This past school year, I became aware of a competition that fosters student appreciation and knowledge of Kansas wildlife (not entirely statewide but growing). Now, I will be trying to organize a group of my environmental club students to participate.
For those, like me, that have been clueless or busy over the past decade or more that this competition has been growing, the Kansas Eco-Meet is a competition for Kansas students that tests knowledge of our local flora and fauna. The competition offers a means to demonstrate what students know and they can potentially win scholarships. Participants are tested in four areas:
Habitat Test – this test assesses one’s knowledge of specific Kansas habitats. The topic for 2008 and 2009 is Tallgrass Prairie.
Focus Test – this test assesses one’s knowledge of a particular group of animals. The topic for 2008 is Kansas Invertebrates.
Scavenger Hunt – in this activity, participants demonstrate their ability to locate and identify natural objects in the outdoors. This activity focuses heavily on the identification of native plants.
Interpretation Presentation – in this activity, teams demonstrate their ability to communicate ideas to an audience through creative means.
The website is well organized with numerous links to essential pdf files. So, start rallying the troops, get to learning about your native plants and invertebrates, attend your regional competition (running from Sept 30- October 30), and if we’re lucky maybe we’ll see each other in at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge for the State Competition.