Canadian teens test their environmental IQ at provincial Envirothons

Teams set to showcase their environmental skills for a chance to attend The Canon Envirothon, North America's largest high school environmental education competition

MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 15 /CNW/ - Canon Canada Inc. is pleased to announce the start of the annual provincial and territorial environmental Envirothon competitions. Beginning this weekend and continuing until June, teens from high schools across Canada will put their environmental awareness and problem solving skills to the test as they compete in provincial Envirothon competitions. Organized and conducted by provincial forestry associations, the provincial competitions bring together teams of students from eight provinces and one territory to participate in a variety of environmental tests. The winning team of five students will move on to represent their province/territory at the 2010 Canon Envirothon, North America's largest environmental competition, which will be held this year at California State University in Fresno, California from August 1st to 6th.

Providing valuable knowledge and training in ecology and natural resource management, Envirothon offers teens, who range from Grade nine to 12, an opportunity to analyze and decipher key environmental problems with peers, natural resource professionals and community leaders. Preparing several months in advance, teams are tested on four primary environmental subjects: Aquatic ecology, soil, wildlife and forestry. As well, teens will explore one topical environmental issue each year. This year's current issue is Protection of Groundwater Through Urban, Agricultural and Environmental Planning. Participating students will discover the critical role that policy makers play in adopting and implementing effective strategies for long-term protection and management of ground water.

"Environmental education outside of the classroom is essential to driving home the importance of conservation throughout the world as well as developing a skilled and engaged workforce within our own communities," says Colleen Ryan, Senior Director of Corporate Communications at Canon Canada. "Thanks to environmental education programs like Envirothon, more Canadian teens are choosing to pursue environmental studies and career paths in environmental law, natural science, natural resource management, corporate sustainability and other environmental fields."

The Canon Envirothon is North America's largest high school environmental education competition, engaging more than 500,000 teenagers throughout North America. Students are involved in a year-long learning process that combines in-class curricula with hands-on field experiences. Under the supervision of foresters, soil scientists and wildlife specialists, five-member teams participate in a series of field-oriented tests. Students also prepare and deliver oral presentations to panels of judges who evaluate each team on their problem-solving capabilities, presentation skills and recommendations to help solve the specific environmental challenge presented during the competition. Teams from schools and organizations across Canada and the U.S. compete for Canon scholarships, prizes and awards worth more than $125,000 USD.

Below is the schedule for the upcoming Canadian provincial and territorial Envirothon competitions:

    
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    Provincial Envirothon          Location             Date
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    British Columbia               Richmond             April 17 - 18
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    Alberta                        Grande Prairie       April 23 - 25
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    New Brunswick                  Sackville            April 29 - May 1
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    Ontario                        St. George           May 5 - 8
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    Nova Scotia                    Wolfville            May 6 - 8
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    Newfoundland                   Bishop's Falls       May 14 - 16
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    Manitoba                       Brandon              May 27 - 29
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    Saskatchewan                   Eston                May 30 - June 1
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    Yukon                          Whitehorse           TBD
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About Canon Canada Inc.

Headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, the company employs 1,200 people at its offices nation-wide, servicing the Canadian market from coast to coast. Innovation and cutting-edge technology have been essential ingredients in Canon's success. Canon's leadership in imaging, optical and document management technology and solutions is based in large part on the thousands of patents the company has secured throughout its history. For the 16th consecutive year, Canon Inc. is among the top three US patent recipients.

The company's comprehensive product line includes networked multifunction devices; digital copiers (colour and black and white); printers, scanners, image filing systems and facsimile machines; calculators, digital camcorders, digital and analogue cameras and lenses; semiconductor, broadcast and other specialized industrial products.

Canon supports programs that help preserve and protect the environment. The company instituted the Clean Earth Campaign in 1990, which assists various environmental and recycling initiatives. The Campaign has also supported leading environmental organizations, such as World Wildlife Fund - Canada and the Canon Envirothon.

For more information, visit www.canon.ca

For further information: Wayne Doyle, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications, Canon Canada Inc., Tel: [phone], [email protected]; Lorena Cordoba, High Road Communications, Tel: [phone], [email protected]