The 2015 Washington NW Regional competition of the annual Washington State Envirothon is hosted by the King Conservation District, Lake Wilderness Arboretum and the city of Maple Valley, and takes place Thursday, April 30 at Lake Wilderness Park. Arboretum volunteers will set up stations at the lodge and the arboretum.

The Envirothon is a natural resource-based competition where high school students throughout the United States and Canada demonstrate their hands-on knowledge and problem-solving skills of aquatic ecology, forestry, soils and land use, and wildlife. Winning regional teams move on to the state event May 27 and 28, where the winning team will represent Washington at the national NCF Envirothon in Missouri starting July 27.

“Through this competition, students are motivated to learn about real-world problems and solutions,” said Kristen Reichardt, Education Program Coordinator for the King Conservation District. “Today’s Envirothon participants will become tomorrow’s leaders in stewarding Washington State’s natural resources.”

In addition, free educational tours of the arboretum led by trained volunteers called docents start Saturday, April 18. Free to the public, docent tours leave from the gazebo at 10 a.m. on the third Saturday of each month through October.

Plan special group tours by emailing tours@lakewildernessarboretum.org.