Students to Demonstrate Environmental, Conservation Knowledge at Nature Bowl
Contacts:

Bruce Forman, DFG Program Director, (916) 358-2353 and (916) 591-1161
DFG Office of Communications, (916) 322-8911

Local elementary school students will have the opportunity to show off their environmental savvy at the Nature Bowl this Saturday, May 16. The event will be held in the Union Building at California State University, Sacramento. It is open to the public.

The annual event, now in its 25th year, is a friendly competition designed to increase and promote science and conservation literacy among students in grades three through six. The teams are composed of students from schools in Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, Butte, Sutter, Yolo and Nevada counties.

Sponsored by the California Department of Fish and Game (DFG), American River Natural History Association, American River Conservancy, California Waterfowl Association, Effie Yeaw Nature Center, Placer Nature Center and the Yolo Basin Foundation, Cosumnes River Preserve and Save Our Sandhill Cranes, the event is the only one of its kind in northern California. It provides a forum for budding environmental advocates, scientists and responsible citizens. Examples of topics addressed in the competition include vernal pools, invasive New Zealand mud snails, reducing lunch waste, recycling batteries, hydrogen cell cars and urban runoff.

One hundred fifty students from 21 teams will compete at 8:30 a.m. (for third and fourth grades) and 1 p.m. (for fifth and sixth grades). Last year's winning teams from Deterding School in Carmichael will be returning to defend their first-place title.