Outreach and education are essential components of the Mountain Soil and Water Conservation District’s efforts to promote soil and water conservation. Through programs like the Dominion Envirothon, local high school students are given the opportunity to engage in hands-on learning and real-world problem-solving related to natural resource management. Working in teams, students explore environmental issues in areas such as aquatics, forestry, soils, and wildlife, while also tackling a current environmental issue each year. This program helps students develop valuable skills in research, teamwork, and presentation, fostering a deeper understanding of their role in addressing environmental challenges. Additionally, the Underground Classroom— a mobile learning unit— brings soil health and conservation education to schools and communities across the region. By offering interactive experiences, it highlights the critical role soil plays in ecosystem health and water quality, emphasizing the importance of soil conservation for maintaining healthy watersheds. These educational initiatives empower both youth and adults to become more environmentally aware and action-oriented, building a foundation for the long-term sustainability of our natural resources.
By providing resources, workshops, and hands-on experiences, the District helps landowners, farmers, and the broader community understand the importance of sustainable practices that protect natural resources. Through educational programs, we empower individuals to make informed decisions about land and water management, fostering a sense of responsibility and stewardship. Engaging the community in conservation efforts not only enhances environmental health but also supports economic sustainability, ensuring the well-being of future generations.
The Dominion Environthon
The Dominion Envirothon is a natural resources competition for high school students. Students who participate learn stewardship and management concepts, and work to solve real and hypothetical environmental problems. The program is field-oriented, community-based and gives students the opportunity to work with natural-resource professionals. The students have fun developing skills as a team, meeting students from other schools, and learning about career opportunities in the environmental field.
Who makes up a team and what do they do?
Students work in teams of five, plus up to two alternates. Throughout the school year, students prepare to compete at the local level, then qualify for the Area I competition. Top-scoring teams from each of the three different Districts in the Area will advance to the State Dominion Envirothon Competition. At each level of competition, students are tested on their knowledge of natural resources in four categories: AQUATICS, FORESTRY, SOILS and WILDLIFE, plus a CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE that changes annually. Students visit four “in the field” test stations, where written- and hands- on problem solving is required. In addition, each team delivers an oral presentation based on their strategy for addressing the current environmental issue. While the events are competitive, they encourage development of useful real-world skills in research, collaboration and defense of findings.
Education is the bottom line.
Participants in the Envirothon program gain a deeper knowledge of the effect individual actions have on environmental problems, the interactions and inter-dependence of our environment, current environmental issues, the agencies available to assist them in resource protection concerns and the need to become environmentally aware, action-oriented adults. Previous participants in the Mountain SWCD Envirothon program have attended and taught at environmental summer camps and received college scholarships.
Start an Envirothon Team!
If you would like to form or coach a team through your school, church, home school group, scout troop, etc.
contact Lorie Baldwin at Mountain SWCD: (540) 839-4616 or mswcdlorie@tds.net
Underground Classroom
The Headwaters SWCD’s Underground Classroom is a handicap accessible 22-foot cargo trailer that serves as a mobile learning unit bringing soils and conservation education to local schools and community throughout AugustaCounty, Staunton, Waynesboro and surrounding areas. Visits outside of theseareas can be scheduled for a fee.
The Underground Classroom is used to educate youth and adults about soilhealth and conservation. The Underground Classroom allows visitors to walkthrough a three-dimensional virtual experience of the underground world beneaththem. Through activities and investigations that correlate to the VirginiaStandards of Learning, students learn the important role soil health provides tocrops and water quality. The goal of the Underground Classroom is for youthand adults to come away with the knowledge that soil is more than just dirt; soilconservation is vital for the health of our ecosystems and watersheds. Includedwith the mobile classroom, are the option for additional Learning Stations thatcan be set up to expand on the curriculum covered in the UndergroundClassroom by providing hands-on investigations and demonstrations.
