Envirothon Hopefuls Attend Forestry Workshop at Unity College

     On Friday, March 21, students from Maine high schools who have set their sights in competing in upcoming Envirothon competitions attended a Forestry Workshop at Unity College in Unity, Maine.

     Envirothon is a natural resource problem-solving competition for grates 9-12.  In an outdoor setting, students are tested in five natural resource areas: aquatics, forestry, soils, wildlife and current national environmental issues. Each year regional Envirothon competitions are held, with successful competitors moving through a process of regional competitions to a single state Envirothon competition—from which the top team advances to the national Canon Envirothon competition.

Peter Lammert, a Project Forester with the Maine Forest Service, guided students through an exercise during an Envirothon practice session held at Unity College.

     The Forestry Workshop has been an annual event for several years. Unity College has hosted the program for the past two years. The purpose of the program has been to prepare high school Envirothon teams for regional spring competitions.

     Tish Carr, Education Coordinator for the Maine Association of Conservation Districts, heads up the Maine Envirothon program which is also supported by the state’s 16 soil and water conservation districts . State foresters from the Maine Forest Service offer their expertise and teach students about tree identification, silivaculture, forestry tools, community forestry, and GPS. 

Unity College is hosting the Maine Envirothon Finals on May 29. Teams from around the state will compete outdoors on Unity’s beautiful campus in the five natural resource areas.

Unity College is a small private college in rural Maine that provides dedicated, engaged students with a liberal arts education which emphasizes the environment and natural resources.  Unity College graduates are prepared to be environmental stewards, effective leaders, and responsible citizens through active learning experiences within a supportive community.