Training top-notch Envirothon teams at local schools requires more than just time and dedication – it also requires funding.
Thanks to a grant awarded recently from the Northwest Alabama Resource Conservation and Development Council (RC&D), officials who help with the Envirothon training in Franklin County will have help with their funding for the upcoming year.
Envirothon, which is an environmental education competition held county and statewide, is sponsored by the Franklin County Soil and Water Conservation District (S&WCD).
Franklin County S&WCD was awarded $1,000 at the Northwest Alabama RC&D quarterly meeting held at the Frog Pond Community Center on July 27.
Franklin County S&WCD official Jimmy Murphree said the grant money will help them purchase T-shirts for team members at the annual county competition and awards for the teams that place.
“This is a great program for the students and we have participation in the competition from all our schools in Franklin County,” Murphree said. “There are five to six subjects covered in the training session that they will compete in.”
The topics normally covered include aquatics, wildlife, forestry, soils and a complex issue pertaining to the environment.
Winners of the countywide Envirothon competition are then eligible to compete at the state Envirothon competition. A win at the state competition makes the team eligible to compete nationally.
Roger Hayes, chairman of the Northwest Alabama RC&D Council said that RC&D realizes the importance of providing funding for educational programs such as Envirothon because they provide hands-on learning opportunities for local youth.
“RC&D has a great relationship with our local Soil and Water Conservation Districts and we are glad to help fund such a worthwhile event,” Hayes said.
He added that he appreciated Sen. Roger Bedford and Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow for helping to support the RC&D program in the State Legislature so they can award grants to deserving programs like Envirothon.
“You guys make a difference in so many lives by what you do through these grants,” Bedford told RC&D members at the meeting. “I’m just glad to do my part to help make this possible.”