Opportunities to Contribute to the
Massachusetts Envirothon
Every year, Envirothon teams representing schools and community organizations across Massachusetts prepare for a statewide event in May that tests their knowledge of forest, wildlife, water, and soil resources and of current environmental issues.
This annual exploration of environmental topics and advocacy is made possible by hundreds of people: Envirothon organizers, high school principals, teacher-coaches, natural resource experts, parents, sponsoring organizations, and others. You, too, can help enrich and sustain this valuable program. There are many ways to contribute to the success of Envirothon.
A Vital Way to Join the Team
Mass Envirothon has an small but essential cash budget that the organizers must raise every year. Please consider making a cash contribution to the Mass Envirothon, which accepts tax-deductible donations through the Massachusetts Association of Conservation Districts. A cash donation of any size can leverage ten times its dollar value in time and resources from environmental agencies, educators, professionals, and other volunteers, so please give as generously as you can. A little can really do a lot!
And consider making a multi-year pledge, to enable the committee to spend less time fundraising in the coming year and more time enriching the year-long student experience with additional supporting reference materials and other necessary supplies.
You can become an Envirothon Sponsor by giving direct support at a designated level. Your name or the name of your company or organization could be included on the Envirothon web pages and other program materials. Or you may wish to sponsor some specific aspect of Envirothon, such as its vibrant Power Networking Lunch, which is a favorite part of the day for teams, judges, and volunteers, who relish the opportunities to have more in-depth conversations about the issues, catch up with former colleagues and mentors, and establish new contacts.
Or maybe you are in a position to sponsor Envirothon by funding an endowment, such as for student-team travel expenses (including grants for substitute teachers to replace the teacher-coaches), training workshops for teachers and orientation workshops for students, or additional reference materials. For some otherwise enthusiastic and talented high school teams, the lack of travel and substitute teacher funds prevents them from participating at all. These endowments may be more affordable than you think: Please click here to send an email and be contacted by an Envirothon committee member who will provide more information about sponsorship and endowment opportunities.
All contributors, small and large, are thanked in our event program. Thank you for considering making a direct gift of cash to the Mass Envirothon!
Concrete Tasks: Visible Results
Please volunteer for the day of the event – – in 2014, it’s Thursday, May 15, at Sholan Farms in Leominster–and allow us to assign you, often as part of a team, to tasks as needed throughout the day. All Envirothon volunteers are notoriously smart, good-humored, competent, and hard-working, so we can guarantee you will be a highly-valued member of a dream team, wherever you are assigned – join the fun!
The entire day runs from 7:00 A.M. to about 3:00 P.M., and the ideal volunteer will be able to commit to helping out in one way or another for the entire day. The tasks roughly break down into four categories, each with a definite time frame:
- Registration activities (7-9:30 A.M.) can involve greeting and registering the many participants and directing them to their first station of the day, or setting out and offering refreshments;
- The Competition portion of the day (7:30 A.M.-12:30 P.M.) requires team guides, score runners, eco-station assistants, and presentation hosts;
- The Lunch and Activity phase (11:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M.) encompasses serving the simple but delicious lunch options and helping to clean up afterward; moderating roundtable discussions; and collecting evaluations from the students.
- Pack-up teams (2:00 P.M.-3:00 P.M.) help to break the event down and load supplies and equipment into vehicles.
Some of these blocks overlap, so no volunteer will be able or expected to help in all four, but the more time you can give the event, the better it will go and the easier it will be for all.
If you cannot commit to the entire day, but are confident you could help with some portion of it, please fill out and send us the Volunteer Contact Sheet, indicating your constraints, whether temporal or physical, and the volunteer coordinator, Dan Giza, will contact you to discuss the possibilities.
Getting as Good as You Give
Volunteering at the Massachusetts Envirothon has many benefits, not only for the student-participants, but also for you:
- You will enjoy complimentary coffee, refreshments, and lunch.
- You’ll have many opportunities to network with committed educators, community activists, and environmental professionals from across Massachusetts.
- You can interact with the student-teams (lunchtime roundtables are the best opportunity for this), find out what their interests and concerns are, and share your own. This is an excellent opportunity for students to be taken seriously by adults from a variety of professions and communities.
- You’ll spend a May day outdoors. No advance preparation is required: you get to show up and just be yourself.
- You’ll also reconnect with your own inspiration to make a difference for both young people and the Massachusetts landscape.
Volunteering: It’s All About the Day!
So, if you can help make this year’s Envirothon the best one yet, or are interested in sponsoring Envirothon at some level, please complete the Volunteer Contact Sheet or contact Dan Giza (508-829-6000 ext. 6421) for more information. Thank you!