Homer District Programs

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The Alaska Envirothon is an annual educational competition for both high school and middle school students on the environment. Students compete in teams of five to test their knowledge of the natural environment. The program focuses on the following five areas of study: forestry ecology, soils/land use, aquatic ecology, wildlife management and current environmental issues.

The competition is designed to:

- Promote a desire to learn more about the natural environment and develop knowledge and skills to apply the basic principles and practices of resource management and ecology.

- Promote stewardship of natural resources and develop critical thinking skills, cooperative problem-solving skills, and decision-making skills of students to balance the quality of life and the quality of the environment.

- Provide students with experience in environmentally oriented activities to enable them to become environmentally aware, action-oriented citizens.

The Alaska Association of Conservation Districts sponsors the statewide Envirothon competition, which is hosted at Chena Hot Springs in late April.

Winners of the state competition attend the international Canon Envirothon competition during the summer. The top five teams at the Canon International Envirothon share in more than $75,000 in scholarships and prizes.

The 2007 Canon Envirothon was hosted at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, New York. The topic was Alternative/Renewable Energy.