose School Division Rick Bobby Spruce Products Ltd Barb Lepp Prairie Rose School Division Aaron Goethe Spruce Products Ltd Karen Tjaden Prairie Rose School Division Jeannette Coote Spruce Products Ltd Assiniboine Hills Swan Valley Sport Fishing Melissa Johnson Neil Zalluski Conservation District Enhancement (AHCD) Trevor Kotyk Louisiana Pacific Devon Baete AHCD Ian Kitch Fisheries Branch Heather Dalgleish AHCD Gerald Shelemy Manitoba Conservation Turtle Mountain Scott Hainsworth Gordon Hornbeck Freelance Conservation District Wade Cable Louisiana Pacific Larry Danielson A Rocha Canada Gary Wowchuk Spruce Products Ltd Nick Pharoah A Rocha Canada Donna Kopecky Louisiana Pacific Susan Pharoah A Rocha Canada Vern Louisiana Pacific Paul Goossen A Rocha Canada Dan Soporovich Volunteer Don Bergen A Rocha Canada Marty Anderson Volunteer Shawn Dias MAFRI - MAWP Richard Walker Volunteer Manitoba Agriculture, Kim Livingston- Dave Theunissen Volunteer Food and Rural Initiatives Brown John Thorpe Manitoba Conservation (MAFRI) Jenefer Cavers volunteer Marla Riekman MAFRI Michael Cavers Manitoba Model Forest

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Linda Christianson Manitoba Conservation Al Mixon Scouts Canada Dana Austman volunteer M. H. Papst scouts Canada Vince Keenan Maskwa Ecological Bill Somers scouts Canada Janet Sampson Lake WPG Foundation David Rait University College of the Mike Sampson Lake WPG Foundation North (UCN S. Thomas volunteer Kelsey Conservation Sean Sexsmith, Sheila Grover Lake WPG Foundation District S. Dangerfield Interpretive Marilyn Meyer UCN Sherry Dangerfield Planning Sean McMahon UCN Moises Reyna volunteer Will Trowell UCN Kyle Chilton Volunteer Manitoba Water Laureen Janusz Justin Peloquin Volunteer Stewardship Sam Schwartz volunteer Leela Braun Manitoba Conservation K. Doepker Volunteer Byers Environmental Tim Byers Rhonni Zinke Volunteer studies Marianne Tokar Manitoba Model Forest Matt Conrod Manitoba Conservation Walter Tokar Manitoba Model Forest Wendy Creed Manitoba Conservation Dennis Brannen Manitoba Conservation Bill Kraayeveld Volunteer Wendy Creed Manitoba Conservation Irene Kraayeveld volunteer Matt Conrod Manitoba Conservation Stan McFarlane Agriculture Canada Brock Houndle Student John Perry Volunteer Megan Seddon Student Kate Peterson Student Megan Krohn Student Amelia Peterson student Donald MacDonald Scouts Canada Monica Reid Manitoba Conservation Petra Elwich Scouts Canada Brenda Robinson Manitoba Conservation Sarah Walker Student Fiona Ross Manitoba Conservation Manitoba Agriculture, food Jaryd Price Student Dennis Schindler Gerry Bell Scouts Canada and Rural Initiatives

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Provincial Event

The provincial event was hosted in Gimli Manitoba May 26 – 28, 2011. This year we capped the competition at 24 teams, with the restriction of one team per school. There were 20 teams that initially registered, we then opened the event for schools to enter more than one team at which time we reached the 24 team limit.

Accommodation Students and volunteers were house at the Gimli Industrial Park in the Barracks. Space was a little tight so steering committee members were provided accommodations at The Autumnwood Hotel and other locations. Originally the steering committee was scheduled to stay at the Misty Lake Lodge, however 2 weeks before the event the lodge had to cancel our accommodations due to an extended stay by flood victims from the north. Dinner on Thursday night, and breakfast on Friday and Saturday were served at the Barracks, the food was plentiful and delicious!

Waterfront Centre The Waterfront Centre so gratefully donated their facility to us for a couple of our activities. On Thursday night teams gathered at the centre, to take in the beautiful view of the waterfront, watch team introduction and learn about Manitoba Estuaries from Dr. Michael Papst. The test writing committee returned to the centre on Friday night to mark tests, the view definitely made for one of the most relaxed test marking sessions.

