Virginia Dominion Energy Envirothon Program

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What is the Envirothon?

The Virginia Dominion Energy Envirothon is a team-based natural resources competition for high school students.  Students who participate learn stewardship and management concepts and work to solve real-world environmental problems.  The program is field-oriented, community-based, and gives students an opportunity to work with natural resource professionals.  Click Here for a video overview of the Dominion Energy Envirothon competition!

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Who makes up a team and what do they do?

Students work in teams of five.  Throughout the school year students prepare to compete at the local level, qualify to then compete at the area level and the top three teams from the six Soil & Water Conservation District areas in the state compete to be the State Winner.  These teams of high school students are tested on their knowledge of natural resources-soils, forestry, wildlife, aquatics and a current environmental issue.  Students visit five “in-the-field” test stations where written and hands-on problem solving is required along with an oral presentation formulating a strategy to address a specific environmental issue they’ve been presented with.  The event is competitive but education is the bottom line.

Teams can be created through school clubs, classes, home school groups, 4-H groups, scout troops, local nature centers etc.  The only requirement is that the team has a minimum of five students (who are in 9th-12th grade) and one adult advisor/chaperone.

Additional Resources & Information:

• New Promo Video
• 2022-2023 Envirothon Written Report
• Check out this video about the Virginia Dominion Envirothon from a Coach’s perspective
• Information about this year’s Current Competition
• Learning Objectives/Oral Presentation Problem
• Envirothon Study Resources & Practice Questions
• 2023-2024 Virginia Dominion Energy Envirothon Kickoff Event Recording
  • Slides from the Kickoff Event

• Coaches Handbook Document

Want to get involved?

Reach out to your local Soil & Water Conservation District (SWCD) to learn more, or email maura.christian@vaswcd.org to get connected to your local SWCD. Teams will need to get in touch with their local SWCD by the winter in order to be included in the local and/or regional competitions that occur in the spring. Check out https://vaswcd.org/current-competition/ to see the upcoming training and/or competition in your area. The top three teams from each of Virginia’s six regions will advance on to the State Competition in mid/late May each spring.

Virginia’s Envirothon program is also supported through the Chesapeake Bay Restoration Fund. Proceeds from the sale of the Bay license plates help citizens keep the bay healthy by restoring wetlands, planting buffers around waterways, promoting marine life restoration, decreasing pollution and providing educational programs like Envirothon.  To purchase a Bay license plate visit: http://www.dmv.state.va.us/vehicles/#splates/info.asp?idnm=CB 

Other Opportunities:

Virginia Board of Education’s Seal for Excellence in Science and the Environment

(available only to students who entered ninth grade in 2018-2019 or thereafter)

Information about the Diploma Seal- Science and the Environment, which Envirothon students could earn, can be found here

The Virginia Envirothon, a recognized outreach program supported by the state legislature in code, is a natural resources competition through which high school students around the Commonwealth compete by demonstrating their knowledge of environmental science and natural resource management. In preparation for the event, teams of students spend the year studying soils, forestry, aquatics, wildlife, and a current specific environmental issue. Students also apply their knowledge of these topics and problem-solving skills through an oral presentation in which they solve real-life environmental problems.

The Virginia Envirothon Academic Competition was established in 1995.  Since then, Envirothon has been awarded the Environmental Stewardship Award by the Petroleum Council. The Commonwealth of Virginia has repeatedly placed in the top 15 overall teams at the International Envirothon competition.  The 2006 Virginia team placed first at the national competition and placed sixth in 2007.  In 2011 our students took home a 7th place finish and in 2012 the Virginia team placed 8th overall and 1st place in the aquatics topic. In 2018, our Virginia team placed third overall with first-place scores in wildlife and oral presentation. In 2019, our Virginia team (Jamestown High School) placed first overall and first place in Forestry.   Each member took home a $3,000 scholarship. 

Envirothon has undoubtedly increased public awareness and personal improvement on behalf of the Chesapeake Bay and all of our local watersheds. Students also gain an understanding of our food sources and the need for better protection and conservation of our environment.

