Maryland Teens Get Ready for First Round of Environmental Education Competitions

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Maryland’s brightest high school science students are heading for the hills, streams and woodlands of Maryland’s countryside to compete in the first round of qualifying heats leading up to the 2022 National Conservation Foundation (NCF) Envirothon, North America’s largest high school environmental education competition.

Students participating in the Maryland Envirothon have been studying the state’s natural resources since the beginning of the school year. As part of their extracurricular training, teenagers identify and categorize living resources, perform soil surveys, estimate wood yield from trees, and solve other complex natural resource issues. Students are taught by soil scientists, wildlife specialists, foresters, and environmental engineers from local, state, and federal agencies, as well as private environmental organizations. The competition includes a special environmental issue that changes from year to year. This year’s environmental issue is Waste to Resources.

Teams compete by applying their knowledge and problem-solving skills in these natural resource areas. The county team with the highest cumulative total wins the local or regional competition and advances to the state competition, Maryland Envirothon, scheduled for June 22 at the Central Maryland Research and Education Center in Ellicott City. The winner of the Maryland Envirothon will go on to represent the state later this summer at the national competition in Oxford, Ohio, where more than 250 teenagers from the United States and Canada will compete for scholarships and prizes. 

“The Envirothon does a first-rate job of preparing teens for a career in agriculture and natural resources planning,” said Secretary Joe Bartenfelder. “It gets teens out of the classroom and into the countryside to learn from the experts about agriculture, natural resources and the importance of environmental stewardship.” 

The Envirothon is sponsored by Maryland’s Soil Conservation Districts and the State Soil Conservation Committee and supported by other state and federal programs. Dates and contact information for upcoming county Envirothon competitions are listed below:

• Allegany County Envirothon Competition
  Date:    April 27, 2022
  Place:   Rocky Gap State Park
  Contact: Adam Heavner,
  aheavner@atlanticbbn.net, or 240-609-3500
• Anne Arundel County Envirothon Competition
  Date: April 4, 2022
  Place: Arlington Echo Outdoor Education Center
  Contact: John Czajkowski, john@aascd.org, or 410-571-6757
• Calvert County Envirothon Competition
  Date: April 20, 2022
  Place: TBD
  Contact: Jennifer Carlson, Calvert Soil Conservation District,
  jennifer.carlson@md.nacdnet.net, 410-535-1521, ext. 3
• Cecil County Envirothon Competition
  Date: May 2, 2022
  Place:  Fair Hill Nature Center
  Contact: Mari Markkula, Cecil Soil Conservation District,
  410-398-4411, ext. 3
• Charles County Envirothon Competition
  Date:    April 13, 2022
  Place:   Gilbert Run Park, Charlotte Hall
  Contact: Dee Saunders, Charles Soil Conservation District,
  DeeDee.Saunders@md.nacdnet.net, 301-638-3028
• Eastern Shore Envirothon (Dorchest, Kent, Queen Anne’s, Talbot)
  Date: April 28, 2022
  Place:   Tuckahoe State Park
  Contact: Jenny Lee, Kent Soil Conservation District,
  jenny.lee@maryland.gov, 410-778-5150, ext. 3293
• Frederick County Envirothon Competition   
  Date: April 26, 2022
  Place:   Cunningham Falls State Park
  Contact: Barry Burch, Walkersville High School,
  barronb29@aol.com, 240-215-5004
• Harford County Envirothon Competition
  Date:    April 29, 2022
  Place:   Eden Mill
  Contact: Patrick Jones, Harford Soil Conservation District,
  patrick.jones@maryland.gov, 410-638-4828
• Howard County Envirothon Competition
  Date:    April 27, 2022
  Place:   Howard County Conservancy’s Mount Pleasant Farm, Woodstock
  Contact: Kristal M. McCormick, Howard Soil Conservation District,
  kmccormick@howardcountymd.gov, 410-313-0680
• Montgomery County Envirothon Competition
  Date: Early May (TBD)
  Place: Montgomery Soil Conservation District Office
  Contact: John Harne, Montgomery Soil Conservation District,
  john.harne@montgomerycountymd.gov
• Prince George’s County Envirothon Competition
  Date: May 4, 2022
  Place: Virtual
  Contact: Kim Rush Lynch, Pr. George’s Soil Conservation District,
  karlynch@co.pg.md.us, 301-574-5162
• St. Mary’s County Envirothon Competition
  Date: April 6, 2022
  Place: Hunter Hill Farm
  Contact: Bruce Young, St. Mary’s Soil Conservation District,
  bruce.young@stmarysscd.com, 301-475-8402 ext. 3
• Washington County Envirothon Competition
  Date:  April 29, 2022
  Place:    Washington County Public Schools Headquarters Building
  Contact: Elmer Weibley, Washington Co. Soil Conservation District,
  elmer@conservationplace.com, 301-797-6821, ext. 3 

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