Environmental Education

Hundreds of teachers and professionals throughout Pennsylvania guide high school students through this natural resource environmental education program that combines classroom learning and outdoor activities. This exposure to nature and seeing how humans impact the natural world provide invaluable lessons for understanding ecosystems and our environment.

At the Envirothon, teams of five high school students compete in field testing using their knowledge in five topic areas – Soils and Land Use, Aquatic Ecology, Forestry, Wildlife, and Environmental Issues. A current environmental issue is chosen each year as the “hot topic” for the focus of this station as well as the oral presentation component.

Awareness – The Envirothon Program will help students cultivate an awareness of the total environment and acquire a sensitivity to its limited natural resources.

Knowledge – The Envirothon Program will help students develop a basic understanding of the earth’s ecological systems and the interdependence of the human species with these systems.

Attitudes – The Envirothon Program will help students develop a set of attitudes and feelings of concern for the environment and instill the motivation and commitment to participate in activities geared toward protecting the environment.

Application – The Envirothon Program will help students develop the skills needed to identify, investigate, and contribute to the resolution of environmental issues and problems.

View the following video to learn more about the Envirothon and what happens at the competition.

 

Fayette County
Envirothon 2024

Date:
Friday, April 19, 2024

Place:
Tharp Knob Picnic Area in Ohiopyle State Park.

Envirothon Study Resources (toggle here)

More information about the Envirothon in Pennsylvania, information about the PA State event, information about the National event, and current study resources can be found at www.envirothonpa.org.

There is an Envirothon App now available. This is the link from the Envirothonpa.org site.

(Just a note – there have been some folks out there claiming to have Envirothon study apps that require payments – those are NOT the official app. The ONLY official app is FREE).

Envirothon Training Materials (toggle here)

FORESTRY

  • 2 Tree & Log Scale Sticks
  • 2 Sets of Tree Rounds (5 each of 6 species – ash, basswood, red oak, white pine, red pine, and walnut) w/ activity sheet masters
  • 1 Leaf ID Kit – includes 39 real tree leaves carded, labeled and bagged (one set of 13 is identified and two sets are not), booklet with 8 hands on activities, leaf key, Tree Finder tree ID book
  • 1 Seed ID Kit – includes 39 real tree seeds carded, labeled and bagged (one
    set of 13 is identified and two sets are not), booklet with 7 hands on activities, seed key
  • 1 Set of leaf printing stamps (1 ea. sugar maple, white oak, ginkgo, elm, tulip tree, red oak)
  • 1 Set of “Leaves & Seeds of Common PA Trees”
  • 1 BioQuest “Biodiversity Tree Study Kit”
  • Clinometers and prisms – they are small and somewhat delicate so will not be available to borrow, but Russ Gibbs will have them to be able to demonstrate how to use them to do measurements if you request his help.

WILDLIFE

  • 1 set track molds (21 native PA mammals & birds)
  • 1 set of 3 “Tracking Clue Card Games” (“Schoolyard”, “Backyard” and “Carnivore Crossroads”)
  • 1 deer aging tool (with instructional dvd – dvd is missing – tool is still helpful by using the 3 QDMA You Tube videos “White-tailed deer jawbone aging” parts 1,2 &3)
  • 3 real deer jaws of various ages

**“Identiflyers” ( bird calls are available from various sources, but Fayette County and the State Competition will use the “Identiflyer” so make sure the students are familiar with those calls – sometimes the different sources sound very different).

Our office is hosting 1 “Urban Wildlife Kit” which includes furs, skulls, scat, tracks, and a binder containing a key to all the items and facts about these mammals. The skulls include an herbivore, omnivore, and carnivore. This has been put together and made available by the PGC.
For more information about the resources in the “Urban Wildlife Kit” check out this YouTube video from the PGC.
Additional skulls have been added.

AQUATICS

  • 2 sets LaMotte Leaf Pack aquatic macroinvertebrate flash cards – 18 cards
  • 2 sets LaMotte Aquatic Insect Life Cycle/Habitat flash cards
  • 1 “Bugs of the Underworld – A Fly Fisher’s Guide to the Natural History of Aquatic Insects” dvd
  • 1 set of preserved macroinvertebrates
  • 1 “Guide to Eastern Streams”
  • 1 “Guide to Eastern Wetlands”

SOILS

  • Calibrated Soil texture samples
  • Munsell soil color book
  • Soil profile study guide with large soil pit “poster” Soils cont’d
  • 1 book – “The Dust Bowl” by Sue Vander Hook
  • 1 “Soil Analysis Field Kit”
  • 4 Cornell pH test kits

POCKET GUIDES

  • 1 set – Pollinators (Includes 1 “Bats”, 1 “Bee & Other Pollinators” & 1 Butterflies & Moths)
  • Individual guides
  • Bees & Other Pollinators
  • Animal Tracking
  • PA Birds
  • PA Wildlife

This project (new study materials – listed in purple) was financed in part by a grant awarded to Pennsylvania Envirothon from the Community Conservation Partnership Program, using Environmental Stewardship Funds, under the administration of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.
This project (new study materials – listed in purple) was financed in part by a grant awarded to Pennsylvania Envirothon under the administration of the Shell Oil Company U.S.

