BARRIE – The 2023 Ontario Envirothon competition is returning to in-person programming in the Grand River region this year.
Training will be held on April 12 and the competition will be held April 26, both at the University of Waterloo.
Created for teams of Ontario youth in grades 9 to 12, Envirothon will also be available as a virtual competition for those unable to attend in-person programming in any of the 2023 Envirothon regions.
“We are incredibly excited to be back in person for the 2023 Envirothon,” says education manager of Forests Ontario Allison Hands.
“It gives budding environmental leaders a chance to explore education and career paths in the natural sciences and network with potential mentors.”
Forests Ontario is proud to be the lead agency of the Ontario Envirothon – a unique environmentally-themed competition that immerses students in hands-on learning and discovery.
The program provides students with insights into forests, soils, wildlife, and aquatic ecosystems, while team-based activities are designed to develop critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, leadership, and communication skills.
“Thanks to support from educators, sponsors and our provincial network of coordinators and volunteers, the Ontario Envirothon has grown to reach over 120 schools and over 10,000 Envirothon alumni since the program’s establishment in 1994,” Hands says.
The 2023 Ontario Envirothon is made possible by generous sponsorship from Maple Leaves Forever, Wildlife Habitat Canada, Fleming College, and Algonquin Forestry Authority. For sponsorship enquiries, please e-mail envirothon@forestsontario.ca.
The regions for the 2023 Ontario Envirothon are as follows:
Grand River
Training: April 12, at University of Waterloo.
Competition: April 26 at University of Waterloo.
Algoma
Training: March 27 at Sault College.
Training/Competition: May 12-13 at Stokely Creek Lodge.
Grey/Bruce
Training/Competition: April 12 at Bluewater School Board Outdoor Education Centre.
Southwestern Ontario
Oral Presentation/Species-At-Risk Workshop: March 21 at Thames Valley District School Board Education Centre.
Training: April 13 at Springwater Conservation Area.
Competition: April 20 at Springwater Conservation Area.
Toronto
Training: April 19 at York University.
Competition: TBD.
York
Training/Competition: April 13 at Bill Fisch Forest Stewardship and Education Centre.
The program is open to Ontario youth in grades 9 to 12.
Teams outside of the areas listed above can participate in a virtual regional event.
Winners of region events advance to the provincial competition, where teams of students put their hard-earned knowledge to the test for the chance to represent Ontario in the national NCF-Envirothon in Sackville, New Brunswick.
Students and educators can find out more about the event and register at: www.forestsontario.ca/en/program/ontario-envirothon. Online registration closes March 31, 2023.
Questions about Ontario Envirothon can also be directed to envirothon@forestsontario.ca.
