Support the Brockton High Envirothon Team

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UPDATE: Thanks to the generosity of the Brockton and Wildlands communities, our Giving Tuesday campaign met its goal, raising $3,000 for this year’s Brockton High Envirothon Team!

The funds will help Brockton High School students find and follow their passion for the environment through weekly meetings and field trips, including to the Massachusetts Envirothon in May.

“We are looking forward to having new materials in the classroom to engage our students in hands-on learning and exploration,” said Wildlands Programming Coordinator Amy Burt, who co-coaches Brockton High Envirothon with environmental educators at Manomet Conservation Sciences. “Our students’ access to the natural world will be enhanced and expanded due to your support. Thank you!“

Thank you to all who donated! Learn more about our campaign below, and about Brockton High Envirothon at wildlandstrust.org/envirothon.

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By Thomas Patti, Communications Coordinator

Wildlands Trust believes that the natural health and beauty of Southeastern Massachusetts can only persist with an educated and empowered youth. For 10 years, Wildlands has coached and sponsored the Brockton High School Envirothon Team to prepare the next generation of local conservation champions. We need your help so this program can continue to advance environmental awareness, leadership, equity, and resilience in our region’s largest and most diverse city.

Since 2015, in collaboration with the Brockton High School science department and environmental educators at Manomet, Wildlands has trained dedicated cohorts of Brockton students for the Massachusetts Envirothon, an annual statewide competition "emphasizing hands-on, team-oriented problem solving and community involvement that prepares young people for environmental careers and active citizenship.” The Brockton High School Envirothon Team has delivered impressive performances over the years, including fifth place overall in 2015, first place in the Current Issue category in 2018, and the Community Research Award in 2022. 

> Donate to support Brockton High Envirothon here.

The Envirothon Team meets weekly after school to build knowledge and skills assessed during the spring competition’s “ecostations” in forest, soils, wildlife, and water. Additionally, the team completes and presents a community action project around a Current Issue, which this year is “Forest Stewardship: Resilience for a Changing Climate.”

This year’s Brockton High Envirothon Team studies a water sample from a local pond.

In total, the Brockton High School Envirothon Team has engaged well over 100 students in natural resource education and community service. Many have continued in the conservation field through college and beyond. 

Testimonials

Don’t believe us about the real-world impact of Brockton High Envirothon and our other youth programs? Take it from the kids themselves, many of whom have gone on to pursue studies and careers in the conservation field.

Nicole Mejia participated in both the Brockton High School Envirothon Team and the Brockton Green Team, Wildlands’ summer service-learning program, from 2016 to 2018. Now, Nicole is earning her PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University, where she studies developmental factors of birds’ response to climate change. She credits Envirothon and Green Team as formative experiences in her personal, academic, and professional journey.  

“The time I spent on the Envirothon Team was life-changing,” Nicole said. “Getting to interact with state scientists, learn new things about the Brockton community, and have a group of peers who cared as much about the environment as I did were some of my favorite parts. It is such an important program for students coming from Brockton, who may not have access to the outdoors but do feel that passion for conservation and nature.”

Alyce Watts participated in Envirothon from 2018 to 2022 and Green Team in 2019. She joined Envirothon “to learn about aspects of the environment that I was really interested in, but otherwise wouldn't have learned.” Alyce is now a sophomore at Colorado College, where she studies Organismal Biology & Ecology.

“The skills I gained in Envirothon have been priceless for how I've developed as a student since graduating Brockton High,” Alyce said. “The confidence I have in my ability to take a leadership role as well as in presenting work that I have done are heavily attributed to the work we did in Envirothon. My experiences in Envirothon encouraged me to be more ambitious in the goals I have set for my future, as it opened my eyes to career options I didn't know existed prior to my time in the club.”

Lily Green, Science Educator at Manomet Conservation Sciences, may know better than anyone the importance of Brockton High Envirothon. As a participant in 2014-15 and a coach since 2023, Lily has experienced the program’s benefits from multiple perspectives.