Field Test The field test took place at Camp Morton Provincial Park, a very rainy day made for soggy tests but did not dampen the spirit of the students or volunteers. The Recreation Hall and one cabin at the park were rented, however the cabin was not needed as the Hall provided enough space. There was one test trail this year, which helped to make for a short day (and quick marking). The trail travelled through the group use area, to the cabins and even down to the water for questions that addressed issues surrounding the health of . There were 15 stops along the trail and students had 12 minutes at each stop. As in past year there were two teams per stop, there was some concern over the stops only having one set of equipment and that is was difficult for the teams to share. There were two stops open which gave volunteers time to grab a warm drink. Due to the rain we had students return to the Recreation hall for the last 15 minutes of the test, where they had time to sort through their test and finish up any last questions.

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In recognition of the retirement of one of our long time advisors Al Thorleifson, we once again had a ‘mystery team’. The team was comprised of advisors who followed the trail and completed the test. This year's hardy mystery team included Al Thorleifson (Nellie McClung Collegiate), Ashleah Maendel (Fairholme Colony School), Jacqueline Monteith (Cormorant Lake School), Colin Calhoun (Helen Betty Osborne School) and Kathleen Peden (Sawn Valley Secondary School). The teachers who were a part of the mystery team gave high reviews of the test, noting that it included many hands-on questions and was process oriented and thought provoking rather than requiring that students have memorized of the resource material.

Lunch and dinner were provided by the Kiwanis Club of Gimli. They served us delicious, fresh pickerel, and coleslaw for lunch. Chilli was on the menu for dinner, unfortunately after a long, cold day outside there wasn’t enough chilli to fill up the students, in the future it should be stressed that these students will always be hungry and will eat large portions.

The rain caused some problems this year, making it difficult for teams to write on the paper, and it was strongly suggested by teachers that students be given more than one clip board. It is suggested that we ensure teachers know they can bring their team extra clipboards, this can be done through the bi-monthly newsletter. Students were given their extra 15 minutes to finish the test inside the Recreation Hall where they could spread out sheets and complete and unfinished question. Test markers had some trouble deciphering the writing on the soggy test, but in the end were able to make out all the answers. This is the first year that we needed in instigate the ‘Blow Drier Committee’ to help get the tests ready for marking.

Orals Directly after the field test students received a lively presentation from Larry Danielson and Nick Pharaoh of A Rocha Prairie Canada; students learned public presentation skills, tricks to relax, and practiced their skill together.

On Saturday we moved to Gimli High School where students were presented with the orals scenario. The high school provided us with more workable space for the orals preparations. Due to the high number of volunteers we were able to have 8 panels of judges, each panel with 5 judges; as a result each panel saw three presentations and the preliminary orals was wrapped up early in the day setting us ahead of schedule. The finals orals presentations were done by the top three teams, including Fairholme Colony, Northwest Soil Management and College Jeanne-Sauvé.

While students were preparing their orals presentations, teachers took part in a debriefing on the field test as well as a mini focus group meeting to review the format of the Regional events. A lot of good information came from these meetings.

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Food was provided by the Gimli High School cafeteria. A delicious lunch of lasagne, Cesar salad, and bread sticks was served up. For dinner students grabbed sandwiches, chips, cookies, fruit and a drink for the drive home.

Evening Activities On Friday night students had the opportunity to take part in a couple fun and exciting activities. A Geocaching activity was planned by Steven Hills of Assiniboine Community College and Jacques Bourgeois and Nathalie Bays from Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre. Afterwards there was an exciting trading session which gave students the opportunity to mingle with students from other schools. Other students chose to watch the Stanley Cup playoffs in the common room, all in all there were great opportunities for students to meet and mingle with one another. Please see Appendix 2 for a detailed event schedule.

