CONSERVATION CAMP

Northwest Ohio Conservation Camp, held at 4-H Camp Palmer near Harrison Lake State Park in Fayette, Ohio is normally held in the first or second week of June.  This popular camp is open to any youth from age 8 (and 3rd grade) through 14 (finishing the 8th grade) living in the three state area.

Exciting programs will evolve around a different them each year relating to conservation of our natural resources.  Campers will explore and research how the environment and agriculture affect their daily lives. They will also have the opportunity to climb high ropes, hike, swim, and canoe along with a host of traditional camp activities including crafts, evening dances and campfire programs.

The camp fee is about $115 and covers all program supplies for the four day and three night event, which includes meals, overnight accommodation, activities, and many great camp experiences.

Campers are supervised by a team of trained teen counselors, adult staff, and a nurse who is at camp throughout the week.  Delicious meals are provided family style and modern cabins with bunk beds help to develop friendships and social skills.

The capacity of this camp is large but not unlimited.  Early registration is very important to insure acceptance, as camp could fill up before the May 21^st deadline. After this date the cost of camp increases to $5 more if room exists.

The NW Ohio Conservation Camp is sponsored in cooperation with the Soil and Water Conservation Districts and Ohio State University Extension Offices of northwest Ohio.  For further information or to obtain a registration form for Fulton County residents, please call the Fulton Soil & Water Conservation Office (419-337-9217). 

Area 1 Envirothon

Northwest Ohio

The Envirothon is a multi-disciplinary, environmental problem-solving culminating a series of annual competitions. Teams of five high school students (grades 9-12) train and compete in the areas of soils, aquatics, wildlife, forestry, and current environmental issues at regional, state and national levels.

The Envirothon program originated in Pennsylvania in 1979 as a hands-on, outdoor competition to test high school students' knowledge of natural resources and environmental issues. The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts sponsored it.

In 1988, the original name, Enviro-Olympics was changed to Envirothon. That year, Pennsylvania hosted the first National Envirothon, which consisted of teams from Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and Ohio. The first Ohio Envirothon was held the following year. Six teams participated, with students from East Knox High School Capturing first place and representing Ohio in the 1989 National Envirothon.

In 1990, the Envirothon grew dramatically in Ohio, with more than sixty teams participating in four Area Envirothons. Ohio hosted the National Envirothon that year near Zanesville with Maine, Maryland, and New York joining the competition.

By 1993, the Envirothon was well established in Ohio and on its way to becoming a truly national program. More than three hundred students participated in five Area Envirothons in Ohio. The 1993 National Envirothon was held at Niagara Falls, New York and attracted teams from nineteen states and one Canadian province. The program has grown every year since the 1988 competition in Pennsylvania when just three states competed to the thirty-two states and three Canadian provinces participating in the 1996 national competition held in Nebraska. Nova Scotia hosted the 2000 National Envirothon.

In Ohio, the Envirothon continues to grow as more and more high school students take the opportunity to display their knowledge of the environment. Ohio's Soil and Water Conservation Districts sponsor five Area Envirothons each year and welcome new high school students to join in this exciting and rewarding educational experience.