Winter 2006 - Missouri Department of Natural Resources

esource stations learning about aquatic
ecology, cultural landscapes, forestry, soils,
land use and wildlife.
They pored over a stream display that
taught them about the impacts of erosion.
They studied maps and learned about watersheds.
They knelt in soil pits, walked in the
woods, and carefully examined stalks of
Sericea lespedeza, learning ways to identify
Missouri’s soils, trees and invasive species.
The students also learned about various
types of cultural resources, and ways in
which culture can shape the landscape.
“The Canon Envirothon is a great educational
event for all students … It allows students
who have had no specific interest in
environmental studies before, the opportunity
to see if a career in the natural resources
is something they might want to pursue
later. It also allows them to see how everything
affects everything else,” said Stinson.
The training didn’t stop at day’s end; in
the evenings, students continued to
learn. A tour of Fantastic Caverns showed
students what hundreds of years of percolating
water in the limestone hills of the
Ozarks can create. Students learned more
about Missouri’s caves and wildlife at the
Wonders of Wildlife Museum. Tumbling
Creek cave snails, white-tailed deer, and
other exhibits awaited students at the museum.
They also were able to watch otters
play and enjoyed aquariums twice their
height, teeming with aquatic life.
After two days of training on Missouri’s
resources, 250 students ventured out for a
day of testing in temperatures topping 100
degrees. They examined wildlife pelts, fish,
streams, trees and test questions. Armed
with bottles of water and sports drinks, they
proved they were definitely up for the challenge.
Most had started studying resource
materials long before they arrived.
Students found themselves back at the
battlefield one last time Friday morning for
additional cultural resources training.
Dressed civil war attire, Matt Campbell, of
the National Parks Service, explained what
life might have been like for those in the
battle. Teams were then sequestered for the
rest of the evening to work on their oral presentations.
Students spent the evening after
testing in white T-shirts and poodle skirts,
(Opposite page) Matt
Campbell, of the National
Parks Service, fills the barrel
of a gun with gunpowder,
while students from the
Manitoba Envirothon team
look on. Campbell, dressed
in Civil War attire, explains
what life might have been
like for those fighting in the
battle that took place at Wilson’s
Creek National Battlefield
in 1861.
(Left) Aimee Davis, of the
winning Pennsylvania team,
shares her surprise and excitement
with teammates.
(Bottom left) Delaware students
make their final oral
presentation on managing
cultural landscapes. The
top five teams do a final
oral presentation in front of
a panel of Envirothon
judges and other teams.
(Bottom right) Quayle Chew
(right), Lance Pflieger, Jay
Houtz (back) and Rachel
Simmons (left), of the Utah
team, practice identifying
aquatic insects during training
at Fantastic Caverns.