2011 Manitoba Envirothon Participating School

Carman Collegiate College Jeanne-Sauvé Lord Selkirk High School – 2 teams Cormorant Lake School Nellie McClung Collegiate Daniel McIntyre Collegiate Oak Park High School Fairholme Colony School R.D. Parker Collegiate Fort Richmond Collegiate St. Boniface Diocesan High School Gimli High School St. James Collegiate Institute Grant Park High School – 2 teams Shaftesbury High School – 2 teams Helen Betty Osborne Ininiw Education Resource Swan Valley Regional Secondary School – 2 teams Centre Vincent Massey Collegiate Kelvin High School Westwood Collegiate

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FIRST PLACE TEAM Northwest Soil Management from Swan Valley Regional Secondary School

left to right: Alex Verbo (advisor), Ediie Shao, Breanna Anderson, Matthew Forbes, Nyla Burnside, Teagan Markin, Shawn Stankewich (advisor)

The winning team from Swan Valley Regional Secondary School travelled to Sackville New Brunswick to represent Manitoba at the Canon Envirothon July 24-29, 2011. In preparation for the event the team advisors organized a pre-competition workshop at which members of the test writing committee, and other professionals worked with the students to hone their skills. The team placed first at the event! We are extremely proud of this group of dedicated students and their advisors.

SECOND PLACE TEAM Fairholme Colony School

left to right: Arthur Maendel, Marita Waldner, Timothy Maendel, Aldora Maendel, Andrew Maendel, Ashleah Maendel (advisor), Anna Maendel (advisor)

THIRD PLACE TEAM College Jeanne-Sauvé

left to right: Stefan Padneau, Fredérick Pagé, Megan Kelly, Mathieu Desmarais, Ellan Berbichevsky, Martial Lesage (advisor)

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Awards

AWARD TEAM Swan Valley Regional Secondary School First Place Northwest Soil Management Association Second Place Fairholme Colony School Third Place College Jeanne Sauvé Excellence in... TEAM Orals Vincent Massey Collegiate Aquatic Ecology Shaftesbury High School Forestry Swan Lake Watershed Conservation District Soils and Land Use Fort Richmond Collegiate Wildlife Grant Park High School Senior Team Theme - Estuaries Lord Selkirk Team 1

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Volunteers We had many volunteers help out for the event. In addition to the usually recruiting, Cheryl Bailey of Gimli High school also found many people to volunteer. Cheryl is a very active member of the community and was able to recruit many volunteers for both the field test and orals competition. Due to the abundance of volunteers we had 8 panels of Oral judges, and steering committee members were free to trouble shoot rather than take on volunteer roles such as stop attendants and trail captain. Please see below for a list of volunteers. Without the support of our volunteers the Envirothon program would not be able to run so successfully year after year. A HUGE thank you to all who have supported Envirothon.

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We would like to thank the following individuals for donating their time to the Envirothon program:

Al Tyrchniewicz Ellen Paxton Lyn Dunford Alexis Kanu Gil Godard Maria Zibniewicz Andrea Kraayeveld Glenn Peterson Martin Klassen Andrea Swain Irene Friesen Matt Conrod Anne MacDiarmid Irene Kraayeveld Murray Smith Armand Belanger Jacque Bourgeois Myrna Potton Ashley Gaden Jamie Savary Nancy Loadman Audrey Boitson Jane Epp Nathalie Bays Barbara Fuller Jennifer Breger Nick Pharor Barret Miller Jennifer Cottes Patricia Pohrebniuk Bill Kraayeveld Jennifer Lidgett Penny Ross Bob Austman Jim Potton Peter Bjornson Brenda Robinson Jingyuan LI Randy Woroniuk Brendan Carruthers John Dojack Rebecca McKay Brian Kotyk John Perry Rick Wishart Brigitte Demarchuk John Sinclair Rod Bollman Bruce Thomas Karen Scott Shauna Santos Byrnes Benoit Keith MacGregor Sherry Dangerfield Christina McDonald Kerry He Shoni Litinsky Cliff Greenfield Kyla Maslaniec Stan McFarlane Dave Roberts Larry Danielson Steven Hills David Hay Laura Greenfield Susan Eros David Syzek Laureen Janusz Tim Byers Dean Stoyanowski Leela Braun Vicki Asu Dennis Brannen Leanne Dunne Vince Keenan Dennis Schindler Linda Christianson Walter Tokar Dennis Sigmundson Linda McPherson William Barlow Diane Olson Lindsay Irwin Zach Gross Dianna Auer Lisa Tack

Steering Committee

The Manitoba Envirothon program has been blessed with an enthusiastic , extremely dedicated and FUN steering committee. Without such a strong and mutually supportive group of individuals this program would not be possible. Our Steering Committee grew this year as we have seen new member join the group, including past Envirothon students and advisors! The steering committee met monthly and many of the subcommittees met more often. We would like to recognizes the following individuals and their organizations for the time, energy and in-kind support they have given to the Envirothon program here in Manitoba.

