The Need for Partnerships:

With most of today’s generation of youth growing up indoors, with a ‘plugged-in’ lifestyle that is largely devoid of exploring the natural world, you have to wonder - how will kids learn about, understand and value nature? How will the next generation care about the land and be stewards of its resources?

Tomorrow’s leaders need to be prepared for tomorrow’s challenges – therefore we must prepare today’s youth for the future they will inherit. To grow the next generation of foresters, soil scientists, wildlife managers, political leaders, school teachers, researchers – we must get kids ‘unplugged’, outdoors, and provide them with the education they will need for tomorrow.

The NSFA recognizes the importance of making real investments in the youth of today. In order to make those investments work, our schools need encouragement, resources and time to devote attention to natural resources education. We need to train teachers to incorporate natural resources into their everyday lesson plans and to develop the confidence and skills to take their students outdoors to learn. We also need to bring the resource professionals into the schools to educate and inspire students.

Getting natural resources education into schools and teaching kids about the natural world around them has many benefits:

  • Most kids are interested in being outdoors, therefore they are more motivated when they get to work outside- allowing them to become more enthusiastic about learning and perform better academically.
  • Natural resources education often encourages students to think critically – questioning, investigating and forming hypotheses, interpreting data, analyzing, developing conclusions and solving problems.
  • Natural resources education can be applied to any standard subject matter, but offers students the opportunity to tackle real-world applications instead of fabricated examples from a text book.
  • Natural resources education emphasizes cooperative learning, critical thinking, discussion making and hands-on activities. As a result, students develop and practice many leadership skills.
  • Traditional education, such as lecturing in a classroom, is not always an effective learning mechanism for every student. Some students learn best through problem- or project- based approaches, which natural resources education can offer.
  • By exposing students to natural resources education, they have the opportunity to consider a post-secondary education or career in the field.

The NSFA needs your help to ensure that every student in Nova Scotia is exposed to natural resources education, is inspired by nature’s beauty and is equipped with the tools and knowledge needed to manage their future world in a way which is socially, economically and environmentally sustainable.

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The Opportunity

Envirothon is North America’s largest and fastest growing environmental education program.

Nova Scotia Envirothon program was established in 1993 and has since educated and inspired thousands of students across the Province.

Envirothon challenges high school students and educators to look at natural resources education, in a combined classroom and hands-on learning atmosphere.

The four main areas of study for the program include forestry, soils and land use, wildlife and aquatic ecology.

Each year there is a fifth ‘current environmental issues’ topic selected; the topic for 2015 is Urban/Community Forests.

The Nova Scotia Envirothon competition usually takes place over two days; the location varies across the province. The 2015 competition will take place on May 7-8 at Brigadoon Village, in the Annapolis Valley.

Envirothon is open to students in grades 9-12 and all events are done as a team of five students.

The winning team from the Provincial competition will be presented with the opportunity to represent Nova Scotia at the North American Envirothon, which will take place July 28 – August 2, 2015 in Springfield, Missouri, U.S.A.

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By being a financial or in-kind contributor to Nova Scotia Envirothon you will:

  • Educate Future Resource Stewards - Support environmental education and stewardship among High School students in Nova Scotia;
  • Develop Tomorrow’s Informed Leaders - Promote the development of informed leaders and natural resource managers for Nova Scotia’s tomorrow;
  • Promote Sustainable Development – Make it possible for students to pursue local community development projects which improve the quality of living and promote public interest and awareness;
  • Create Community Awareness – Gain exposure in the communities of Nova Scotia and have your organization’s name associated with a well-respected, youth environmental education program;
  • Recognition – Company name and logo in communications, website and displayed at all Nova Scotia Envirothon events;

The Nova Scotia Forestry Association offers the following partnership opportunities for supporting Nova Scotia Envirothon:

Platinum Partner

$5,000 + or in-Kind donation of equivalent value
As a Platinum Partner, you will receive the following benefits:

image4Platinum Partners have the option of exclusively sponsoring one of the five topics (Wildlife, Aquatic Ecology, Soils and Land Use, Forestry, Urban Forestry) during the field testing day at the Provincial Competition. This would include the option of having a banner displayed at the field station during the competition.

