Success! Came from Communities All Across Massachusetts to Take Part in the 2011 Massachusetts Envirothon
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MASSACHUSETTS ENVIR THON MASSACHUSETTS Thursday, May 12, 2011 | Great Brook Farm State Park, Carlisle, Mass. EPROGRAMNVIR THON Wrap-up Edition WeSuccess! came from communities all across Massachusetts to take part in the 2011 Massachusetts Envirothon. What we share: A concern for our common wealth – the wealth we hold in common – our communities and the environmental systems they depend upon. It’s not enough to care about the environment. We need to understand as best we can how natural systems work and how we can manage our impact upon Great Brook Farm State Park them. And it’s not enough to understand. We need to take action. The Envirothon competition aims to be This Year’s Teams a fun, challenging way to prepare for action Teams in bold competed on May 12th. (and if you were there and visited the Acton-Boxborough Regional High School Quabbin Regional High School roundtables, you were likely to meet teams Ashland High School R.C.Mahar Regional School, Orange who have already taken action). Barnstable High School Reading Memorial High School Bedford High School Rockport High School At the 2011 Massachusetts Envirothon, Boston College High School Salem High School teams stepped up to the challenge, but also Bristol County Agricultural High School Somerset High School took time to find joy in being outdoors Chelmsford High Schol South Hadley High School (whatever the weather!) and to meet David Prouty High School, Spencer Southeastern Regional Vo-Tech, S. Easton new people who share their interests and Doherty Memorial High School, Worcester Sutton High School concerns. Greater New Bedford Vo-Tech Tabor Academy Greenfield High School Taconic High School What a great day! Groton-Dunstable High School Tantasqua High School , Sturbridge Hoosac Valley High School Weston High School/Land’s Sake Hopkinton High School Worcester Technical High School Leicester High School Will Snyder, Chair Lexington High School Massachusetts Envirothon Committee Lunenburg High School Inside UMass Extension Millbury Jr. Sr. High School Schedule ....................................... 2 Monson Environmental Action Team Steering Committee ...................... 2 2011 Current Issue Mount Everett Regional School Station Coordinators .................... 2 What Happens at an Ecostation? .. 2 Mohawk Trail Regional High School Wetland Protection 2011 Results .................................. 3 Newton North High School 2011 Current Issue ........................ 4 Nipmuc Regional High School Current Issue Presentation Judges .. 5 Old Rochester Regional High School Volunteers .................................... 6 Oliver Ames High School, N. Easton Meet Our Host Site ....................... 7 Pioneer Valley Regional School A Greener Envirothon ................... 7 Provincetown High School Roundtables .................................. 7 Sponsors .......................................8 2011 Massachusetts Envirothon Massachusetts Envirothon Steering Committee Schedule Will Snyder Chair, Massachusetts Envirothon Committee University of Massachusetts Extension Susan Benoit Vice Chair, Massachusetts Envirothon Committee 7:30 Registration for volunteers Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) and judges Liz McGuire Treasurer, Massachusetts Envirothon Committee Registration for teams Middlesex Conservation District • Teams will be assigned Doris Wood Secretary, Massachusetts Envirothon Committee to their stations and presentation tent number Brita Dempsey Massachusetts Envirothon Coordinator • Coaches and alternates Tom Anderson Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs assigned schedule and Meg Colclough Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs presentation tent number Fred Farmer Massachusetts Association of Conservation Districts 8:00 Orientation for volunteers Julie Martin Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and judges Joe Perry Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Team pictures Clif Read Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation George Zoto Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection 8:30 - 8:45 WELCOME and announcements Non-voting Steering Committee Members 9:00 - 9:30 First station for teams Al Averill USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Coaches begin rotation Bill Dunham Belmont Enterprises Alternates begin program Jim Lafley Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Donald Lambert Hampden Conservation District 9:40 - 10:10 Second station for teams Pam Landry Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) Coaches continue rotation Dominique Pahlavan Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs 10:20 -10:50 Third station for teams Diane Baedeker Petit USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Coaches continue rotation .................................................................. 11:00 -11:30 Fourth station for teams Station Coordinators/Curriculum Specialists Coaches continue rotation Al Averill USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service 11:40 - 12:10 Fifth station for teams Jim Lafley Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Pam Landry Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife (MassWildlife) Coaches continue rotation Dominique Pahlavan Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs 12:15 - 2:00 LUNCH Joe Perry Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Explore test stations Clif Read Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation Team roundtable discussions Will Snyder University of Massachusetts Extension Group photo Evaluations George Zoto Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection 2:00 Announcement of winners and Community Awards What happens at an Ecostation? At the Massachusetts Envirothon, The ecostations generally incorporate teams rotate through four ecostations, questions that are: in addition to giving their Current Issue presentation. Each ecostation has a • Written - multiple choice, true or false, different emphasis: forestry, soil, water or fill-in-the-blank. and wildlife. • Practical - This may include species www.facebook.com/maenvirothon When students arrive at each ecostation, identification, questions that relate to the examiners instruct them to get into the soils or habitat surrounding the their distinct teams. Teams listen to station, and hands-on activities. examiners for a brief time to become familiar with that station, its questions and any other special instructions. It’s then up to the team to determine their strategy in taking the exam. They can break up and use individual strengths (for example, one or two people focus on species ID, while the others do the written section), or go through the exam as a team. 2 www.maenvirothon.org 2011 Massachusetts Envirothon 2011 Results Competition Winners Participant Comments Overall Score Judges & volunteers Coaches 1st .........Lexington High School • I enjoy seeing the young people. They • This was my first Envirothon and I LOVE are opening their minds to new topics it. This is an extremely well-organized 2nd ........Monson Environmental Action Team outside the classroom event. The presentation was a truly 3rd.........Southeastern Regional Vo-Tech authentic learning experience for the Forests Ecostation • Got a sense of what youth today are students. involved in environmentally as well as Y’all do a great job! Team really 1st .........Lexington High School some misconceptions held as part of • embraced the community work. 2nd ........Pioneer Valley Regional School general public Loved the farm tour. Liked getting the 3rd.........Newton North High School • • Good networking, always fun to meet preview of next year’s topic. Extremely 4th .........Quabbin Regional High School folks from other fields. beautiful place! 5th .........Southeastern Regional Vo-Tech • Great experience to see kids interested Soils Ecostation in wetland protection Teams 1st .........Lexington High School What did you gain from your • Great insight into project based learning 2nd ........Monson Environmental Action Team Envirothon experience this year? 3rd .........Bristol County Agricultural High School • Impressed by interest of students and 4th .........Weston High School/Land’s Sake ability to interpret environmental issues • The value of nature and its beauty I will be able to identify many different 5th (tie) ..Southeastern Regional Vo-Tech Next generation viewpoints: a big • • species of plants in my town Old Rochester Regional High School benefit for us judges Acton-Boxborough Regional High School • I gained much info for my senior project Seeing a generation of young people Water Ecostation • Knowledge about wildlife. I can use it excited about solving environmental • when adventuring or camping. 1st .........Lexington High School problems 2nd ........Greater New Bedford Regional Vo- • I learned the importance of wetlands in Tech • The range of projects was fascinating our community as was the range of students in the 3rd.........Acton-Boxborough Regional High School Knowledge of where wetlands are, Envirothon. I like the huge DCR/agency • recognizing wetlands on maps 4th .........Tantasqua Regional High School support and participation. Good to see 5th ���������Bristol County Agricultural High School positive interaction between teenagers • Certifying our vernal pool and identifying Wildlife Ecostation and adults! wetlands How to protect a wetland, their values 1st .........Monson Environmental Action Team It is great hearing from such