Education is key to ensuring the sustainability of our environment and natural resources, and conservation districts play a vital role in cultivating the next generation of conservation leaders. Join us for an engaging discussion on conservation education, featuring NACD’s Stewardship and Education initiatives and the NCF-Envirothon program. NACD and the NCF-Envirothon provide conservation districts with initiatives and resources for outreach to students, K–12 grades. This hands-on session will provide an overview of NACD’s Stewardship and Education program which develops conservation education tools for districts and the public, and NCF-Envirothon, an international environmental and conservation academic competition that builds leadership experience for high school students. Hear from a panel of speakers during a roundtable discussion on their work with conservation education outreach initiatives and Envirothon programming and participate with questions, discussion and interaction.

2. NCF-Envirothon and NACD
Stewardship & Education

3. NCF-Envirothon
Jennifer Brooks,
NCF-Envirothon Program Manager

4. • An environmental and natural resources problem-
solving, teambuilding and leadership experience.
• An International Academic Competition, with programs
located across the United States, Canada and China.
• Geared towards high school students (grades 9-12 or ages
14-19).
• Incorporates STEM principles, experiential learning and
outdoor educational experiences.
WHAT IS ENVIROTHON?

5. A NATURAL CHALLENGE
• Envirothon challenges students to develop critical
thinking skills to create inventive solutions to the
complex local and global environmental and natural
resource issues facing our world today.
• This knowledge and understanding empowers them to
educate others, pursue higher academic study in
environmental disciplines, take action in their local
communities, and to work toward conserving our vital
environmental and natural resources!

6. TODAY’S STUDENTS,
TOMORROW’S LEADERS
• Today's students are the decision makers and
leaders of tomorrow!
• Envirothon provides the tools, knowledge and
experience needed to succeed.
• Many students discover a passion for nature
and the environment, and go on to become
soil scientists, biologists, ecologists,
conservationists, and more!
Alumni Spotlight: Emily Moberg, PhD
Pennsylvania Envirothon alum
Emily works with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in
D.C. and runs the National Network for Ocean and
Climate Change Interpretation – an organization
that seeks to educate U.S.-based informal and
formal science educators on how to effectively
communicate climate science to the American
public.

7. ENVIROTHON PROGRAM
BENEFITS
• Emphasizes hands-on learning and real-world application of
concepts.
• Students learn the skills, tools and techniques used by
environmental and natural resource conservation
professionals each day in their careers.
• Students interact with and learn directly from resource
professionals, introducing students to a wide array of higher
academic study and career opportunities in environmental,
natural resource and conservation fields!

8. HOW IT WORKS
• Educational Program and Academic Competition
• In-class Curriculum + Hands-on Outdoor Experiences
• Team-based – teams of 5 students studying,
• 5 Areas of Study:
1. Aquatic Ecology
2. Forestry (including native plants and vegetation)
3. Soils and Land Use
4. Wildlife Ecology
5. Current Environmental Issue (aka Current Issue)

9. TESTING
Working as a team, students will complete a series of
written tests based on the 5 main areas of study.
• Typically held outdoors, teams will visit 5 stations to
answer written questions and complete hands-on
challenges that will lead to answers needed to
complete questions such as,
o measuring tree height, identifying wildlife
using pelts or tracks, determining water
quality based on macroinvertebrates,
examining soil horizons in a soils pit, etc.
Image courtesy of
Manitoba Envirothon
Check In

10. ORAL PRESENTATIONS
Using the Current Issue topic, teams are given a real-world
environmental/natural resource-based issue and challenged to
develop a plan of action to address the issue.
• Working as a team, students will analyze the problem,
debate contrasting viewpoints, evaluate effectiveness
and sustainability of conservation solutions and create
management recommendations, all while developing
and practicing public speaking skills.
• The team then presents their plan to a panel of
judges for scoring.

11. NCF-ENVIROTHON ANNUAL
INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION
Held each July, the top teams from across the 3 countries
gather to compete for thousands in scholarships and
awards!
• Over 500 students, volunteers and guests
• Held in a different location each year
• 6-days for students to explore
o diverse environmental issues, ecosystems,
topography, cultures and more!

