In April, students from three Simcoe County District School Board (SCDSB) secondary schools competed in the Forests Canada regional Simcoe-Dufferin Envirothon competition at the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA) Tiffin Centre. Teams from Elmvale District HS, Innisdale SS, and Nantyr Shores SS battled for the chance to move on to the provincial Envirothon.
The Innisdale SS school team, led by teacher Kit Cairns, came away with top honours, followed closely by Nantyr Shores SS in second.
At Envirothon, students compete in teams of five, gaining hands-on experience with forests, soils, wildlife, and aquatic ecosystems. The activities are designed to develop critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, leadership, and communication skills.
Leading up to the competition, students took part in a series of hands-on workshops facilitated by educators from Forests Canada, the Tiffin Centre/NVCA, and other partner organizations. Participants identified animal skulls by examining physical features and adaptations, analyzed water samples to identify benthic macroinvertebrates, studied soil layers and composition, and learned to identify tree species while measuring height, circumference, and other key metrics. They also explored how human activities impact local watersheds and examined strategies for mitigating pollution-related challenges.
The provincial contest will be held May 24 to 27 at the University of Waterloo.
May 25, 2026
