Rules & Regulations

Envirothon Rules and Regulations

2017 RulesRegulations and Electronic Equipment Policy

  1. Students in grades 9-12 are eligible to compete. Student teams may be formed from a high school, 4-H club, FFA club, or any other sanctioned local, regional, state, or nationally recognized school or club that sponsors youth in grades 9-12.
  2. Attendance is limited to one team from each county, Baltimore City, and the District of Columbia. A registration fee of $500.00 will be assessed to each registered team’s Soil Conservation District and the City of Baltimore that attends the Maryland Envirothon.   The fee is non-refundable.
  3. All registration forms must be typed in order to assure the Maryland Envirothon Steering Committee has received legible, accurate information. All forms are available in electronic format.
  4. The District of Columbia is also invited to send a team to the Maryland competition but will be responsible for reimbursement to the Maryland Envirothon for room and meal costs. However, the District of Columbia team will not compete against the Maryland teams for the right to represent Maryland at the North American Envirothon.
  5. Each team will consist of no more than five members.
  6. Once each County’s Envirothon competition has taken place and the winners identified, the teams representing their respective counties are prohibited from visiting the site of the Maryland Envirothon competition.
  7. Illegal drugs are not permitted. Any member of a team under 21 years of age using tobacco against State Law, and/or any team member that has possession of illegal drugs, alcohol, or weapons (including but not limited to: fire arms, pocket knives, hunting knives, Leatherman/all purpose tools, and/or self protection sprays) will cause disqualification of the entire team from the competition.
  8. The Maryland Envirothon Steering Committee requires a completed and signed health form from ALL participants. This includes volunteers, advisors, and chaperones.  The form is used to inform the Maryland Envirothon Steering Committee of all participants taking prescription drugs and any medical condition including medication administered by an inhaler or mechanical device, special diets, allergies, and special learning and/or training disabilities.  Upon such notification, the Maryland Envirothon Steering Committee will make any reasonable accommodations within their limits.  All medications must be labeled with the name of the medication, name of the patient, name of the physician, date and directions (e.g. specific dose for administration).  Prescription medication must be labeled by a registered pharmacist unless ordered from a pharmaceutical company.  Safe refrigeration will be supplied by the committee if needed.
  9. If there are both male and female members on a team, a male and female advisor must be provided for the team during the Maryland Envirothon. This action WILL occur prior to the beginning of the Maryland Envirothon Competition when submitting the registration paperwork.  A District employee can serve as an advisor.  Failure to comply with this requirement will result in the disqualification of the team.
  10. Advisors will be responsible to ensure that teams display proper conduct and respect during the competition and at the host facility. In most host facilities, overseeing final clean-up of rooms by the teams is also the responsibility of the advisor.
  11. ALL registered advisors must remain on site at all times unless prior notification/arrangements have been made with the Maryland Envirothon Cooordinator. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in the disqualification of the team. Advisors who must leave campus during the event, WILL notify the Maryland Envirothon Coordinator and complete the appropriate form prior to leaving campus AND immediately upon returning.
  12. Because of liability, team members and advisors MUST honor specific rules put forward by the host facility. These rules will be announced during the first orientation and typically include:  unacceptable actions, areas that are off limits, whether or not swimming/boating is allowed, etc.  Details of these rules will be provided in writing to each advisor at that time.  Failure to follow these rules can lead to legal problems if there is an accident.
  13. Meals and housing for the participating teams and advisors will be the responsibility of the Maryland Envirothon Program. Advisors/chaperones are NOT permitted to bring guests/family members to the Maryland Envirothon event. During medical emergencies, parents will be notified by the Maryland Envirothon Steering Committee. The parent is able to provide assistance to their child. The parent may choose to take their child off campus to seek medical attention or to return home. If the ill student is taken off campus, whether to a medical facility or home, medical documentation must be provided that the student has been medically cleared by a physician in order to return to the event .  Also, the parent is not able to stay at the event.
  14. Transportation and meals in route to the Maryland Envirothon will be the responsibility of participating Maryland Soil Conservation District(s) or sponsoring organization.
  15. Any advisor, chaperone, or team member that break(s) any rules will cause the disqualification of the entire team.
  16. Any advisor, student, or chaperone that makes threats, whether direct or implied, including verbal abuse, violence and threats of lawsuits, against the Maryland Envirothon Steering Committee, its members, volunteers, guests, or any participants will immediately be ejected from the event, their team disqualified, their sponsoring SCD, and school districts or sponsoring organization notified, and legal charges may be placed against them to the fullest extent of the law.
  17. In order for each student to participate at the Maryland Envirothon, students must have participated and represented the same school, youth club/group and/or organization as they participated at the local/county/regional Envirothon.