12. DURHAM SOIL & WATER
CONSERVATION DISTRICT
Lisa Marochak- Senior Administrative Officer

13. Environmental Education Programs
STUDENTS
 Environmental Education in the
classroom and outdoors
 Environmental Field Days
 Conservation Contest (local, area,
and state)
 Envirothon Program (Share video)
Area IV Envirothon
Outdoor Classroom
Field Day
NC Envirothon Envirothon
2022
Bookmark
Contest
First Grade
Cedar Clauson
1st Place

14. Environmental Education Programs
ADULTS
 Environmental Outreach within
Community
 Pond Clinic
 Teacher Workshops
 Breakfast series for farmers
 Farm Tours for Board of County
Commissioners and Legislators
Annual Pond
Clinic
Farmer
Breakfast
Farmer Tour

15. NCF Diversity Grant
 In 2020 Durham Soil and Water
Conservation District applied and
received the NCF Diversity Grant
 Award amount $4,000
 Project Title: Durham SWCD
Envirothon Diversity Outreach and
Educational Tools Grant
 Project Narrative: Augmented
Reality (AR) Sandbox was
constructed and is utilized to
educate students and teachers in
Durham County and to promote
the Envirothon Program in NC. It
allows users to create a
topography model by sand, which
is then augmented in real time by
an elevation color map,
topographic contour lines, and
simulated water.
 Videodemonstrating our new
Augmented Reality Sandbox:
https://youtu.be/pKzYzSjygt
A

16. AR Sandbox Pictures

17. NC ENVIROTHON
PROGROGRAM

18. Envirothon Video:
https://youtu.be/AxiTBGqX7kI
Created and produced by Durham SWCD

19. NCF Diversity Grant
 In 2021 North Carolina School
for the Deaf applied and
received the NCF Diversity Grant
 Award amount $2,000
 Project Title: Environmental
Education for all
 Project Narrative: To provide
additional opportunities in
agricultural education to
students at the NC School of the
Deaf. The funds were used to
purchase resources and materials
needed to train individuals from
the NC School of the Deaf for
the Envirothon competition.
 Materials include animal skins,
skulls, water test kits, soil testing
kits, scats, tree tape, soil tubes,
hard hats,
 Diversity: The project will
add diversity to the NC
Envirothon Program, and
no other Envirothon
program has a deaf school
competing in their
program.
 It will also grow the
Agriculture Program at the
North Carolina School of
the Deaf. This is a new
program that is still
growing and developing
into a complete program.

20. Alabama Association of Conservation Districts
Courtney Curenton-Baker,
Operations and Outreach Manager

21. NACD K-8 Curriculum:
Learn About Conservation of Natural
Resources
Rachel Edwards,

22. WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO
 The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) is
the nonprofit organization that represents America’s 3,000
conservation districts and the 17,000 men and women who
serve on their governing boards. Conservation districts are
local units of government established under state law to carry
out natural resource management programs at the local level.
 NACD’s mission is to promote responsible management and
conservation of natural resources on all lands by representing
locally-led conservation districts and their associations through
grassroots advocacy, education and partnerships.

23. STEWARDSHIP AND EDUCATION
(S&E) PROGRAM
• 5-year Curriculum
Program for K-8 Students
(Soil, Watershed, Pollinators and
Forestry)
 Stewardship Week
 (Celebrated annually since 1955 between the last
Sunday in April and the first Sunday in May)
• Photo and Poster
Contests

24. NACD S&E K-8 CURRICULUM
 4 Level Booklets (GR K-1, GR 2-3, GR 4-5, GR 6-8)
 Educators Guide (features student booklets correlated with
national standards and learning objectives, activities, list of
educational resources, books list and more.)
 Bookmark (a great item for your schools, libraries and
community outreach efforts around the annual S&E theme
and its importance.)
 Poster (another great educational resource for classrooms,
offices and locations to showcase the importance of the
annual S&E theme.)
 Placemat (two sided 9x13, it can serve as a placemat or as
an activity sheet as it displays fun and interactive activities.)
 Banner

25. CURRENT S&E THEME AND
MATERIALS
Healthy Soil, Healthy Life

26. SOIL ACTIVITY

27. HOW TO ACCESS
S&E EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
Visit NACD Conservation Education
Hub at
https://www.nacdnet.org/conservation-
education-hub/
and download for free!

28. HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES
Stewardship & Education

29. HANDS-ON ACTIVITIES
Envirothon

30. ENVIROTHON
Wildlife # 2 Aquatics # 2 Forestry # 2

31. Panel
Q&A

32. CONTACT US
 www.nacdnet.org/conservation-education-hub/
 Follow us on Social Media @nacdconserve
 rachel-edwards@nacdnet.org
 www.envirothon.org
 Follow us on Social Media: @ncfenvirothon
 jennifer-brooks@nacdnet.org
 info@envirothon.org