From July 19-25, 2026, the National Conservation Foundation, in partnership with the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission, will host the NCF-Envirothon at Mississippi State University. The NCF-Envirothon is an international environmental and natural resources academic competition for high school students.
“We are excited for the opportunity to bring together 43 teams from 41 states and 2 provinces in North America. This competition allows students and future conservation leaders to connect and learn in a unique way,” said Jeremy Peters, NCF executive director.
The winning Tennessee Envirothon team for 2026 is the Smith County 4-H team consisting of five members: Turner Harville, Tana Harville, Easton Bibbings, Emmy Bibbings, and Owen Meeks.
The theme of this year’s competition, “Non-point Source Pollution: It Begins at Home,” reflects Mississippi’s strong tie to water resources. During the competition, students will be challenged to consider how their everyday actions impact water quality, ecosystems and community health.
The event will kick off with the opening ceremony on Sunday, July 19, at 7 p.m. Throughout the week, students will learn through hands-on activities, demonstrations and team collaboration.
“Envirothon allows students to have hands-on experience with the environment and be able to interact in a way that’s different than just in a classroom. We get to do tests and explore real-world applications for what we’re learning. It also allows us to connect with other peers, from around our state to across the world. It is a very unique experience and one that I really value,” shared Rachell Austin, a Utah Envirothon alum.
The event will culminate with the awards ceremony on Friday, July 24, at 7 p.m. During this ceremony, the top teams will be recognized for their accomplishments. Again this year, the top three team announcements and oral presentations will be livestreamed on the NCF-Envirothon YouTube channel.
The 2026 competition is supported by a generous group of sponsors, including the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission, Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality, Mississippi Association of Conservation Districts, Mississippi State University, Amazon, Canon U.S.A. and others.
The 2026 Tennessee competition began with 97 teams competing in seven regional competitions across the state, followed by a state event held May 5 & 6 in Crossville. At that time, the Smith County 4-H team competed against nine other winning and high scoring teams from the seven regions and emerged the overall winner.
The Tennessee competition is coordinated by the Tennessee Resource Conservation and Development council along with seven regional RC&D Councils across the state. The Smith County 4-H Team competed in the Hull York Lakeland RC&D Council’s regional event. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture, the Tennessee Farm Bureau, and Soil & Water Conservation Districts across the state make the competition possible with their sponsorships.
The NCF-Envirothon team is excited to welcome all students, advisors, guests and volunteers to this year’s competition. For more information and how to get involved, visit 2026 NCF-Envirothon Mississippi.
Best of luck to our Smith County 4-H competitors!