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Manitoba Envirothon Steering Committee 2011 Jim Potton Retired Co-Chair, Oral Committee regional co-chair Glenn Peterson Manitoba Conservation, Forestry Co-Chair, Test Writing Committee Co-chair Laureen Janusz Manitoba Water Stewardship Test Writing Committee, Co- Chair Gil Godard Manitoba Hydro Logistics Co-Chair Brendan Carruthers Retired Logistics Co-Chair David hay Manitoba Water Stewardship Test Writing Committee, Regional co-chair Rebecca McKay Manitoba Conservation, Sustainable Test Writing Committee, Resource and Policy Management regional co-chair Brenda Robinson Manitoba Conservation Volunteers Committee Ashley Gaden University of Manitoba Test writing committee Cathy Shaluk Nature Conservancy of Canada Test Writing Committee, Middle Years Committee John Sinclair University of Manitoba Oral Committee Co-chair Alexis Knispel Heifer International Canada Orals Committee Co-chair Bob Austman Manitoba Model Forest Regional Envirothon Host, Orals Committee Regional Co-chair Byrnes Benoit Spectra Productions Media and Communications Barbara Fuller Retired Education Committee Anne MacDiarmid Manitoba Education Education Committee Michael Cavers Resident of Pinawa Logistics Jennifer Lidgett Manitoba Hydro GIS/GPS Activities Nathalie Bays Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Regional Envirothon Host, Orals Committee Allen Tyrchniewicz Tyrchniewicz Consulting Test Writing Committee Andrea Swain Manitoba Forestry Association Regional Co-Chair Andrea Kraayeveld Manitoba Forestry Association Test Writing Committee Patricia Pohrebniuk Manitoba Forestry Association MFA executive director Justin Reid La Salle Redboine Conservation District Regional Envirothon Host

Steven Hills Assiniboine Community College Regional Envirothon Host Rick Bobby Duck Mountain Forest Centre Regional Envirothon Host Daryl Wright Scouts Canada Regional Envirothon Host Jacqueline Monteith Manitoba Forestry Association Northern Coordinator Linda Morin Manitoba Hydro Regional Committee

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Sponsors

We would like to thank all our sponsors, without who the event could not happen. In 2010 we secured a five -year agreement with five provincial government departments for funding. As well in 2008 we secured a five year commitment from Manitoba Hydro. This funding is core funding need to implement the Regional program and begin our middle-year program. This year we were successful in our application to the Fisheries Enhancement Fund, which we help us obtain training and test equipment needed for both the regional and provincial events. All sponsors were recognized at the event in the event program, on the Envirothon t-shirt given to all students and advisors, posters with sponsors logos were posted at the event, and sponsors were mentioned at the event closing ceremony. The following organizations provided funding for the 2011 Manitoba Envirothon: HOST Manitoba Forestry Association LECACY SPONSORS Manitoba Hydro Government of Manitoba; Education • Conservation • Water Stewardship • Aboriginal and Northern Affairs • Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives The Winnipeg Foundation Red River Co-op Fisheries Enhancement Fund SUSTAINING SPONSORS Jiffy Canada Incorporated McKenzie Seeds Manitoba Model Forest Inc. ENCOURAGING PARTNERS Lake Winnipeg Foundation FRIENDS OF THE ENVIROTHONMENT Jim and Myrna Potton Rural Municipality of Gimli Manitoba Environmental Club of Gimli

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REGIONAL HOSTS Scouts Canada Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre Manitoba Model Forest University College of the North La Salle Redboine Conservation District Assiniboine Community College Duck Mountain Forest Centre

Many organizations provided in-kind donations of prizes for the awards ceremony, or staff time for the event. Students went home with some great prizes , and we had an outstanding group of volunteers. Thank you to the follow organizations for their in-kind contributions:

