History
The Envirothon is North America’s largest high school environmental competition. It was started by the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts in 1979. The first National Envirothon competition was held in 1988 with Iowa joining in the 1995-1996 school year. Currently, teams representing over 57 states and Canadian provinces compete at the national level.
The Iowa Envirothon is a state-wide program developed in conjunction with the NCF-Envirothon policies, with the top team in the state representing Iowa at the Nationals.
Whether you have participated in past years or are new to the competition, please review the information on this site thoroughly. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact us at (515) 289-8300 or email Envirothon Coordinator, Courtney Slagle, at admin@cdiowa.org.
Envirothon Basics
The Envirothon is a team competition for high school students. It is a problem-solving, natural resource education program for high school students. In the field, teams of five students are challenged to sharpen critical thinking skills and work as a team to conduct hands-on investigations and answer written questions concerning environmental issues in five categories: Aquatics, Forestry, Wildlife, Soils, and Current Environmental Issues.
Envirothon Benefits
The Envirothon Provides an incentive for students to integrate and apply knowledge and skills learned in biology, chemistry, earth science, botany, zoology and other science disciplines while stimulating, reinforcing and enhancing students’ interest in the environment, related careers, and Iowa’s natural resources. Of course, there is also the incentive of travel, scholarships, prizes and prestige!
Program Sponsors
The Iowa Envirothon is sponsored by the Conservation Districts of Iowa and their partners. The following agencies, organizations, businesses and individuals have supported the Iowa Envirothon through their contributions and donations: Conservation Districts of Iowa, EOR Iowa, LLC, Friend of CDI – Anna Golightly, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship – Division of Soil Conservation and Water Quality, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, Iowa FFA Association, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Soil and Water Conservation Society, Iowa Soybean Association, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Smithfield Foods – Algona, Carroll, Denison, Mason City, Orange City, Sioux Center and Sioux City, Springbrook State Park, and Many Soil and Water Conservation Districts.
Iowa Envirothon 