News Release:

KALAMAZOO--More than 400 middle and high school students from a five-county area will flock to Western Michigan University this month for the Region 10 Science Olympiad competition.

The competition will run from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, March 17, in various campus locations, culminating in an awards ceremony from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Bernhard Center Ballroom. Competitive events will take place in Wood Hall, Rood Hall, the Chemistry Building, Dalton Center, Bernhard Center and the Student Recreation Center. About 150 WMU students, faculty and staff volunteers will be involved in some aspect of the Olympiad.

Forty-five different events in the competition are designed to test competitors' knowledge of the physical, applied and health science areas.

From the Michigan Department of Resources:

Join in the effort to Go Get Outdoors and protect critical dune, prairie and forest habitats stretching from Berrien to Muskegon Counties! State recreation officials announced the schedule of volunteer stewardship activities for the month of February as part of the new Volunteer Steward program in Southwestern Michigan state parks and recreation areas.  Volunteering for these workdays is a great way to GO-Get Outdoors in many of our cherished state parks, breathe some fresh air, have fun and get a bit of exercise while enjoying beautiful scenery and precious landscapes. 

Volunteers can make a big impact by removing invasive, non-native shrubs in natural areas within state parks and recreation areas. Targeted invasive species include:  honeysuckle, autumn olive, barberry and Lombardy poplar.