 A Rocha Prairie Canada  Manitoba Hydro  Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada  Manitoba Model Forest  Assiniboine Community College  Manitoba Museum Brandon University  Maskwa Ecological Consulting Inc.  Byers Environmental Studies  Mike Papst  Canadian Forestry Association  Nature Conservancy of Canada  Camp Morton Provincial Park  Oak Hammock Marsh Interpretive Centre  Delta Waterfowl  Parks Canada  Ducks Unlimited Canada  Pembina Valley Conservation District  East Interlake Conservation District  Rural Municipality of Gimli Environmental  Environment Canada Advisory Committee  Evergreen School Division  S. Dangerfield Interpretive Planning  Fort Whyte Alive  Spectra-Productions Ltd.  Gimli High School  Tergesen’s  Gimli Highs School Enviro Club  TNM Promotions  Lake Winnipeg Foundation  Turtle Mountain Conservation District  Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives  Tyrchniewicz Consulting  Manitoba Conservation Districts  University of Manitoba  Manitoba Conservation – Forestry Branch  Waterfront Centre – Gimli Manitoba  Manitoba Conservation –Parks Branch  Water Stewardship– Fisheries Branch  Manitoba Council for International Cooperation  Whitemud Watershed Conservation District  Manitoba Education  Whiteshell School Division  Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural initiatives  Winnipeg School Division

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Evaluation

At each regional event as well as the provincial event evaluations were distributed to the volunteers, students and teachers. Please see appendix 3 for details on evaluations from the results of the evaluations. At the provincial event we held a teacher debriefing session where the provincial field test was reviewed, as well as an evaluation on the regional events. Several recommendations were derived from this session and can be reviewed in the recommendations section below.

Recommendations

Provincial Envirothon

One Site – of the past couple of year the provincial event has made use of several different facilities for the 3 day event, this year our accommodations were at the Gimli barracks, the field test was at Camp Morton Provincial Park, evening activities at the Waterfront Centre, wrapping up the event with the orals competition at the Gimli High School. Although these were all great facilities for the event, moving from location to location added a certain complexity to the event. Additionally there is a certain community feel to the event when it is contained to one site. Potential sites that would fit this requirement include, Pinawa Wilderness Edge, (future) Tim Horton’s Camp, International Peace Gardens, and other summer camps.

Trail Test – the rain caused a few problems this year, thus it was suggested by teachers that we provide more than one clip board per team, as well as some rain ponchos for the students who are not prepared for the weather. Overall the field test was well received by teachers and students.

Orals – The orals competition went very well this year. With all the volunteers we were able to have 8 panels of judges which made for a quick round of preliminary orals. Some recommendations from the orals committee would be more time spent training the facilitators and finals judges, rather than training all Saturday volunteers together.

Regional Envirothon As we wrap up the pilot years of the regional events and launch into the full regional program we have asked teachers, volunteers, students, and regional partners for feedback and recommendations to improve the program. We hosted a focus group meeting with teachers on Saturday May 28, as well as at our wrap up meeting on June 27 to which regional hosts, teachers and the steering committee were invited.

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Training – both teachers and partners have expressed a need for consistency in training at regional events, due to the large geographical range that the regional events cover it is not always possible to have consistency in our training sessions. There is general agreement that the best route to take for training would be to create training videos that students, teachers and trainers can watch at the thinktrees.org website. If these videos are accessible to all, then the regional training can take on a local flavour, with a focus on the local environment and management issues

Another way to help focus the study material is to redesign the online resource to create learning modules for teachers and students rather than a list of documents as they currently are. This would provide students more focus on the important information when studying the material.

Another suggestion has been to hold teacher workshops in the fall (other than SAG). The workshops should focus on all aspects of working with an Envirothon team, including how to organize a group, study tips, and how to use equipment. This workshop could be done as the MFA’s Annual Forest Ed event.