A COMPLETE HISTORY OF ENVIROTHON WINNERS AT THE STATE LEVEL:

2023 VA Competition- Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA

• 1^st Place- Jamestown High School, Colonial SWCD*
• 2^nd Place- Louisa County High School, Thomas Jefferson SWCD
• 3^rd Place- Harrisonburg High School, Shenandoah Valley SWCD
• Jamestown High School represented VA at the NCF Competition in New Brunswick, Canada and placed 13th overall.

2022 VA Competition- Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, VA

• 1^st Place- Harrisonburg High School, Shenandoah Valley SWCD
• 2^nd Place- Louisa County High School, Thomas Jefferson SWCD*
• 3^rd Place- Albemarle High School, Thomas Jefferson SWCD
• *Louisa County High School represented VA at the NCF Competition at Miami University, Oxford Ohio and placed 12^th overall

2021 VA Competition- virtual due to COVID-19 Pandemic

• 1^st Place- Louisa County High School, Thomas Jefferson SWCD*
• 2^nd Place- Fort Defiance High School, Headwaters SWCD
• 3^rd Place- Jamestown High School, Colonial SWCD
• *Louisa County High School placed 14^th overall at the NCF virtual Envirothon Competition.

2019 VA Competition- Ferrum College, Ferrum Virginia

• 1^st Place- Jamestown High School, Colonial SWCD*
• 2^nd Place- Louisa County High School, Thomas Jefferson SWCD
• 3^rd Place- Fort Defiance High School, Headwaters SWCD
• *Jamestown High School placed 1^st overall, and 1st in Forestry at the NCF-Envirothon Competition in Raleigh, North Carolina.

2018 VA Competition- Ferrum College, Ferrum Virginia

• 1^st Place- Jamestown High School, Colonial SWCD*
• 2^nd Place- Fort Defiance High School, Headwaters SWCD
• 3^rd Place- Louisa County High School, Thomas Jefferson SWCD
• *Jamestown High School placed 3^rd overall, 1^st Place for Oral Presentation, and Tied for 1^st in Wildlife at the NCF-Envirothon Competition

2017 VA Competition- Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA

• 1^st Place- Fort Defiance High School, Headwaters SWCD
• 2^nd Place- Jamestown High School, Colonial SWCD
• 3^rd Place– Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology, Northern Virginia SWCD

2016 VA Competition-Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, VA

• 1^st Place-Fort Defiance High School, Headwaters SWCD
• 2^nd Place-Jamestown High School, Colonial SWCD
• 3^rd Place- Eastern View High School, Culpeper SWCD

2015 VA Competition-Longwood University, Farmville, VA

• 1^st Place-Hidden Pond Nature Center, Northern Virginia SWCD
• 2^nd Place-Jamestown High School, Colonial SWCD
• 3^rd Place-Eastern View High School, Culpeper SWCD

2014 VA Competition-Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, VA

• 1st Place-Fort Defiance High School, Headwaters SWCD
• 2^nd Place-Eastern View High School, Culpeper SWCD
• 3^rd Place-Eastern Mennonite High School, Shenandoah Valley SWCD

2013 VA Competition-Virginia State University, Petersburg, VA

• 1^st Place- Hidden Pond Nature Center, Northern VA SWCD
• 2^nd Place- Albemarle High School, Thomas Jefferson SWCD
• 3^rd Place- Northern Neck 4-H, Northern Neck SWCD

2012 VA COMPETITION – James Madison University, Harrisonburg VA

• 1^st Place – Fort Defiance High School, Headwaters SWCD
• 2^nd Place – Hidden Pond Nature Center, Northern VA SWCD
• 3^rd Place – Eastern View High School, Culpeper SWCD
• *Fort Defiance High Places 8th at Canon National Competition and 1^st in Aquatics Ecology Station

2011 VA COMPETITION – Camp Hanover, Hanover, VA

• 1^st Place – Fort Defiance High School, Headwaters SWCD
• 2^nd Place – Hidden Pond Nature Center, Northern VA SWCD
• 3^rd Place – Northern Neck 4H, Northern Neck SWCD
• *Fort Defiance High School Places 7th at Canon National Competition

