On April 19 and 20, Central Wisconsin Environmental Station will be the site for two environmental education events. For Thursday, April 19, the Wisconsin Green Schools Network has scheduled a Youth Summit for middle and high school students. Students from around the state will present the community projects they have completed locally and take home new ideas for project inspired by their peers' stories. The Youth Summit will be a one-day event. Scholarships and optional Wednesday night lodging will be available.

Then, stay the night and join Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association for the 2012 Wisconsin Envirothon! On Thursday night, participating students will enjoy an optional screening of Green Fire: Aldo Leopold and a Land Ethic for Our Time and a chance to relax and meet peers from around the state before the big Envirothon challenge. Friday, teams of five students apiece will take challenges designed by natural resources educators and professionals in aquatic ecology, forestry, soils and land use, wildlife and give team presentations on going green with low impact development technology to reduce nonpoint source pollution. This year, Wisconsin Envirothon is opening up enrollment to middle school teams grades 5-8. The middle school teams will take the same challenges the high school teams take and give the same presentations, but will be scored separate from the high school students. The high school teams that wins the Wisconsin Envirothon wins the chance to go to the 25^th annual Canon Envirothon: North America’s largest high school environmental education competition July 22-28 at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania and compete for over $120,000 in scholarships and prizes.

Plan now for the 2012 Wisconsin Envirothon by visiting envirothonwi.org and view the learning objectives, past events, and links to help you study.

The 2012 Wisconsin Envirothon has been sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and the Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education. Find out how you can become a 2012 sponsor or volunteer for Wisconsin Envirothon by visiting www.wlwca.org. Schools can elect to participate in the Youth Summit day, the Wisconsin Envirothon, or both! More information including registrations and rates for both events will be posted at: envirothonwi.org and wisconsingreenschoolsnetwork.org. Also, find Wisconsin Envirothon and Wisconsin Green Schools Network on Facebook to stay informed.