1. To cultivate a desire to learn more about our natural environment through a competitive event.

2. To develop a greater appreciation for our dependence on the natural environment.

3. To provide students with experiences in environmentally-oriented activities to enable them to become environmentally-aware, action-oriented adults.

Students will develop a knowledge of

1. The effects, both positive and negative, individual actions can have on environmental problems.

2. The interactions and interdependence of our total environment.

3. Renewable and non-renewable resources.

4. Current environmental problems.

5. Local resource organizations and agencies available to assist them in environmental matters.

1. Students in grade levels 9 through 12 participate.

2. A team will consist of a minimum of three (3) members and a maximum of five (5) members. Only one alternate per team will be allowed to attend the competition.

3. Each school may send a maximum of three (3) teams. Team members may not be drawn from different schools (no all-star teams). BOCES teams are eligible to compete, as are members of sovereign Native American National Schools.

4. In the Regional competition, each individual school team will stay together during the competition. The team advisor or chaperone must travel with the team but shall not assist the team in the actual competition. In the event that the winning county team cannot compete in the State competition, then the second place team for that county shall be allowed to enter the State competition.

5. Advisors will be responsible for a team's proper conduct at all times.

6. Competition will consist of six (6) stations - Soils, Wildlife, Forestry, Aquatics, and a Current Environmental Issue and an Oral Presentation. The Oral Presentation is mandatory and scores will count towards your overall score. Advisors are allowed to guide students in preparing for the oral presentation, but the students need to work together to prepare the presentation themselves.

7. Cooperating agencies and/or independent environmental organization personnel will conduct the competition.

8. The Regional Envirothon Committee's decisions are final regarding all events.

9. A school's intention to enter one or two or teams in the Regional Envirothon must be submitted by December 16, 2005 to their local Soil and Water Conservation District.

10. Registration forms listing team members must be submitted by February 24, 2006. All forms must be in typed form. This date is one month later than in past years to allow schools more time to comprise their team.

11. The Regional Envirothon will be held April 26 and 27, 2006 at the Rogers Center for Environmental Education, Sherburne, New York.

12. Transportation to the event will be the responsibility of each participating school.

13. A winning team will be the team with the highest cumulative total points for the six events. In the event of a tie, a tie breaker question series will be used to determine the winner. In the event of a tie between teams in the same county for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place, a tie breaker series of questions based on all six stations will determine the winner.

14. Rules and regulations of the Regional Envirothon are subject to change. Any and all changes will be explained to all team members and advisors at the Envirothon site.

15. Cooperating agencies, advisors and participants (team members and advisors) involved in the competition will be requested to complete an evaluation of the program following the competition.

16. Any suggestion or improvement to the rules and regulations will be considered by the Regional Envirothon Committee. The Regional Envirothon Committee meets regularly to formulate and critique each year's program. All changes in rules and procedures are based on the general consensus of the committee.