“As a student, Envirothon strengthened my interest I started to have from the regular school curriculum and gave me time to dive deeper into different aspects of sustainability,” Lily said. “The rigorous school day curriculum is tight, so it’s great to give new generations of Brockton youth a real-world experience and a chance to make an impact.”

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Support the Brockton High School Envirothon Team so more students can find and pursue their passion for the environment—and in turn, defend the natural resources that uplift our communities. The program’s expenses are modest, including weekly snacks, teaching materials, and field trips, but its impact is large, shaping the next generation of conservation leaders in Southeastern Massachusetts and beyond. Learn more & donate here.

Brockton Gives a Hoot About Conservation

Barred owl, presented by Eyes on Owls at Give a Hoot About the Park on May 19. Photo by Janet Trask.

The verdict is in. Brockton gives a hoot about local conservation! 

An eventful month has left no doubt that this city of over 100,000 residents in northwestern Plymouth County is invested in the protection and stewardship of its natural spaces. 

On Sunday, May 19, our Give a Hoot About the Park event attracted nearly 200 people to D.W. Field Park, a 700-acre urban oasis in Brockton and Avon. Despite considerable rain, friends and neighbors of all ages flocked to see live owls, presented by Eyes on Owls. Free lunch, catered by Lady C&J Soulfood, rewarded those who braved the inclement weather!  

About a dozen community groups joined us, as well, offering information about how the public can get involved in local conservation efforts. 

“This event put local environmental stewardship on display and continued our efforts to build community at D.W. Field Park,” said Wildlands Chief of Staff Rachel Bruce. “The success of Give a Hoot was largely due to the collaborative efforts of our partners at Old Colony Planning Council, the D.W. Field Park Association, the Town of Avon, and the City of Brockton. The dedicated folks of the D.W. Field Park Initiative will continue to work to provide opportunities and resources for this community, who show up to support the park time and time again!” 

The public celebration, as well as the Town of Avon’s recent acquisition of 30 woodland acres abutting D.W. Field Park, were partially funded by the Massachusetts Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant program. 

Less than a week later, a determined group of students from Brockton High School ventured to Wachusett Reservoir to demonstrate that the future of our region’s natural resources is in capable hands. On May 23, the Brockton High School Envirothon team competed at the 2024 Massachusetts Envirothon, putting their environmental knowledge, skills, and leadership to the test. The students rose to the occasion, placing in the top five in two categories, Wildlife and Current Issue, where this year, students presented on Clean Energy for a Sustainable Future.

“Our Envirothon team this year was almost entirely new to the competition,” said Programming Coordinator Max Phelps, who co-coached this year’s team. “It was wonderful to see their growth in knowledge and confidence over the school year culminate in amazing presentations. I can’t wait to see what they accomplish in the future.” 

On June 4, the Envirothon team received citations from the Brockton Mayor’s Office in recognition of their excellence at the state competition. Thank you, Mayor Sullivan and the City of Brockton, for celebrating these passionate young leaders! 

Wildlands has co-coached and sponsored the Brockton High School Envirothon team since 2015, with Manomet co-coaching since 2021. Learn more here. 

Our work in Brockton continues! For updates about our D.W. Field Park Initiative, visit dwfpi.org. 

Brockton High School Competes at Massachusetts Envirothon

By Thomas Patti, Communications Coordinator

Brockton High School Envirothon team at the 2023 Massachusetts Envirothon.

On Thursday, May 25, nine Brockton High School students put their natural resources knowledge to the (hands-on, collaborative) test at the 2023 Massachusetts Envirothon. Congratulations to all the students for making their Brockton and Wildlands Trust communities proud! 