Contact Terri Springer at the FCCD to schedule borrowing resource materials.

This project (new study materials) was financed in part by a grant awarded to Pennsylvania Envirothon from the Community Conservation Partnership Program, using Environmental Stewardship Funds, under the administration of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation.
This project (new study materials) was also financed in part by a grant awarded to Pennsylvania Envirothon under the administration of the Shell Oil Company U.S.

Contact Terri Springer at the FCCD to schedule borrowing resource materials.

Fayette County Conservation District Environmental Science Scholarships

The Fayette County Conservation District is offering four $1,500.00 scholarships to students from Fayette County for the 2024/25 academic year. Two will be awarded to students enrolled in an agriculture related major or program, and two will be awarded to students enrolled in an environmental science related major or program.

Environmental Science Scholarship Qualifications

A. The applicant must be a resident of Fayette County.

B. The applicant must be enrolled in or accepted into an Environmental Science or related field of study for the 2024/2025 academic year. Examples of Environmental Science related programs include but are not limited to: Environmental Resources Management; Soil & Natural Resources Conservation; Wildlife & Fisheries Management; Aquatic Ecology; Forest Ecosystem Management; Geographic Information Systems (GIS); Recreation, Parks & Tourism Management; Environmental Education; Bio-renewable Systems; Energy & Sustainability; Landscape Architecture and more. Determination of whether your major course of study qualifies will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors of the FCCD. If you are not sure your program is eligible, contact the FCCD office.

C. The scholarship shall be awarded by the Conservation District Board of Directors without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

How to Apply for the Environmental Science Scholarship
The applicant will submit:
* Completed FCCD Environmental Science Scholarship application (link to PDF Application)
* A copy of school/program acceptance letter/student ID
* List of involvement in extra-curricular activities within your chosen field of study
* Essay conveying why you are entering this particular field of study

Completed applications for the scholarship must be received at the Conservation District office by 4:00 PM May 3, 2024. The scholarship recipients will be notified on or about June 3, 2024.

Please mail applications to:
Fayette County Conservation District
10 Nickman Plaza
Lemont Furnace, PA 15456
Attention: Terri Springer

Any questions? Call 724- 438-4497 or email TerriSpringer.43@gmail.com

Agriculture Scholarship Qualifications

A. The applicant must be a resident of Fayette County.

B. The applicant must be enrolled in or accepted into an Agriculture or related field of study for the 2024/2025 academic year. Examples of Agriculture related programs include but are not limited to: Agricultural and Biological Engineering; Agricultural Education, Economics and Sociology; Animal Science; Ecosystem Science and Management; Entomology; Food Science; Plant Science/Agronomy; Soils Science; Plant Pathology and Microbiology; Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences; Forestry. Determination of whether your major course of study qualifies will be at the discretion of the Board of Directors of the FCCD. If you are not sure your program is eligible, contact the FCCD office.

C. The scholarship shall be awarded by the Conservation District Board of Directors without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

How to Apply for the Agriculture Scholarship

The applicant will submit:
* Completed FCCD Agriculture Scholarship application (link to PDF Application)
* A copy of school/program acceptance letter/student ID
* List of involvement in extra-curricular activities within your chosen field of study
* Essay conveying why you are entering this particular field of study

Completed applications for the scholarship must be received at the Conservation District office by 4:00 PM May 3, 2024. The scholarship recipients will be notified on or about June 3, 2024.

Please mail applications to:
Fayette County Conservation District
10 Nickman Plaza
Lemont Furnace, PA 15456
Attention: Terri Springer

Any questions? Call 724- 438-4497 or email TerriSpringer.43@gmail.com

This application can be used to apply for either scholarship:

Any questions? Call 724.438.4497 or email at TerriSpringer.43@gmail.com

Fayette County
Conservation District

10 Nickman Plaza
Lemont Furnace, PA 15456

(724) 438-4497