The Envirothon

The Iowa Envirothon is a program of Conservation Districts of Iowa  in cooperation with:

• Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Division of Soil Conservation
• Iowa Department of Natural Resources
• Iowa Farm Bureau Federation
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
• Iowa Corn Growers Association
• Iowa FFA Association
• Iowa Soybean Association
• Iowa Pork Producers Association
• Iowa Chapter Soil and Water Conservation Society
• Pheasants Forever, Inc.

The Spirit of Competition

The spirit of competition motivates athletes, drives successful businesses, develops new ideas, and creates an arena for building knowledge and understanding. The Iowa Envirothon is a program for Iowa high school students designed to cultivate a desire to learn more about our natural resources and environmental issues through competitive events.

The Iowa Envirothon competition will be held each spring in one of Iowa's parks or natural areas. The winning team in the state competition represents Iowa in the national Envirothon. But, no matter how far a team goes on the competitive scale, the major benefits come from participating.

Learn about the Environment

Envirothon teams take an in-depth look at wildlife, aquatics, forestry, soils and current issues that affect our environment. Before competing, students review these general topics with guidance from a teacher or advisor. Sometimes this is done in classroom activities; other times it is in extra-curricular club activities - it's up to you and your school!

A State Competition

At the state Envirothon competition, to be held each spring at a natural area or a state park, students from across Iowa will test their knowledge under the supervision of environmental professionals. Meeting some of Iowa's environmental and agricultural professionals who represent government and private sector interests also allows students to learn more about environmental career opportunities.

Through the competition format, students are challenged to use teamwork to answer natural resource questions and to develop creative, science-based solutions to environmental problems. At the state competition, the students' knowledge in these areas is tested at four lab stations. This allows students to specialize in topics that interest them! The entire team completes the competition by making an oral presentation on one current environmental issue (the specific issue is assigned by judges a few weeks before the competition). The winning team will represent Iowa in the national Envirothon. Prizes will be awarded at the state and national competitions!

Iowa Envirothon Website