Acknowledgment as a Platinum Partner during the Nova Scotia Envirothon competition opening and closing ceremonies.

Option of displaying a banner at the Provincial competition as provided by your company/organization.

Option of having a display booth at the Provincial competition as provided by your company/organization.

Full page advertisement appearing on programs and name/logo appearing on signage at the Provincial Competition ceremonies.

Name/logo on all printed resource materials and promotional items (including t-shirts).

Appearing as a Platinum Partner on press releases related to the events associated with the Provincial competition.

Name/logo and website link will appear on the www.nsfa.ca website and all social network sites.

Right to use the Nova Scotia Forestry Association and Nova Scotia Envirothon name in corporate advertising (agreement details to be negotiated) and includes linking NSFA’s website from Partner’s website.

Golden Partner

$2,500 - $5,000 or in-Kind donation of equivalent value
As a Golden Partner you will receive the following benefits:

image5Acknowledgment as a Golden Partner during the Nova Scotia Envirothon competition opening and closing ceremonies.

Option of displaying a banner at the Provincial competition as provided by your company/organization.

Option of having a display booth at the Provincial competition as provided by your company/organization.

Half page advertisement appearing on programs and name/logo appearing on signage at the Provincial Competition ceremonies

Name/logo on all printed resource materials and promotional items (including t-shirts).

Appearing as a Golden Partner on the press releases related to the events associated with the Provincial Competition.

Name/logo and website link will appear on the www.nsfa.ca website and all social network sites.

Right to use the Nova Scotia Forestry Association and Nova Scotia Envirothon’s name in corporate advertising (agreement details to be negotiated) and including linking NSFA’s website from Partner’s website.

Silver Partner

$1,000 - $2,500 or in-Kind donation of equivalent value
As a Silver Partner, you will receive the following benefits:
  • Acknowledgment as a Silver Partner during the Nova Scotia Envirothon competition opening and closing ceremonies.
  • Option of displaying a banner at the Provincial competition as provided by your company/organization.
  • Option of having a display booth at the Provincial competition as provided by your company/organization.
  • Name/Logo appearing on programs and signage at the Provincial Competition ceremonies
  • Appearing as a Silver Partner on the press releases related to the events associated with the Provincial Competition.
  • Name/logo and website link will appear on the www.nsfa.ca website and all social network sites.
  • Right to use the Nova Scotia Forestry Association and Nova Scotia Envirothon’s name in corporate advertising (agreement details to be negotiated) and including linking NSFA’s website from Partner’s website.

Bronze Partner

$500 - $1,000 or in-Kind donation of equivalent value
As a Bronze Partner, you will receive the following benefits:
  • Name/Logo appearing on programs and signage at the Provincial Competition ceremonies
  • Appearing as a Bronze Partner on the press releases related to the events associated with the Provincial Competition.
  • Name/logo and website link will appear on the www.nsfa.ca website and all social network sites.
  • Right to use the Nova Scotia Forestry Association and Nova Scotia Envirothon’s name in corporate advertising (agreement details to be negotiated) and including linking NSFA’s website from Partner’s website.

*Don’t see a package that works for you? No problem.
We are more than happy to customize the perfect package for you.*

The Future

In addition to the Nova Scotia Envirothon, the NSFA is currently working to further develop and strengthen its Forest Education Program. The program was first developed in 2013 and to date has initiated tree plantings, class visits to harvest sites, sawmill tours and class visits to a Christmas tree operation. We would like to continue to expand our offerings with programs and resources such as connecting educators with resource and industry professionals, offering educational workshops and events for students, providing educators with information sessions to strengthen their knowledge and ability to teach students about the forest, assembling and distributing resource kits for classrooms, developing curriculum supplements that encourage outdoor/hands-on education, developing an educational web-video series and many, many more. The NSFA also has partnership opportunities available for the Forest Education program and would welcome further discussion.

Brenna Reynolds
Program Coordinator, NSFA

P.O. Box 696
Truro, Nova Scotia B2N 5E5

(902)895-1179 ext.223
[email protected]

Interested in learning more about the Atlantic Teachers’ Tour?
Check out their website at www.teacherstour.com.
Sponsorship opportunities exist for the Atlantic Teachers’ Tour,
contact the NSFA for more information.

Become a Partner