Orals – Once again consistency is what everyone is looking for in the program. It is agreed among participants that as we move towards qualifying teams for the provincial competition though the regional competitions, there must be consistency in the regional orals competitions. Thus one format for orals must be used for all regional events in the future. In the past 2 year two formats have been used, both have their merits:

1. Students receive the question at the event and have 20 minutes to prepare a presentation and 10 minutes to present and for judges’ questions.  Presentation have been for the most part very good  Promotes teamwork  Ensures the information presented is based on students’ knowledge and not from the advisors or online resources  Some teams have had difficulty coming up with something on the spot, especially at the northern regional event

2. Students receive the question a week ahead of time and bring a poster presentation to the event; students have 10 minutes to review their prepared presentation and 10 minutes to present and for questions.  The quality of these presentations have been very high  Offers students a different type of activity and way of thinking and working as a group then what is done at the provincial event, students use research skill  Some new teams do not want to have to prepare before the event

General Teachers’ Recommendations for Regionals:

 One day competition, good length  Like the low cost, and think regional events should be free!  Get rid of the inconsistencies – food, prizes, concluding activity/wrap-up should be a part of each regional event  Good nutrition should be provided at all events  Need a judging standard, too variable  Reduce orals weight to 30% due to inconsistency and variability

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 Share PowerPoint presentation for training at each region  Each school should have the opportunity to send one team to provincials, this will help to keep the interest and excitement throughout the year . One team from each school should be guaranteed.  Regional corrected test need to get back to schools earlier so they can learn from their mistakes  Training workshop for students  Make the Envirothon a credit courses vs. Extra curricular  Test should be different for provincial bound teams vs. fun-no-study regional test  Advisors start-up kit  Tents at each stop for shelter from the weather  Food sponsors are needed, good nutrition is needed  There is a need for students to have an answer to the question “what happens after Envirothon?”  Need to increase awareness of the program among employers, and universities  The bigger picture of “why am I doing this”  Scholarships – university didn’t know about the program

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Conclusion

It was another successful year for the Manitoba Envirothon and we look forward to yet another year of regional and provincial events in 2012.

We would like to once again congratulate the Northwest Soil Management team from Swan River that placed first at the international Canon Envirothon event. We are extremely proud of this group of students who have dedicated themselves to the program over the past four years.

Jim Potton, Manitoba Envirothon Co-chair, received the Canon Envirothon hall of Fame award this year. In 1996 took on the challenge to bring Envirothon to Manitoba, he has continued to lead the Envirothon program in in province for over 15 years. Jim has also been very active in the Canon Envirothon program. He has chaired the Canon Rules Committee and played a major role in the updating of the Policies, Rules and Guidelines. He has also been a member of the Canon Grievance Committee since 2004 serving as for several years. Jim was elected to the Canon Board of Directors in 2005 serving until 2009. More often than not Jim and his wife Myrna have accompanied the Manitoba team to the Canon Competition event providing the team with support while also volunteering behind the scenes with the program coordination. Congratulations to Jim on this well- deserved award.

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Financial Statement

2011 MANITOBA ENVIROTHON Statement of Income and Expense September 1, 2010-September 30, 2011

Regional Provincial Envirothon Envirothon Events Total INCOME

Province of Manitoba Manitoba Agriculture, Rural and Food Initiatives $4,000.00 $ 4,000.00 Manitoba Education, Citizenship and Youth $4,000.00 $ 4,000.00 Manitoba Water Stewardship $4,000.00 $ 4,000.00 Manitoba Conservation $8,000.00 $ 8,000.00 Manitoba Aboriginal & Northern Affairs $4,000.00 $ 4,000.00 Fisheries Enhancement Fund $24,346.00 $ 24,346.00

$ - Corporate & Non-Government Sources $ - Manitoba Hydro $5,000.00 $30,000.00 $ 35,000.00 Jiffy Canada $2,500.00 $ 2,500.00 Manitoba Model Forest $2,500.00 $ 2,500.00 Canon Canada Mini Grant $500.00 $ 500.00 Canon Envirothon Mini Grant $1,250.00 $ 1,250.00 The Winnipeg Foundation (Red River Co-op) $10,000.00 $10,000.00 $ - Other Corporate & Non-Government Sources $500.00 $ 500.00 $ - Other Revenue $ - Admissions/Reg./Program Fees $10,795.00 $1,333.00 $ 12,128.00 GST Recovery $ - Miscellaneous Revenue $ -