Competition Rules

  1. The competition will be conducted by the Maryland Envirothon Steering Committee which is made up of Soil Conservation District personnel and cooperating resource agencies and/or independent environmental organization personnel.
  2. The Maryland Envirothon competition may consist of two (2) parts: 1) the test scores from each of the five resource areas and 2) an oral presentation of 8-10 minutes. Teams will be required to participate in the presentation portion, which will be a 6th test station at the Maryland Envirothon, in order to be eligible to win 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place, and the right to represent Maryland at the North American Envirothon. The presentation scores will be factored into the overall cumulative score determining the Maryland Envirothon winner. Overall scores will be determined at equal 1/6th value for each of the 5 resource stations and the oral presentation.

2a. In the event of no oral presentations, scoring will consist of one (1) part: the test scores from each of the five resource areas. Overall scores will be determined at equal 1/5th value for each of the 5 resource stations.

3.Attire: For the competition- all team members must wear Maryland Envirothon t-shirts and no county identification. Displaying any county identification is a grievous action by other teams.

4. During the Maryland Envirothon competition, advisors, registered participants & committee invited guests are welcome to travel from station to station and observe the event. However, they should make every effort to stay apart from their own team by traveling with a team from another county or staying well back from the station. Aiding their own team or the perception of aiding is a grievous action by another team.

5.Teams will be issued a clipboard at the beginning of the competition. At each station they will be given a test to complete. All materials/guides/keys/equipment and other reference materials needed to complete the test will be available at the station. Teams are not allowed to carry any other materials/equipment, etc. with them during the competition.

6. The team that will represent Maryland at the North American Envirothon will be the team with the highest cumulative total points. Each resource station will designate tie-breaker questions on their respective exams in case of a tie. In case of a tie for overall scores between two or more teams: the team with the highest score in the Environmental Issue area will take the lead. If this also results in a tie score, then the team with the highest score in Soils will take the lead. Beyond these tie breakers, a winner will be determined by the highest score in the following order: Aquatics, Forestry, and Wildlife.

7. The lead Resource Professional, from each resource station, will submit a completed exam to the Vice-Chair for review and formatting by June 1st.

8. Should a finding or awarding of points be disputed by an advisor, the Maryland Envirothon Steering Committee has set up an independent jury to hear the dispute and make a ruling. The decision of this jury will be final. Any disputes or concerns are to be formally presented in writing within one hour of the end of the competition, duly signed by the advisor or their representative (or as explained by the Maryland Envirothon Steering Committee prior to the competition).

Electronic Equipment Policy

  1. To ensure fairness and equity during the Maryland Envirothon Program, all cell phones, and electronic equipment, including but not limited to iPads, iPods, laptops, etc. must be relinquished to the advisors at the initial onset of the Maryland Envirothon Program. Students may use these items only after the activities held in the evening, set forth by the Maryland Envirothon Steering Committee, have concluded. At that time, the students may use the cell phone to contact their parents or guardians. All cell phones must be returned to the advisor by “lights out”.
  2. Cameras and video equipment are not to be used during the Training portion of the Maryland Envirothon. Cameras may be used during the Competition portion by the advisors only for promotional and recognition purposes..
  3. Students are not allowed to have access to or use computers or laptops during training and/or testing or evening activities.
  4. Any student caught using an electronic device before Envirothon activities are finished for the day, will receive a 25 point reduction. The 25 point reduction will be applied to the team’s total test score. For example, if a 5-member team were to have 5 students break the rule, that team would have a total deduction of 125 points
  5. The Maryland Envirothon is not responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged electronic equipment/devices nor the replacement cost of student and/or advisor/chaperone electronic devices brought to the competition.

Other

  1. An evaluation form will be developed by the Maryland Envirothon Steering Committee. Cooperating agencies, advisors and participants involved in the competition will be requested to complete an evaluation of the competition following the competition. The suggestions by the participants will aid the Maryland Envirothon Steering Committee in making the Maryland Envirothon a strong, dynamic learning experience for everybody.
  2. Rules and regulations of the Maryland Envirothon are subject to change. Any and all changes will be explained in advance to all teams and advisors.
  3. It is the policy of the Maryland Envirothon to provide equal opportunity to all persons regardless of color, national origin, citizenship, status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status with regard to public assistance, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.