2009 Envirothon focuses on Biodiversity and Saving Species

Indiana teams choose a species and develop a plan to restore habitat and bring back an endangered or extirpated species.

The number of regional Envirothon contests in Indiana increased in 2009 and the teams and the individual students continue to be impressive in their level of interest and enthusiasm for environmental topics. This year, teams who made it to the state level developed plans to bring a species back to their county that was extirpated or endangered. Each team at the state contest made a 20 minute presentation that included a timeline, budget, information on their species, and how they would restore the necessary habitat to bring back the plant or animals species.

But first they had to make it to the state contest! At each regional contest the students - who began preparing for the competition in the fall are tested in forestry, wildlife, soils, aquatics, and in whatever the year's current issue is. In 2009 the current issue was Biodiversity. A core team of Soil and Water Conservation District employees, Brad Rody from Indiana DNR, and Teena Ligman from the Hoosier develop the tests and plan the contests. Ligman has taken the lead in the Current Issue which involves a presentation at each contest as well as writing the tests. Each regional contest had 15-25 teams made up of 5-7 high school students representing their local school, 4H, FFA, or home school association.

The top 3 winning teams (four teams in the case of a tie) from each regional contest moved on to the state contest. At the state contest they not only take another written test which included outdoor hands-on problems, but they present an oral presentation. Each state's Envirothon core team comes up with a subject for the presentation each year related to the current issue. In Indiana we decided to have the teams select a plant or animal species from their local area which was endangered or extirpated, learn about that species, and develop a plan to restore that species to their area. Interestingly, in past years, whatever the subject, the teams get so involved in their presentations, that a few of the teams actually implement their plans. We can only hope that this year is no exception.

The teams, some of which showed up in suits and ties, dresses and stockings, presented plans that would put any board room executive to shame. In most cases the students had actually visited the sites where they planned to restore the species and taken pictures and drawn maps and developed detailed site plans. They had interviewed the land managers and biologists or botanists to determine population viability and the probabilities of their plan's success and developed cost figures. In some cases they had alternative scenarios with a recommended course of action. The range of species the students chose to restore was varied - from Karners blue butterfly, to Copper belly water snake, Fat Pocketbook Mussel, to the Least tern.

For the first time that anyone remembers a home school team won the Indiana state competition. They will represent Indiana in Ashville, North Carolina in August at the North American competition where they will be eligible for scholarships and more awards.