WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the National Conservation Foundation (NCF) Board of Trustees and the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD) announced the decision to transition the 2021 NCF-Envirothon annual competition to a completely virtual format due to the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

"This decision was made after much deliberation but was determined to be the best option to protect the health and safety of the general public and to prevent the spread of COVID-19,” NCF Chair Steve Robinson said. “The top priority for the organizers is the health and safety of students, advisors, volunteers, sponsors and education partners."

NARD will still host the 2021 NCF-Envirothon competition. Nebraska’s ecology, natural resources and the current environmental topic of “Water Resources Management: Local Control and Local Solutions,” are still the main focal points of the 2021 competition. The 2021 NCF-Envirothon will be an innovative competition, with the same quality of training, testing and commitment to providing students with the knowledge and skills to change the world.

“While going virtual will be an adjustment, our dedication to environmental education and protecting lives, property and the future through natural resources management remains strong," said NARD President Jim Eschliman. "We look forward to virtually welcoming NCF-Envirothon competitors to Nebraska this year.”

Organizers are working diligently to develop the virtual competition plan of action and will release more information as it becomes available. NCF and NARD are committed to providing teams with the best experience possible in a virtual format.

“We know that many students look forward to attending this competition each year, and we are truly sorry that we can’t be on the ground together in Nebraska,” Robinson said. “However, we are still committed to ensuring a quality event that may look different, but will have the same spirit of challenging these students to become the next generation of conservation leaders.”

To learn more about the NCF-Envirothon or the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts, visit: www.envirothon.org or www.nrdnet.org.