Envirothon

One of the more interesting experiences that I've had the opportunity to get involved in is the annual Provincial Envirothon. For those of you who have no idea what this means, the Envirothon is a competition in which students from across the province are tested on their environmental knowledge. It is a team event, encompassing five members who specialize in various fields: Wildlife, Aquatics, Soils, Forestry, and the Theme (which varies from year to year). For the past three years, I have taken the theme (which last year was groundwater preservation). What is particularly challenging about it is that since it changes every year, the knowledge you learn is one year cannot be applied as easily in the next year (verses the other categories where the knowledge is consistent from year to year and can be built upon). However, it also offers some benefits, as one is forced to become more well rounded in the field of environmental studies than the other members. Generally speaking, the process involves studying an abundance of material months prior to the competition in order to prepare for the test. The actual event is spaced over two days and involves a written and oral component. The written test is divided further into two parts, each three hours long. But the really interesting part is that you do it on a marathon-type coarse, running in the woods (no exaggeration) from station to station, answering various questions along the way. As for the oral component, you prep for a few hours with your team (on a random topic, one year it was sustainable development for a northern community) and pitch it to a panel. Overall, its a very thrilling experience, one unlike any other I've done so far. What's particularly interesting is the awareness it creates about environmental issues, not just in our communities, but around the world. One of the most shocking things that I learned because of the programme was that less than 3% of the worlds water supply is fit for consumption, and of that the majority is in groundwater aqueducts. As such, one must be vigilant in adopting policy which maintain these sources of water at healthy levels (i.e. avoid contamination and overuse). Indeed, these reservoirs are not determined by any international boundary and as such the policies of one nation may indirectly affect the other. In terms of giving me a global perspective on the environment, I consider my participation in this programme as invaluable.