Twenty-five teams representing 18 high schools across the state converged on Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park in Uxbridge for this year’s competition. Each team was tested in five environmental areas: Forest, Wildlife, Water, Soil, and Current Issue. This year’s current issue, Climate Change in our Community, called on each team to present about the climate stressors facing their own neighborhoods, and potential ways to reduce and adapt to them. Across two teams, the Brockton students proposed interdisciplinary solutions to rival the multifaceted climate impacts in their city. One team highlighted the potential for green roofs to address flooding risk, food insecurity, and even human conflicts with Canada Geese. The other focused on improving the gateway city’s access to local, sustainably sourced food.  

Brockton High School students present about local climate impacts and solutions at the Envirothon.

Prior to the day’s events, two key figures in the Massachusetts natural resources sector addressed the students in attendance. “You are the next generation of leaders in our community,” said Brian Arrigo, commissioner of the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation. Rebecca Tepper, secretary of the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, added, “The one thing you can do [about climate change] is work in this field.” 

Wildlands Trust has coached and sponsored the Brockton High School Envirothon team since 2015. Rachel Bruce, Wildlands’ Director of Special Projects, coaches the team alongside Brockton High School biology teacher Melissa Kelly and Manomet education manager Clare Cunningham.  

Wildlands was particularly well represented at this year’s competition, as our president, Karen Grey, also served as a judge! 

Congratulations again to the Brockton High School students on an impressive showing, including a fifth-place finish in Forestry! Additional kudos to the graduating seniors, who can now proudly say they measured water quality, estimated tree height, tested soil in a five-foot hole, and identified insect species—all on the day of their senior prom! 

To learn more about Wildlands Trust’s Brockton High School Envirothon initiative, visit wildlandstrust.org/envirothon. 

Click through the slideshow below to see more photos from the 2023 competition.

Brockton Youth Shine Bright Despite COVID-19 Challenges

By Outreach and Education Manager Rachel Calderara

The 2019/20 Envirothon team tours the Taunton River Desalination Plan (winter 2019).

Since 2015, Wildlands Trust has sponsored and coached the Brockton High School (BHS) Envirothon team. The team heads to the Massachusetts Envirothon each May, where they compete with high schools from across the state in forestry, wildlife, soils and water, and present a current issue research project on a topic that changes each year. Over the years, the team has earned some impressive accolades, including winning first prize for their current issue project on working with nature in watersheds in 2018. Our partner at BHS, science teacher Joyce Voorhis, received the Secretary’s Award for Excellence in Energy and Environmental Education in both 2017 and 2019 for her work with the Envirothon team. 

Although 2020 brought unique challenges for Envirothon and the Brockton team, they managed to shine bright in the face of adversity. When the 2020 Massachusetts Envirothon was cancelled, the organization challenged teams to a video contest in place of the competition. Five students from the BHS team – Alyce Watt, Logan Coughlin, Erika Fernandes, Christina Giusti and Sofiyat Bello – stepped up to the challenge and created an 8-minute video about the water issues facing their city and their thoughts about COVID-19 and the environment both at home and around the world. Brockton High School was one of only five teams to submit a video for the challenge, earning them a $250 gift card to Forestry Suppliers. You can watch their video presentation here:

 

This summer, another unique opportunity arose, this time for alumni of the program, when they were invited to speak at a Watershed Action Alliance of Southeastern Massachusetts (WAA) virtual meeting. Wildlands Trust Outreach and Education Manager Rachel Calderara worked with WAA Coordinator and Outreach Manager Dorie Stolley to assemble a panel of three inspirational women to share their perspectives on the environment with WAA for their “Learn Along” series on environmental justice. Brockton High School Envirothon alumni Lily Green, MaryKate Clark and Nicole Mejia shared their unique experiences and spoke of the significant impacts that environmental education has had on their lives. You can watch WAA’s recording of the Zoom meeting here:

At Wildlands Trust, our commitment to environmental education in the city of Brockton remains strong despite the challenges of this pandemic, and we look forward to getting back to work with the students this fall, whether in person or online.