Students: Put on Your Boots for Ontario Envirothon 2021

Do you wonder about the natural world? Looking for an opportunity to learn more? Consider the Ontario Envirothon! All you need to take part in the 2021 Ontario Envirothon is a cellphone and a curious mind!

For the second year, due to the pandemic, the Ontario Envirothon competition has moved online. This year Forests Ontario is engaging participants through new challenges in concert with iNaturalist, an international community of citizen scientists.

The online format allows students to participate in a team or alone, in competitive or non-competitive stream. Grade 8 students can also take part this year, via the non-competitive stream.

Although we will compete online, you still have to go outside! To participate we invite both teams and individuals to complete a series of challenges by April 30th linked to the 2021 Ontario Envirothon iNaturalist project. New challenges will appear every two weeks. The more challenges a competitive team completes, the greater their chances of advancing to the Provincial Competition, comprised of presentation development and delivery, which will run from May 17th to 19th. On May 26 we crown the winning provincial team, who will receive an invitation to represent Ontario in the virtual NCF-Envirothon (North American) competition.

Registration for the online format opened in early March. So far, we have welcomed 19 teams from 11 schools across Ontario.

To help students dive into the world of environmental sciences, Forests Ontario recently released the 2021 Current Issue Guide, focused on Nature-Based Solutions to Climate Change, in connection with Envirothon. Forests Ontario has also partnered with the North Slave Lake Métis Alliance to host a webinar focused on the cultural and environmental impacts of climate change in northern Canada.

Funding for this year’s program comes from Maple Leave Forever, the Algonquin Forestry Authority and Fleming College..

When exploring nature, please be mindful of others, remain at a safe two metre distance, and follow public health guidelines.

To learn more about this year’s program, important dates or register a team visit the Ontario Envirothon website. If you have any questions about Ontario Envirothon or Forests Ontario, contact us at envirothon@forestsontario.ca.