TOTAL INCOME $47,045.00 $65,679.00 $112,724.00

EXPENSES

Administration Costs Advertising & Promotion $651.00 $ 651.00 Bank Fees $121.38 $7.50 $ 128.88 Legal Costs $926.32 $844.57 $ 1,770.89 Meeting Expenses $ - Committee Meetings $384.41 $63.78 $ 448.19 Misc. Meetings & Displays $25.26 $ 25.26 $ - Office Supplies/Expenses $671.62 $26.24 $ 697.86 $ -

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Professional Development $170.00 $ 170.00 $ - Staff Travel & Accommodation $158.03 $ 158.03 $ - Salaries & Professional Services $ - Professional Services $10,500.00 $ 10,500.00 Portion of Envirothon Coordinator Salary $5,000.00 $ 5,000.00 $ - Program Delivery Costs $ - Accomodations $9,362.11 $ 9,362.11 Awards & Recognitions $67.01 $ 67.01 Clothing Purchase $4,863.98 $ 4,863.98 Equipment Rental $836.84 $ 836.84 Equipment Purchase $10,707.86 $ 10,707.86 Facility Rental $226.56 $ 226.56 Meals & Catering $14,423.74 $ 14,423.74 Miscellaneous Expenses $81.53 $ 81.53 Postage/Shipping $69.82 $61.28 $ 131.10 Program Travel $ - Accomodations/Flights $1,726.56 $239.63 $ 1,966.19 Private Mileage $240.13 $304.14 $ 544.27 Program Supplies $957.27 $5,948.19 $ 6,905.46 Registration Costs-Seminars/Conferences $1,334.51 $ 1,334.51 Regional Support Payments $12,000.00 $ 12,000.00 $ - Canon Expenses $ - Team Travel Assistance $5,000.00 $ 5,000.00 Canon Membership Fees $206.04 $ 206.04

TOTAL EXPENSES $47,176.09 $41,031.22 $ 88,207.31

TOTAL INCOME $86,572.19 $70,292.32 $156,864.51

BALANCE -$131.09 $24,647.78 $ 24,516.69

Notes: The balance of $24, 516 are funds received from the Fisheries Enhanceme nt Fund for purchase of aquatic equipment. We are in the process of making these purchases so these funds are being spent before the spring of 2012. These funds SHOULD NOT be considered surplus funds as they are allocated to a specific funding agreement.

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For Immediate Release August 2, 2011

Manitoba Team Wins the 2011 Canon Envirothon

A five-member team of high school students from Swan Valley Regional Secondary School, in Swan River, Manitoba, beat out more than 50 other teams to win the 2011 Canon Envirothon, a week-long North American environmental education competition sponsored by Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging. The winning team was announced on Thursday, July 28th, during closing ceremonies at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada.

Team members Eddie Shao, Breanna Anderson, Matthew Forbes, Nyla Burnside and Teagan Markin delivered a solid final Orals Presentation that capped off a top five Trails Test Finish. They were assisted in their efforts by advisors Shawn Stankewich and Rick Wowchuk. The team placed first in the Estuaries Category of the Trail Test and was fourth overall after the preliminary Orals Competition. They sealed their victory with an impressive final Orals Presentation that went very well for them as “They executed with brilliance” according to advisor Shawn Stankewich. Team members each receive a $5000.00 scholarship to the school of their choice.

Teams are made up of five students that previously won their state or provincial competition and came together to compete in categories including aquatics, ecology, forestry, soil and land use, and wildlife. Each year an additional topic is included that is based upon a current environmental issue. For 2011, the topic was salt and freshwater estuaries.

Since 1997, Canon U.S.A. has been the title sponsor of this annual competition. The Canon Envirothon is the culmination of a series of competitions that began during the past school year and involved more than 500,000 high school students throughout North America.

The Manitoba Forestry Association, along with many partners has, for the past 15 years, organized and conducted the Manitoba Envirothon. This year’s event was held at Camp Morton and Gimli for 24 teams from across the Province – narrowed down from the over 50 teams who participated in Regional play downs. This is the third year in a row that a team from Swan River has won the Provincial event.

For More information on the Swan Valley team or the Manitoba Envirothon, contact:

Byrnes Benoit Jim Potton Media Coordinator Envirothon Co-chair and Vice President Manitoba Envirothon Manitoba Forestry Association [email protected] [email protected] 204.781.0079 204.612.0163

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