Harmony With Mother Earth ? (NAPSA)—You usually don’t call teenagers role models when they walk around with dirty i 2 \ dA i 3 m hands and faces, but all the mud, dust and grime found on several hundred thousand students each year actually is part of a positive learning experience. For many years, high school students who have participated in North America’s largest environmental education competition have achieved, by digging deep into the secrets of Mother Earth, a better understanding about environmental and conservation issues that affect natural resources. The Canon Envirothon is the culmination of a series of competitions that begins each fall in local communities through the U.S. and Canada. Organized by local conservation districts and other environmental agencies, the competitions pit five-member teams from schools and organizations, such as 4-H Clubs and scouting, against each other as they strive for the distinction of representing their state or Canadian province in the North American finals. Thousands of dollars in scholarships and prizes are awarded. Teams are quizzed on issues involving soils, forestry, wildlife, aquatics and a fifth category about the environment that changes each year. Under the supervision of foresters, soil scientists and wildlife specialists, each team is tested for problem-solving capabilities, oral presentation skills and recommendations to ice “hei ia Environmental education helps develop tomorrow’s leaders. help solve environmental challenges. More information about the current competition can be found at www.envirothon.org. “The program promotes envi- ronmental education through the development of knowledgeable, skilled and dedicated citizens who are willing to work toward achieving and maintaining a natural balance between the quality of life and the quality of the environment,” said the organization’s Clay Burns. “In-class curriculum is combined with hands-onfield experiences to demonstrate the role people have in important environmentalissues.” The Canon Envirothon motivates students to participate in dis- cussions about proper land management, habitat protection and other conservation issues. It develops critical thinking and problemsolving skills, and it allows teenagers to become more environ- mentally aware and grow into action-oriented adults who can serve as role models andleaders in their schools and communities.