2010 VA COMPETITION – Skelton 4H, Wirtz, VA

• 1st Place – Jamestown High School, Colonial SWCD
• 2nd Place – Fort Defiance High School, Headwaters SWCD
• 3rd Place –Halifax High School, Halifax SWCD

2009 VA COMPETITION – Airfield 4H

• 1^st Place – Fort Defiance High School, Headwaters SWCD
• 2^nd Place – Jamestown High School, Colonial SWCD
• 3^rd Place – Albemarle High School, Thomas Jefferson SWCD

2007 VA COMPETITION

• 1st Place – Harrisonburg High School, Shenandoah Valley SWCD
• 2nd Place – Fort Defiance High School, Headwaters SWCD
• 3rd Place – ALBEMARLE High School, THOMAS JEFFERSON SWCD
• *Harrisonburg High School places 6th at Canon Envirothon

2006 VA COMPETITION

• 1st Place – Fort Defiance High School, Headwaters SWCD
• 2nd Place – Nandua High School, Eastern Shore SWCD
• 3rd Place – Halifax High School, Halifax SWCD
• *Fort Defiance High School wins and places 1st at Canon Envirothon

2005 – Fort Defiance High School Places Second at Canon Envirothon

2004 – VA COMPETITION – James Madison University, Harrisonburg VA

• 1st Place – Augusta County 4H, Headwaters SWCD
• 2nd Place – Rockbridge High School, Natural Bridge SWCD
• 3rd Place – Powhatan High School, Monacan SWCD
• *Augusta County 4H Homeschool places 2nd at Canon North American Envirothon Competition…..

2003 – VA COMPETITION – Airfield 4-H Education Center, Wakefield VA

• 1st Place – Fort Defiance High School, Headwaters SWCD
• 2nd Place – Central High School, Lord Fairfax SWCD
• 3rd Place – Halifax High School, Halifax SWCD

2002 – Virginia State Arboretum, Winchester VA

• 1st Place – Harrisonburg High School, Shenandoah Valley SWCD
• 2nd Place – Osbourne Park High School, Prince William SWCD
• 3rd Place – Central High School, Lord Fairfax SWCD

2001- Smith Mt. Lake 4H Educational Center , Wirtz , VA

• 1st Place – Harrisonburg High School, Shenandoah Valley SWCD
• 2nd Place – Amelia County High School, Piedmont SWCD
• 3rd Place – Franklin County High School, Blue Ridge SWCD

2000 – Holiday Lake 4-H Educational Center, Appomattox, VA

• 1st place – Albemarle Environmental Club, Thomas Jefferson SWCD
• 2nd place – Central High School FFA, Shenandoah County
• 3rd place – Harrisonburg High School, Shenandoah Valley SWCD

1999 – Seashore/First Landing State Park, Virginia Beach

• 1st – Harrisonburg High School, Shenandoah Valley SWCD
• 2nd – Albemarle/Monticello High School, Thomas Jefferson SWCD
• 3rd – New Kent High School, Colonial SWCD

1998 – Northern Virginia 4-H Center, Front Royal

• 1st – Thomas Jefferson SWCD – Albemarle High School
• 2nd – Shenandoah Valley SWCD – Harrisonburg High School
• 3rd – Piedmont SWCD – Fuqua School

1997 – Camp Blue Ridge, Montebello

• 1st – Shenandoah Valley SWCD – Turner Ashby High School
• 2nd – Piedmont SWCD – Fuqua School
• 3rd – Daniel Boone SWCD – Thomas Walker High School 

1996 – Hungry Mother State Park, Marion

• 1st – Eastern Shore SWCD – Nandua High School
• 2nd – Daniel Boone SWCD – Thomas Walker High School
• 3rd – Shenandoah Valley SWCD – Turner Ashby High School

1995 – Douthat State Park

• 1st – Eastern Shore SWCD – Nandua High School
• 2nd – Daniel Boone SWCD – Thomas Walker High School
• 3rd – Appomattox River SWCD – Dinwiddie High School